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Heff disconnected the call, dread settling like a heavy weight in his chest. He knew what was coming. Now that Kevin was back with his mom, there was nothing in Sumneyville to hold Sandy back. Including him.
Did he want her to leave? Hell no.
Did she need to leave? Absolutely.
They were only a couple of years apart in age, but in terms of life experience, he was an old man in comparison. She needed an opportunity to flex her wings and fly, to experience life outside of Sumneyville. To try, to fail, to succeed. And to do it on her own, without him or anyone else influencing her decisions.
Maybe in time, she’d realize that the type of connection they had between them didn’t come around often. That wasn’t the kind of thing you could tell someone though. They had to feel the truth of it in their heart and then accept it in their mind. If he did try to tell her, he’d sound just like everyone else who’d shit on her dreams and made her feel bad for wanting a life of her own, wanting more.
He wasn’t going to be that guy.
Sure, they could continue to see each other in the meantime, and they could have fun, but that would just make it harder for her to leave—and harder for him to let go. He already knew he wanted more from her than what she was capable of giving, and that wasn’t fair to either one of them. That was what he was going to tell her when they met for dinner, assuming she didn’t say it first.
So ... yeah.
He took a shower, changed into some clean clothes, and walked down the long drive to wait. It was better than having the others see her coming—or worse, to have them questioning her about her next-door neighbor or the activities of his buds.
“You didn’t have to walk all the way out here,” she said as he slid into the passenger seat.
He was immediately hit with her sweet, fresh scent. Like honey and sunshine and blue sky. He didn’t know whether it was her shampoo or her soap or some kind of body lotion, but he would forever associate it with memories of her hot and naked against him.
“I know,” he answered. “I thought it might be easier.”
She smiled at him, and it speared right through his chest. “And here I thought, maybe you just couldn’t wait.”
“That too.”
He could tell the answer pleased her even if there was a shadow of doubt in her eyes.
They didn’t talk much on the way to the restaurant. Once there, they requested a table on the deck and were led to the outdoor dining area. The waiter took their drink order and left them with menus.
“This is a gorgeous view,” she commented, looking at the valley spread out before them. In the deepening twilight, the sky was painted in wide swaths of oranges and pinks against where it met the horizon.
“It is,” he agreed. It was a gorgeous view, but it didn’t affect him nearly as much as a glance at the woman next to him. He’d seen a thousand gorgeous sunsets, but he’d never met a woman who affected him as much as she did.
And he was letting her go. Did that make him selfless and noble? Or a complete fucking idiot?
“I can’t believe I’ve lived in Sumneyville all my life, and I’ve never been here before,” she mused.
“Never?”
She shook her head. “I’ve heard a lot about it though. So far, it’s living up to the hype.”
Torches were lit around the outdoor deck, the flames flickering in the light breeze right along with the glowing candles on each of the two-person tables. During the day, the place had a welcoming family vibe, but as darkness fell, the setting became more intimate.
Conversation paused as they perused the menu. The waiter returned with their drinks, and they gave their order. There was tension between them that hadn’t been there before. A heavy kind of awkwardness. It felt wrong.
“So, how are you doing?” he asked finally.
“I’m okay. It’s weird. I really got used to having Kevin around, you know? But I know it’s for the best.” She stroked her finger along the condensation on her water glass. “Bianca said I could visit but suggested I wait a while, so he could adjust back into his normal routine.”
Ouch. “I guess that makes sense.”
“Maybe. I don’t know. I think she underestimates him.” She shook her head and smiled. “But what do I know, right? She’s had him for fourteen years. I had him for part of a summer, and for most of that time, I was winging it.”
“You did great with him.”
“So did you. We did okay, didn’t we?”
He nodded. Their meals came, and their conversation lapsed back into a semi-awkward silence. The food was good, but he didn’t have much of an appetite. Judging by the way she was playing with her food, she wasn’t particularly hungry either.
It was torture, being so close to her, having the words that would push her away rolling around in his mind, fighting against being released.
“Sandy ...”
“I got a job in New York,” she suddenly blurted out, the words coming out in a rush. “I’m leaving tomorrow.”
He blinked in surprise, her announcement catching him completely off guard. “Tomorrow? That’s kind of quick, isn’t it?”
She nodded, pushing her plate to the side, giving up all pretense of trying to eat. “The position opened up unexpectedly, and they’re looking to fill it right away.”
“Wow. That’s great.”
“It is.” She smiled, excitement making her eyes bright. “Kind of scary too. Everything is happening so fast.”
Way too fast. He’d thought they’d have more time. He’d convinced himself that cooling things off was the best thing for both of them, but now that he was actually looking down the barrel of that gun, he felt blindsided.
He summoned a smile. “You’re going to do great.”
Her eyes softened. “Thank you for saying that even if you don’t believe it.”
“I do believe it. You are an incredible, talented, intelligent, kind, amazing woman. I have no doubt you’re going to kick some ass in the big city.” He just hadn’t thought it would happen quite so quickly. “So, this is your last night in town, huh?”
“Yes.” Her eyes met his. “And I want to spend it with you.”
Everything clicked into place. This wasn’t just a there’s nothing holding me back now dinner. This was good-bye.
And as much as he wanted to reach across the table and tell her not to go, there wasn’t a chance in hell he could say no.