“I don’t think that’s it,” Sierra said. “I’ve seen you two together. The man is wild about you. He barely takes his eyes off you and is always touching you and making sure you’re okay. I think he feels the same way you do.”
“Really?”
“Yes, of course he does.”
Piper rubbed her abdomen. “I just have this feeling, right here… Something isn’t right.”
“You need to ask him.”
“I can’t.” Tears filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. “If he says we’re over, I don’t know if I’d survive it. And yes, I’m aware that sounds ridiculously dramatic, but it’s true. When I think about how I almost married the wrong guy…” She shuddered. “Jack has shown me how it’s supposed to be, and all I want is more of that. More of him.”
“Just say that to him—exactly that.”
“It makes me sick to think about what he might say.”
“You don’t need to worry. I’m sure of it. Maybe he’s wrestling with something that has nothing to do with you, and you’re picking up on the tension. You might be making yourself sick over nothing.”
“You’re right. I need to be a big girl and confront it head on.”
“You’ll feel better after you talk to him, and don’t worry about him wanting out. That’s not it. I’m sure of it.”
“Thank you, Sierra. I really appreciate your advice.”
“That’s what I’m here for. Relaxation and life advice.”
“Haha, right.”
“Let’s get your treatment started. You’ll feel better after that, too.”
“I always do.”
While Piper got settled in the room, Sierra refilled her water bottle and ate a protein bar. She hated to see her friend so upset when things had been going well for her since she started seeing the handsome state police officer. Several years ago, he’d lost his wife to breast cancer, and Piper was his first serious relationship since that difficult loss. She’d said once before that she knew the odds were stacked against them, as the first relationship after a loss like that often failed. She’d been determined to beat those grim odds.
Sierra knocked on the door.
“Come on in.”
Inside the room, she got busy making sure her friend had a nice, relaxing treatment that would enable her to talk to Jack about the things weighing on her.
“Now for breaking news,” Piper said as she lay facedown on the table. “How’d it go with Morgan?”
“It went all night.”
Piper’s head came up off the pillow. “Okay, what? You let me go on and on about Jack when you were sitting on that?”
Sierra laughed. “Your thing is more important.”
“No way, girl. Spill the tea, and don’t leave out any of the dirty details.”
She gave her friend an overview of the evening’s events without giving too much away.
“Oh, I love this for you!”
Sierra worked on Piper’s neck and shoulders. “Don’t get too excited. I’m trying to keep myself in check over here. Who knows how long he’ll be here before he has to go back to his real life?”
“What’s he saying about that?”
“He’s not sure of anything yet, and he’s being honest about that, thus me trying to proceed with caution, which didn’t go so well last night.”
