Simon was up early the next morning, like always. He crept to the bathroom as quietly as he could, but when he came out twenty minutes later, Jamie was up and dressing in her workout gear.
“Hey. I was trying to let you sleep.”
She smiled at him and tied her running shoes. “I know. But I haven’t worked out once since I’ve been here, and I know you usually like to run in the mornings, so I thought I’d join you.”
Simon stared at her, his smile spreading slowly.
“Is that all right,” Jamie asked.
“It’s more than all right. If you’re sure you can keep up.”
“Don’t you worry about that.”
Her smile was sassy and Simon loved it. “All right. Let’s do this.”
He got into his running gear and they left the house a few minutes later.
He took her on the same three-mile route around his neighborhood that he normally ran each morning, and it was nice having her company. They watched the sun rise as they ran, and Simon loved the fact that Jamie was every bit as active and athletic as he was. She easily kept up with his pace, and even initiated a race to his porch when the house came into view.
They tumbled through the front door with smiles and laughter.
“I had no idea you were so competitive!” His voice boomed, but he was still laughing.
“I’m not competitive. I just suddenly really wanted to beat you here. And I won!”
He laughed out loud and took her into his arms and kissed her lips.
“Now, I’m starving,” Jamie said, and collapsed in the chair.
“Well, how does a Denver omelet sound?”
“Like heaven. You cooking?”
“I’m am if you make the coffee.”
“You got a deal.”
They went into the kitchen and Simon got to work chopping onions, peppers, and ham while Jamie started the coffee. He was just about to start cracking eggs into the mixing bowl when his doorbell rang.
They looked at each other.
“It’s awfully early for a visitor.” Simon couldn’t imagine who that might be.
“Well, I’ll get it. You keep cooking.”
Her demand was playful, and he smiled at her as she left the kitchen. Before he could start whisking the eggs he heard a familiar female voice say, “Oh, I’m sorry. I was looking for Simon Fairchild.”
His heart stopped.
His lungs followed suit.
“Yes, you’ve got the right place,” he heard Jamie saying. “Hang on.”
His system still wasn’t working.
Breathe, damn it!
Simon took a sudden and painful breath. He wiped his hands on the dishtowel and walked out to the front door.
His heart sank down into his stomach as he came face-to-face with the gorgeous blonde at the door, and all the memories came rushing back.
“Cassie?”
A smile lit up her face. “Surprise!”
She rushed through the door and tried to throw herself into his arms. But Simon caught her by her shoulders and held her away, still not truly believing she was really there. He stepped out onto the porch himself, effectively pushing her back out.
“What are you doing here?” He was aware of the confusion and irritation in his voice. One he understood, but not the other.
“I did it. I left John, and now we can finally be together!”
She tried again to move in with a hug, but Simon held her fast by her shoulders, keeping her at arm’s length. He stared at her like she was speaking another language.
“Simon?” Cassie sounded annoyed, and she tried to move his hands from her shoulders.
“No.” He finally found his voice, and it was harsher than he’d meant for it to be. “You and me together… that can’t happen.”
“Of course it can. Weren’t you listening? Simon, I finally left the bastard,” Cassie smiled at him. “Well, he thinks I’m in New York visiting my family, but that means you and I have all the time in the world to ourselves now.”
“No, we don’t, Cassie!” He hated raising his voice to her, but she was talking crazy. He had to make her listen. “Look… I’m not sure what fantasy you’re playing out in your head, but we are over. We’ve been over for a long time.”
She looked at him as though he wasn’t making sense. “What are you talking about?”
“What do you mean, what am I talking about? We discussed this before I left Japan over a year ago!”
“But that was before. I’ve left him now. Problem solved.”
“The problem was solved a year ago when I left.”
“No. Simon, why are you saying these things. We belong together.”
“Cassie, it’s been over a year! I’m in love with someone else now.”
The shouted words seemed to stop her in her tracks. She stared at him, slightly shaking her head. Then she finally looked past him, through the open front door to where Jamie stood watching the unfortunate scene play out.
Simon could see the dawning understanding in her eyes, and he watched it turn vicious.
“In love with someone else? With her?”
“Yes.” Simon stared at her, almost daring her to say something unkind to Jamie. Instead she looked right at him.
“You son of a bitch!”
“Really? You’re going to stand there and call me names when you’re the one acting crazy right now?”
“I am not acting crazy, I’m acting blindsided.”
“Blindsided? I called this off over a year ago and you know that! How the hell are you being blindsided?”
“Well, what the hell am I supposed to do now?”
Those words slapped him in the face. The whole scene felt like a nightmare he couldn’t wake up from. And he realized in that moment that he’d been nothing but a backup option for her. A backup option she thought would always wait around and be there whenever she reached for it.
“Like I said. Crazy.”
“Oh, I’m crazy?”
“Yes, Cassie, crazy! It’s been a year since you and I talked, or laid eyes on one another. An entire year. And I told you when I left Japan that we were over. I told you that I was leaving because I couldn’t do this to John anymore. I said I wanted to move on with my life, and that is exactly what I’ve done!”
Movement to his left caught his eye. He looked over to see his nosey neighbor watching the whole thing. All the man was missing was popcorn. But Simon couldn’t care about that right now. He turned back to Cassie.
“It took me months to get over you. And I will probably never forgive myself for what our affair did to John. That man was my friend.”
He paused because it got him every time. The thought that he could hurt a friend like that. He never wanted to be that kind of man. The kind of man Cassie had turned him into.
“But I have moved on. I finally have a small piece of wonderful in my life now; a woman that I love, and who I hope loves me. So if you flew all the way here to try and rekindle what we had in Japan, then you came a long way for nothing. There is nothing for you here, Cassie.”
Cassie wiped a few tears from her cheek, then she turned and left his porch. Simon watched her get into a rental car at the curb and drive off.
He turned and looked at his neighbor. “Show’s over, Mr. Gibbons.”
The old man gave him a snotty look and went inside his house.
Simon stepped back inside and closed the door behind him.
Adrenaline crashed in his stomach. The sensation made him slightly lightheaded.
Was this what shock felt like?
Jamie shifted, and the sudden movement snapped him out of his stupor. Jamie was standing nearby, staring at him.
“I am so sorry. Of all the days for my past to show up at my door, she picks the week you’re staying with me? How random was that?”
Jamie didn’t respond. She just watched him, making him nervous.
“I’m sorry if she upset you. You shouldn’t have had to see or hear any of that.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I kind of liked the part where you called me a small piece of wonderful.”
The smile on her lips and the spark of sunshine in her eyes filled him up with warmth. It was like he was a plant, drinking up the life-giving water she was pouring on him. Was she really okay with what just happened?
“Oh, yeah?”
He stepped closer and took her by the hand.
“Yeah. And I do love you too.”
“You do?”
“Um hmm.” Jamie nodded.
“You’re sure?”
“Oh, I’m pretty positive. It’s been growing for some time now.”
“Wow.”
“You know what would make it grow even stronger?”
“What’s that?”
“If you feed me like you promised.”
Simon laughed. “One Denver omelet coming right up.”
He kissed her and then led her back to the kitchen.