Page 22 of If Tomorrow Never Comes

There’d been a few moments where Jamie’d thought so, too. Those beautiful gray eyes had been expressive and so damn pretty, but at times also held a deep sadness he wasn’t really sure what to do with.

“How about I get you a beer?”

Jamie nodded.

When Gus walked away, Jamie’s eyes slid sideways to the empty chair May had occupied two weeks ago. For a split second he wondered if he’d be better off if he’d never even spoken to her but just as quickly dismissed it.

Even if it made him miserable now, he’d remember that night for the rest of his life. He couldn’t find it in himself to regret spending it with her.

He just wished like hell he hadn’t let her slip away.

Chapter Eight

Jamie

Jamie drove home in a trance.

He’d always been the kind of person who needed time to process things and, with the exception of on the baseball field, had never been much of a snap decision-maker. He preferred a slower pace, reviewing all angles and the pros and cons of a situation, and considering the consequences of decisions before he made them.

A trait he hadnotlearned from his father.

May—no, Elliott, apparently—had been the furthest thing from his mind as he’d stepped out the door to head to The Patriarch tonight. When he’d agreed to try things again with Carly, he’d firmly shut away the memory of that night in Old Market into a far corner of his mind, well beyond reachable in his conscious moments.

He’d accepted that dreams were out of his control, but even those had become few and far between.

To say it was a shock to see her tonight was like saying Babe Ruth was just an okay baseball player.

He hadn’t thought he’d see her again.

Ever.

Didn’t think he’d ever know why she disappeared that night, either. Apparently she’d been about to go through a crazy medical procedure, which made sense in hindsight.

Her blond hair was longer now, almost down to her shoulders, and several shades lighter. Otherwise, she looked the same, and he’d known it was her right away. When she laughed at something Stephen said, he’d remembered the first time he’d heard it: sitting alone at that bar, kind of embarrassed he’d been stood up, then brought out of his pity party by the sound of a woman laughing into her phone beside him.

He was glad Elliott had finished her degree. Graphic design suited her. Probably a weird thing to think since he barely knew her, but it seemed to fit her all the same.

He came to a stoplight and gripped the steering wheel tighter. How on earth wasshethe one Carly had met this afternoon? Whose life she’d basically saved?

Seriously, what were those odds?

The situation wouldn’t have been so weird if he hadn’t kissed Elliott that night. If he hadn’t ...feltthings that night. He was irritated as hell at the unwanted rush of emotions that flooded him when he’d first set eyes on her tonight—before his rational brain took over.

It had been one night, and it had been a long time ago. It didn’t matter now, and he was fine with that.

But even though he had nothing to hide—he’d been single that night, everything was consensual, and he and Carly hadn’t gotten back together until several months later—he’d pretended he’d never met Elliott. Wasn’t even sure why he’d done it, but the words had come without thought.

No, we didn’t officially meet. Nice to meet you, Elliott.

The flash in Elliott’s eyes told him she hadn’t appreciated the deception, and she probably thought the worst of him for it. Maybe she even thought he’d been with Carly the night they’d met. Which was almost laughable since he was the last man on earth who would cheat on a woman he was dating. He’d watched his dad and brother go throughwomen like toddlers with cheap toys, and he’d vowed a long time ago to never be anything like them.

But it was fucking inconvenient to be blindsided with the woman who’d made him believe in the concept of soulmates while accompanied by his girlfriend, a woman he respected and cared for.

So yeah, he’d panicked.

If it were up to him, he’d avoid Elliott after tonight. Omaha was a decent-size city, and he didn’t care for Starbucks. But with Carly’s clear intentions to befriend her and asking her to get involved with his sister’s business, things weren’t looking good. Once Carly decided to take someone under her wing, there was no stopping her.

What would his sister think about Elliott?

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