Page 35 of Never Yours

We share a smile, and he pats my hand once before he stands. I join him and wrap my arms around his middle. “Thank you, David.”

“Hey, now, none of that!” He releases me with a long sigh. “Being a Navy wife may or may not be in your future, but you’ll always be a second daughter to me, no matter what happens with Caleb.” I nod, and he leads me to the front door. As I walk out, he adds, “You can stay at Cay’s or your place as long as you want. Just let me know if you need help moving your things.”

“I think I’ll stay at Cay’s if that’s okay? At least until I get a new job.”

“I’ll have everything moved over later today.”

“Oh, you don’t ha?—”

“I insist.”

With a final hug goodbye, I leave and climb into Caleb’s truck to head over to Cassidy’s. On the drive over, I mull everything over that’s happened since I arrived. I asked Caleb to break my heart, and he asked me to break his. In a week, we managed to accomplish both. He was so quiet last night, I’m used to him telling me how beautiful I am and commanding me to come for him. Almost no words passed between us, but he spent hours making me feel loved and adored.

He wants me to wait for him, I can feel it in my bones. But I can’t wait for him here. I should take Pop’s advice and live my life until Caleb comes back.

I get out of the truck, and I don’t even make it to her porch when the door flings open, Smitten barreling toward me. Cassidy leans against the doorframe while I praise Smitten for being a good girl.

“So, when are you leaving?”

ingrid

. . .

Two Weeks Later

“Iabsolutely loved The Ruined Spitfire, do you have any plans to make it into a movie or show?”

Amanda blushes. “No, I don’t think I could do it. My husband was a bit of an inspiration for that one, and I wouldn’t be able to handle the casting for it.” She mutes the video call and talks to someone off the screen. When she comes back on, she asks, “When would you be able to start on Maybe in Fifty?”

I do my best to contain my excitement. “Right away. Just let me know if you need me to work from a studio space.”

“Remote is fine until we start filming. I’ll want you on set with me to make any necessary adjustments to the script. Romance Flix wants to start in January and have a summer release.”

A man with a thick Scottish accent adds, “That timing is absolute shite.”

“Shh, I’m on a call,” she whispers to him, then tells me, “He’s right, but it’s what we’ve got. We’ll be filming in Los Angeles with one of their New York backdrops. I’m from New York, so I hate it. So, are you in?”

“Yes,” I try to say as calmly as I can. “Absolutely.”

“Great! I’ll contact the studio and have them send the contract over to your agent to review.”

We say our goodbyes and hang up the video call. The moment the message hits on my end that the call has ended, I pump my fists in the air and scream, “Yes!” It scares Smitten, who paws at me. I rub behind her ear and laugh, “Sorry, Smits, but today is a good day.”

Nerves overtake me, and I feel my breakfast rise from my stomach. I rush to the bathroom and throw up my delicious onion bagel with garlic and herb cream cheese. Damn it! Smitten nuzzles her snout against me as I get cleaned up.

As I’m brushing my teeth, I tell her, “It’s okay, I’m just nervous. I got the job!” I finish freshening up and let her out back to run around. Cay’s backyard was open, so David had Mike fence it in for us. She needs space to run, and now she has a safe place to do it. While she’s leaping around, trying to catch a butterfly, I go back inside to make a cup of coffee. As it’s brewing, there’s a knock at the door.

Cass lets herself in quietly, so I yell to her from the kitchen, “My call is over, I got the job.”

She makes a beeline for me and nearly knocks me over with a hug. “I knew you would!”

“Thanks! I’ll be checking my email every hour until I see the contract.”

My phone pings on the counter, and I excitedly snatch it up, even though there’s only a slim chance it’s the contract. Probably just junk email, but I swipe for it anyway. As suspected, it’s just an add for body lotions and candles. My shoulders sag, and as I’m about to set it down, I notice an email two down from it with the subject line: Missed Appointment with Dr. Blake. I click on it, and my stomach drops. I was supposed to go in for my OBGYN appointment almost three weeks ago.

“Shit!”

“What?” Cassidy moves to the side of me to read over my shoulder. “Oh, that’s no big deal, there are two OBs here who can fit you in for your pap.”

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