Page 81 of Against All Odds

He looked like I’d stabbed him.

“I asked you for respect and kindness. You gave me neither,” I whispered.

I saw some people walk past our aisle. Fuck! I was making a scene in public. I was no better than Heath.

“I am grateful for your help." I kept my tone neutral. “Say hi to Juno for me, and take care of yourself.”

There, that was polite. The people who were eavesdropping would think that Heath and Sable were nowfriendlyand not at odds with each other. Good.

He opened his mouth to say something else, but before he could, I stepped back.

“People are listening to us,” I murmured. “And I’m done giving this town a show.”

“Sable—”

“Goodnight, Heath.”

I took the herbal sleep aid bottle to the counter and paid for it, glad Heath wasn’t standing behind me in line. I ignored the looks that people gave me, which told me they’d seen us together and that there would be chatter about it.

Maybe it would be better for me to leave town. Then this kind of thing wouldn’t happen.

But was I really ready to leave Aspen and the new people in my life, the women who’d come to my home to drink with me and take care of me?

As I drove home, my heart felt like it was caught in a tug-of-war. No matter how much I tried to fight it, the truth was clear: I was still in love with Heath, and all the wounds he had inflicted were open and bleeding.

CHAPTER 27

heath

“Wow, when you screw things up, you take it to the max,” Wyatt said to me over the phone. “But I gotta say, my niece is aces. She gets it from me, you know? ‘Cause you and your ex are dumbasses.”

“Thanks, asshole.”

I’d told Wyatt about everything—Sable’s past, how I’d fucked up, how Alexa and her father had attacked Sable—and how I was still on tenuous ground with my daughter because of my behavior. I was not one of those parents who thought I was infallible. I wasn’t. I apologized when I made a mistake—but usually, they were because I snapped at Juno or didn’t listen to her when she talked, something mild. This was a big deal, and I felt ashamed of her witnessing how I treated Sable.

Wyatt laughed. “What does she look like?”

I sent him a picture of Sable, one I’d taken when she was sitting at the kitchen island, looking through acookbook. She looked so beautiful, excitement in her eyes as she read, finding something interesting to cook for us.

“Fuck, she’s…stunning,” Wyatt murmured. “I can see why Alexa is so jealous.”

“It’sthat, plus their history.”

“So, what are you going to do?” Wyatt asked.

“Find a way to win her back.”

“Is that why you’re helping her business?”

“No. I’m doing that because it was my lack of trust in her that led to her getting hurt. I’m obligated to fix this.”

“And?”

I chuckled. “And I love her, so I feel it’s also my responsibility to take care of her.”

“You sure about how you feel?”

“Absolutely,” I admitted without hesitation.

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