She wasn’t sure why but Connie cared about her. And she was falling for him.

    Molly was barking the second she got out of the car. Sierra ran the short distance to the front door, but it opened before she could knock. She threw her arms around Connie’s neck and kissed him.

    “Is this a booty call?” he asked, smiling.

    She nodded. “You don’t have company or anything, do you?”

    “I left you less than two hours ago. You think I have a booty call speed dial?”

    “You don’t?”

    “Sierra, this is my first booty call. Am I going to like it?”

    “I can almost guarantee it,” she said.

    * * *

    Sierra slept so soundly, she never heard a sound. When she rolled over in the early morning, Molly was sleeping where Connie had been. She said, “Well, good morning.” And Molly burped in her face. “Nice,” Sierra said. “What have you done with my boyfriend?”

    Molly stretched.

    Connie had whispered late last night that he’d be going to work early in the morning and said she should sleep; he’d be quiet. Sierra was typically an early riser and had fully expected to stir when he left the bed, but instead she slept deeply. She thought he said he’d be leaving at six. She looked at the bedside clock—seven. She’d missed morning coffee with Sully by a couple of hours.

    She slid out of bed and grabbed her T-shirt off the floor. She headed for the kitchen but paused for a second. Connie’s house wasn’t big like Cal’s but it was an open plan—living room, kitchen, breakfast bar, dining area, all together. And it was immaculate. No more clothes hanging over chairs or tossed on the furniture. The kitchen shone; the carpet had vacuum tracks. There was a note on the counter.

    I hope you slept in. There’s coffee ready—just flip the switch. Molly was fed and has been outside. Call me when you’re up. Love, C.

    She looked down at her dog. “You’ve been fed?” Molly wagged. She saw that by the door there were two dog bowls—one with water in it. The other empty.

    She went back to the bedroom to grab her phone. She called him. “Conrad, when did you do all this?”

    “Ah, you’re up. All what?”

    “The spotless house, the dog dishes, dog food...?”

    “I had a little time yesterday before I met the camp kids. And I got the dishes and food on my way to work. Just in case...”

    “Just in case Molly spent the night again?” she asked.

    “Always prepared,” he said. Then in a lowered voice he said, “She didn’t even goose me last night. But it was a great night anyway. Hey, there’s cereal and milk and fruit and eggs...”

    “I’m going to get out to the Crossing. I promised to help Sully this weekend.”

    “I’m on for twenty-four hours. I might be pretty tied up. And if I can steal a little personal time, I have that errand...that sad errand...”

    “I don’t know what you mean,” she said.

    “I promised to look in on Alyssa’s mother. I’m only planning to do that once and I should do it before I’m too late. Not for Alyssa. Because I always liked Rachel. She’s a good woman.”

    “Of course,” Sierra said. “I’ll talk to you when you have time.”

    “I’ll call you, if that’s okay.”

    “Sure. And, Connie—thank you for the dog food. And everything.”

    “I’m really glad you came over,” he said in a hushed voice. “I could get used to that.”

    “Don’t get used to it,” she warned. “Let’s not set up a lot of expectations.”

    “Whatever you say, Sierra.”

    “I could get used to it, too,” she said. “I just don’t want to put a hex on it. I have rotten luck with men, you know.”

    “So you say. But I can’t stop smiling. If that’s rotten luck, bring it on.”

           Be willing to have it so; acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcoming the consequences of any misfortune.

    —William James

    Chapter 12

    CONNIE BOYLE WAS in love. He’d been in love before, of course. But now, feeling the way he felt for Sierra, he was sure he’d just been going through the motions with Alyssa. Just following the steps—he started out thinking Alyssa was hot, that she turned him on and made him happy in bed and most other places, so they moved in together and began building the house and the idea of a family.

    It was different with Sierra. She was different. She just wasn’t like other women. For one thing, she wasn’t the type who had been looking for a happily-ever-after and she was certainly the first woman like that he’d ever known. Including his mother!

    “It’s probably my program,” she’d tried to explain. “It’s just about today for me—just this one day. Sometimes it’s very hard work, remembering to live in the moment, and other times it’s such a relief, such a blessing—there’s not very much pressure in it when I don’t have to try to live up to any grandiose expectations.”

    “No big plans for the future, then?” he had asked.

    “I’m trying to be careful about that. It’s such a dream come true just to feel secure today. Can we be good with that?”

    “As long as I can be with you, I’m good,” he’d said. And he meant it. He wasn’t sure how long he could keep it to himself that he loved her. But, he believed he’d know the right time and place to tell her.