“I like this little place,” Teagan said later, after the movers had gone and the two of them sat on Sabrina’s navy-blue couch with bottles of beer and sore muscles. Sprinkles was wandering around his new house, sniffing every corner, exploring.
“Me, too,” Sabrina said, and it was the truth. It was a small bungalow, two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs, a small office along with a cute living room, cozy gas fireplace, surprisingly updated kitchen, and powder room on the first floor, and a small, fenced-in, square backyard for Sprinkles. She’d purchased it, rather than renting, and realized that might bite her in the ass if her plans ended up in the toilet. “Do you realize that this is the first time in my life I went with my gut?”
Teagan turned to look at her. “Yeah?”
A nod. “I always, always second-guess myself. I always play it safe. This time? My gut said to do this, and my brain screamed that it was stupid and reckless and did I know how badly it could all blow up in my face?”
Teagan chuckled. “Yeah, that sounds like your brain.”
“But my gut said it was the right thing to do and…I just went with it.”
“And now?”
“Not gonna lie, I’m a little bit terrified.”
“A little terror is good for the soul.”
“Is that a quote? Who said that?”
“I believe the credit for that one goes to Teagan Rosecki from the couch of one Sabrina James sometime in the spring of 2023, Northwood, New York.”
She laughed and bumped Teagan with a shoulder. “I hate that I took you away from your wife and baby, but I’m really glad you’re here.”
“You think I was about to let you drive from Atlanta to here all by yourself?” Teagan grinned at her. “I’m glad I’m here, too.”
They were interrupted by the buzzing of Sabrina’s phone from her back pocket. She lifted her hips so she could reach it, and surprise swamped her when she saw the screen. “It’s Adley,” she whispered.
“What does it say?” Teagan whispered back. “And why are we whispering?”
Meet with you? Are you here in Northwood?
“I kinda left that part out, didn’t I?” she said after she read it aloud to Teagan.
“I mean, it’s a pretty important fact.”
“Valid.” She typed back,Yes, I’m in town.
Teagan leaned toward her, and they both watched the little gray dots bouncing and bouncing and bouncing. Then they disappeared completely, and Sabrina held her breath. Then they came back, bounced some more, left again.
“She’s not sure what to say,” Teagan said.
“Or she’s trying to figure out the nicest way to tell me to go fuck myself.”
“Oh, I think she’d just come right out and say that if that’s what she was thinking.”
“Thanks, you’re a huge help.”
They watched the dots for another moment or two that felt like years, and then the text finally came through:Where and when?
“All those bouncing dots for three words?” Teagan asked.
Sabrina didn’t even snark back because she was too happy about the fact that Adley had actually agreed to meet with her. No, there’d been nothing personal in her words. Nothing happy, nothing that said Adley was happy to hear from her. Nothing even asking why she was in town again. Just the facts, ma’am, as her dad would say.
“Where and when?” she asked quietly because, honestly, she hadn’t even thought that far ahead. She looked at Teagan. “Where and when?”
Teagan’s eyes widened. “You’re asking me?” At Sabrina’s frantic nod, they said, “Um…what about the dog park?”
Sabrina blinked at them. “Actually, that’s not a bad idea. We’ve met there before. It’s pretty. Fairly quiet. If we can go at the right time, there probably won’t be many other people.”
