Crumpling the note in my hand, I turned around and headed for the safety of my car. The pain of losing him hurt all over again. As I drove away, tears freely streaming down my cheeks, I knew there wasn’t enough chocolate or alcohol in the world to make the pain of this moment go away.

And the worst part was, I wouldn’t even have my best friend to help me get through this.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Cannon

I’d been in Denver for two weeks, and every day I told myself today was the day I’d start feeling better. Today was the day I’d get over Paige and finally be okay.

The only saving grace was that I threw myself into my work. My days were busy and stressful, and I didn’t have time to dwell on the past. But the persistent ache in my chest made it hard to forget her completely. It was a little too fucking ironic for me that my first weeks as a cardiologist were spent with a broken heart.

After a grueling twelve-hour shift, I was ready to go home. I pulled off my lab coat and stuffed it into my bag. Gathering up my stuff, I closed my locker and headed out. I still hadn’t gotten used to walking out into the bright sunlight after a long night shift. The blackout curtains in my new apartment ensured I slept while the rest of the world was busy.

I fished my cell phone from my pocket and dialed my mom. It was mid-morning in Michigan, and I knew she’d be home.

“Morning,” she sang when she answered.

“Hey, Mom.”

“Just get off work?” she asked.

I fought back a yawn. “Yeah. How are you? Any plans for today?” Though I knew she was doing okay, it didn’t stop me from checking in on her a few times a week.

“Not really. Allie and I might go shopping tonight. Did you decide to join that softball league?” she asked, referring to the doctor’s softball league I’d been invited to join.

“Yeah, I think I’m going to.” At least it would get me off my ass after work.

“Good.” Mom sighed. “I don’t like the idea of you being lonely.”

“I’ll be fine, Mom. Don’t worry about me.” I slipped into my car and started it, pulling out of the employee parking lot underneath the hospital.

“You know . . .” Mom hesitated for a few minutes, and I was so tired that I forgot what we were talking about. “There’s something I want to tell you.”

“What’s that?”

“If there’s one thing I learned with Bob’s passing, it’s that life is too short to spend it unhappy, Cannon-ball.”

In my mind, I saw Paige. Saw her sleepy blue eyes, pictured her soft body curled beside mine. That familiar ache in my chest was back. I wasn’t sure if Mom’s message was about Paige or not, but that was where my brain immediately jumped.

It was time to take a chance. Otherwise, I’d live with regret for the rest of my life.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Paige

I’d done something foolish and reckless, and it was coming back to bite me in the ass. When I first learned that Cannon was moving to Denver, I’d sent off my résumé on the spur of the moment to a company looking to hire a human resources manager. It was a big firm in downtown Denver, and the pay was substantially better than I made now. At the time, I told myself it was a great opportunity, so why not just apply and see what happened?

Well, the recruiter had called me twice in the past week, leaving voice mails on my phone, and I was too much of a chicken shit to call her back. I hated the idea of being unprofessional and dodging her calls, especially when the opportunity was so great, but what was I supposed to do? Cannon might have taken my heart, but I wasn’t going to give him my dignity too.

While I was trying to figure that out, something even bigger happened. It was Thursday night after work, and like usual, I took Enchilada outside and checked the mail. There was a letter with no return address, but the handwriting looked so familiar, the skin on the back of my neck started to tingle.

Without bothering to go inside, I ripped the envelope open right there on the curb. Inside was a plane ticket to Denver, Colorado, and a Post-it note that read:

If we don’t try, we’ll never know.

It wasn’t exactly a declaration of love, but I wanted to jump for joy. Cannon wanted me there. He wanted to try. It was something.

With my heart galloping in my chest, the first thing I did when I got inside was to call Cannon.

“Are you sure about this?” I asked when he answered.

Cannon chuckled. “Hi, Paige.”

The rich masculine tone of his voice shot through me like an arrow. God, I’d missed him.

“Hi.” I was breathless, and I wasn’t sure why.

“I take it you got the ticket?”

“Yes, but I don’t understand. I thought you were moving on. No looking back.” I sat down on the edge of the couch, stroking Enchilada’s soft fur.

“Listen, I think I might have fucked some things up. After Bob died, and then Allie caught us together and freaked out . . .” He paused, releasing a heavy sigh. “I think it’s better if we have this conversation in person.”

“You want me to fly three hours so we can talk?”

“I’m hoping we’ll do more than that.” His voice dropped lower, and tiny chill bumps broke out over my entire body.

I didn’t say anything because, holy hell, what was I supposed to say? My world was tipping sideways.

“Will you come?” he asked, his voice tentative and hopeful.