Page 67 of Daybreak

“Fabulous idea. What’s your plan?”

“If you’re too tired to go out, I can bring dinner to you,” he said.

“I’d love that,” she said. “I had peanut butter crackers and a Pepsi at my desk. I’m starving, and I don’t care what we eat.”

Now he was beaming. “Great. Is seven o’clock a good time?”

“The best. Do you have plans tomorrow?” she asked.

“I’m not on any schedule, if that’s what you mean,” he said.

“Then feel free to bring your toothbrush and a change of clothes. We live too far apart for all this driving,” she said.

“That’s the best invitation I’ve ever had. I won’t have to sleep with my teddy bear tonight.”

She laughed out loud. “You do not sleep with a teddy bear.”

“Well, maybe not anymore… But only because it finally fell apart. I can’t wait to see you again. I have a small confession to make. It’s not bad, but it’s something you sure need to know, okay?”

“You’re always okay, with me. See you soon. Love you, Gunner.”

“Love you more,” he said, and the call ended. He was smiling the whole time he was packing. Choosing food to order was a whole other thing, but he knew he could do better than peanut butter crackers.

A few minutes later, he was calling in an order to pick up and driving the Mustang. No more hide-and-seek.

* * *

Holly shut down her computer, gave her roses a quick sniff, and then headed out the door.

“See you guys tomorrow,” she said.

“What’s the rush?” her boss asked.

“I worked through my lunch hour, remember? My tummy has been complaining about not being fed. Going home to eat and relax. See you all tomorrow.”

Then when she left work, she decided to take the old way home and skip the Loop. Five o’clock traffic on it was the fifth circle of hell, and she had yet to get home without seeing at least one wreck.

She’d never slept all night with a man before. But she’d also never been so certain of a forever love. She didn’t want to take a chance on being delayed due to traffic, and as she drove through the city streets, she was remembering the quiet on the ranch and lack of traffic jams on the highway.

Coming to terms with her mother’s death now had nothing to do with a traffic or a collision. She’d grown up hearing her mother say over and over, “When it’s your time to go, it’s your time to go, and any other decision is not ours to make.”

The last time Holly called home, Travis answered. When she asked him how things were going, his only comment was that they were burying Lee Peters in Tulsa today, and the family was already gone.

All she’d said was, “I love you.”

There was nothing to be said in defense of that death. It was a tragedy, and life was full of them.

When she finally arrived at her townhouse and parked in the garage, the first thing she did was go shower. Her home was cool, but it was the hot time of year in Texas, and dressing for the heat was a must. She chose slip-on sandals, a pale-green T-shirt, and a pair of white pull-up shorts. They weren’t going out, and she seriously doubted if they’d be dressed all that long, either, so shorts it was.

As she settled in to wait, she was curious as to the confession Gunner said he was going to make and wondering what deliciousness he was bringing for them to eat.

* * *

Gunner was on a mission and had just picked up their food. He hoped she liked Thai and sushi, because that’s what he was bringing. He’d come a long way from his hamburger patties and french fries he preferred as a kid. Living in a big city could do that to a man. But he’d never found anyone here who made better pies than Pearl Fallon. In Crossroads, she was the queen of cuisine, and he loved that she and his dad had reconnected. It was going to be great living close to them again.

It was still daylight when he arrived at her house. He got out, grabbed his overnight bag and their food, and headed for the door.

He didn’t have to knock.