Page 87 of One Sweet Day is Never Enough

“Well, you know I wouldn’t be saying it if I didn’t mean it. You should call him. Both of you deserve to be happy.”

Gia nodded even though Tom couldn’t see her. Tears moistened her eyes. “Wow. Thanks, Tom. Hugs.”

Tom paused for a second. “Back at ya, kid.”

* * *

Seth sat alonebehind the barn on Tuesday evening in the same chair he’d sat in after the festival a few weeks ago. He stared into the distance at the orchard, remembering how beautiful Gia looked sitting next to him by candlelight, how caught up he’d been in talking with her. How perfect a night that had been, even though it had been perfectly platonic.

Would he ever get to sit here with her again? Or had the other night taken away the magic between them? Had Gia decided she just wasn’t interested anymore? A guy with too much baggage and a lousy track record for handling his personal life. What a mess the other night had been. He shook his head. For a night that had started out so perfectly, it sure had ended in chaos.

He’d left her another message this afternoon, but she still hadn’t answered. How ironic would it be if things were over between them now? He’d finally made things right with his ex and both of them could move on properly, but he may have lost the woman he was falling in love with.

He stared at the hazy yellow sky and propped his feet up on a chair. Probably about half an hour until sunset. He leaned back, shaking his head. He glanced over at the seat Gia had occupied and wondered what it would take to win her back. Would she be willing to listen if he asked her to? Hehadto explain.

He picked his phone up from the table and dialed her number. There was no way he was going to let her go over this. She picked up on the first ring.

“Hey,” he said, surprised she’d taken his call at last.

“Hey, yourself,” she said sweetly.

“What are you up to?” he asked. She didn’t sound upset.

“Not much. You?”

“I’m just sitting out back behind the winery, thinking about you.”

Her voice went up a few scales. “Really? That’s funny because I was just thinking aboutyou.” Her voice over the phone sounded like maybe she was out walking.

“Really?” He crossed one foot over the other and sat back.

“So what were you thinking—about me?” Gia asked.

“Well, for starters, I was hoping you’d give me a chance to tell you how much I miss you.”

“Oh yeah, how much do you miss me?” She sounded almost playful.

“More than you know.” His heart began to beat faster and then he turned, confused. Suddenly her voice was coming from not just the phone, but…

He glanced around. There she was, on the other side of the patio. She must’ve just come around the corner of the barn. He hung up the phone and wasted no time reaching her. “You’re here,” he said quietly, eyes wide.

“I am.” She ended the call and smiled up at him tenderly. “I miss you, too. A lot.”

This was actually happening? He could hardly believe it. He smiled and picked her up and spun her around, and she laughed. He set her down in front of him, but she kept her arms around his neck. He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips and she kissed him back eagerly.

“What made you come here?” he asked.

Gia looked into his eyes. “Someone I trust convinced me I ought to give you another shot.”

Tom. He’d intervened again, huh? He really was a good friend to her. To both of them. “I think I know who you mean,” he said.

She nodded. “He told me about the apartment—how he knew about it weeks ago. And then about the job, the other day.”

Seth cast his gaze to the ground. “I should’ve told you about it—right after we started dating. You asked me to be up front with you—to be more honest, and I wasn’t. I’m so sorry, Gia.”

She raised his chin and looked into his eyes then kissed him again. “That’s exactly what I needed to hear you say. I mean—I wouldn’t have been quite so caught off guard when she showed up if I’d have known about that.”

He nodded. “I know. I screwed up all around—I should’ve been more honest with her, too. She never would’ve come here if I’d have told her about you in the first place. I mean—she can comeungluedsometimes over little things, but she wouldn’t have been out for blood. This whole thing could’ve been prevented. I really handled it badly.”

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