Page 19 of Catch Me When I Fall

“I’m Carrie,” I replied softly.

She smirked, turning back to make my drink. “Carrie’s cute, but that’s not what I’m going to call you,” Margo told me matter-of-factly. A second later, she was facing me again, setting my latte down in front of me. “I’m going to call you Cardinal.”

Then, she gave me a smile, and something fluttered inside me. It was warm and comforting—but foreign. I hadn’t felt anything like that in a very long time.

My throat was thick once more. “That’s fine,” I murmured.

If she heard the sadness in my voice, she didn’t show it. Instead, she looked down to the drink. “Let me know if you like it.”

“I will,” I promised.

She gave me a wink and went down to the other end of the counter, washing dishes in the small sink by the window, leaving me alone with my coffee.

I wrapped my hands around the thick, black mug, appreciating the foam heart on top before lifting it to my lips.

“Holy balls,” I whispered after taking my first sip. “That’s divine.”

“Carrie?”

I turned to find Sarah coming up to me again, her purse over her shoulder. She looked at the coffee and smiled. “Glad you got something.”

“Me, too. This is the best coffee I’ve ever had,” I praised.

“That’s because I made it,” Margo boasted.

Sarah shook her head and leaned into me. “I taught her everything I know,” she whispered.

I stifled my giggle as I took another sip, relishing the hot liquid sliding down my throat. Sarah took a seat next to me. “Okay, so. I hope you don’t mind, but Michael told me about your situation,” she confessed, her eyes kind. She leaned in and whispered, “I think it’s very brave what you’re doing.” I looked down at my lap and then felt a hand on my shoulder. When I looked up, Sarah’s face was filled with regret. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I just—I just thought you might want to know how well you’re doing.”

If only she knew the half of it…

As I set the cup down gently, I changed the subject. “I was wondering if you could direct me to the nearest hotel. I need to find somewhere to stay while I look for a place,” I told her.

She gave me a small smile. “Sweetheart, that’s why Michael sent you to me.”

“What?”

“Michael and I have a place for you to stay—if you want it,” she explained.

My eyes widened. “You—you have a p-place?”

The kind woman nodded in excitement, her eyes beaming. “Come with me.”

Chapter 5

Carrie

I stared up at the house nestled on a corner of the street on top of a slight hill. The carport and secondary driveway were on the side of the house, and there was a walkway with stairs that led right up to the front porch.

Sarah came to stand beside me as I stood, utterly awestruck by the structure.

This was Blue Beauty.

It was a simple, small two-story home painted two different shades of blue, one light and one dark, matching the sky and Colombia river behind it. The front door was painted bright red, the porch railing painted a crisp white with red tulips planted in front. It was the single most cutest house I’d ever seen.

My eyes drifted over to the for-sale sign sitting in the yard. “You and Michael are selling it?” I questioned.

Sarah hummed. “When we first got married, we bought this house—believe me, it was nothing like you see now. It was a mustard yellow and needed a full remodel on the inside,” she explained, “but we got it done, slowly, but surely. It took about a year and a half. By the time it was finished, I’d gotten pregnant.”

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