An Appointment (Summer in New York Book 4) Read online

  It made me feel like a terrible mother. Maybe I was.

  When we got home, Trey ran outside to play. I watched him from the window and cried. Then I got out my cell phone and went through my missed calls. They were all from Preston.

  He wanted me. That much was clear.

  Maybe I wanted him, too.

  But I just couldn’t let myself love again. If I fell for him, it would be that much harder to let him go.

  I had given Kevin everything. So naturally, he had taken everything he could get.

  I couldn’t go through the disappointment again. Thinking I’d found Mr. Right.

  What if Preston turned out to be just like Kevin? There was a time when I’d thought he was wonderful.

  I felt so conflicted. Because I hadn’t been drawn to a man in such a long time. It had been years since one had touched me. Now that one had fallen in my lap, I was too afraid to let him.

  I really wanted to cancel my plans with Trish tonight. Not because of her. It had been ages since we’d gotten together. But right now, all I felt like doing was going to bed early and crying myself to sleep.

  The best thing about Trish? She was a bull dog, so she wouldn’t let me cancel.

  Somehow, it made me smile. Because in life, a lot of the time, the things we don’t want to do are the ones we really need to. If not, you never will. Taking the bull by the horns. That’s the best medicine.

  Trish’s words, not mine.

  We met in college and became fast friends. Until our respective husbands entered the picture and ruined our social lives with equal tenacity. Kevin wanted me to spend time with his friends, but he’d never cared about mine. Trish had been down that road. And she had filed for divorce eventually.

  Now that she was single again, Trish was back in full force. When I made it to the restaurant, she ran to give me a hug. She had always been a natural beauty. Dark hair. Brown eyes. Olive skin. She was very small and petite, only a couple inches above five feet. But she had the fire and determination of a lion.

  “And he thinks that I’m going to pay his rent?” she said over dinner, waving her hands about.

  Trish had finished college. Now she had a corporate job with an amazing salary and benefits. But her ex-husband had been the slacker in the marriage, spending most of it unemployed. So now he was demanding alimony. But at least Trish had her degree. It was my biggest regret in life.

  “I am so glad we never had kids. Can you imagine me having to fight with him over that?”

  I stared at the table, twisting my hands in my lap.

  “Savannah, I’m so sorry. That was a terrible thing to say. I wasn’t thinking. I didn’t mean—”

  “No, it’s okay.” I smiled. “I know what you meant.”

  She grinned. “How is Trey?”

  I spent the next twenty minutes gushing about my little boy.

  He honestly was the best thing that had ever happened to me.

  “So how about men? Have you been dating?” she asked.

  “Oh no.” I shook my head. “I don’t know if I have the tolerance for that anymore.”

  “What are you talking about?” She gave me a confused look. “That’s the best part of being single.”

  “Yeah, but I’m not like you. I can’t just hook up with anybody.”

  “I know men are worthless. So why not have a little fun and then break it off before it gets serious?”

  The waiter came with our food, which made me happy. It would be nice to distract myself with carbs.

  “All I’ve ever done is serious.” I ate a fry. “Maybe serious is all I know how to do.”

  “You’re cheating yourself out of the best part of this whole divorced thing.” She bit into a thick slice of pizza. “Now we can have fun again. Go to parties. Stay out late.”

  “But that’s just the thing.” I picked at my food. “I don’t want to go to parties and stay out late. I want a husband who loves me and can’t wait to come home to me every night. But that’s over now. It’s gone.”

  She frowned, probably feeling sorry for me. “Do you miss him?”

  I sighed. “I miss believing in the idea that someone can love me back.”

  “I’m sorry, Savannah.” She squeezed my hand. “You had a beautiful wedding.”

  “So did you. But where are they now? Off with some young hot thing? It’s like we didn’t matter to them at all.”

  “I’m sure that’s not true.” She ate another bite of pizza. “Sometimes, it just doesn’t work.”

  “Why?” I asked.

  “If it’s not meant to be...”

  “But I wanted it to work. I did everything I could.”

  She wiped her mouth with a napkin. “If I’ve learned anything from this, it’s that loving someone isn’t supposed to be hard. It’s supposed to feel effortless. I’m not saying it’s easy or that you’ll never have an argument. I just think we gave more than our men ever did. And that makes it way too hard.”

  “Trish.” I watched her enjoy every part of eating pizza. I wanted to feel that way again.

  “Yeah?”

  “Do you think you’ll ever try again?”

  “You mean getting married?” she asked, sipping her Coke.

  “Well, something serious. Something where you could actually get hurt.”

  “Not right now. But someday? I hope so.”

  I nodded, wondering if I was the one standing in my own way.

  “Why?” she asked.

  “Well, there’s this guy. And I kind of like him. Well, if I’m being honest, I like him a lot.”

  “That sounds like a good problem to have.”

  “He asked me out, but I told him no.”

  “Why?” she asked.

  “Because what if he ends up being just like Kevin? I can’t go through that again.”

  “What if he ends up being nothing like Kevin?” She chewed her pizza, relishing every bite.

  “What are you saying?”

  “If you don’t give him the chance to screw up, then you’ll never know. He might be great.”

  I ran my fingers through my hair. “I feel so stupid. I mean, I’ve been giving him so many mixed signals. Any sane man would run. And I have a kid. I have Trey to think about, too.”

  “That’s true. But you’re allowed to live your life, Savannah. You know that. Right?”

  “He actually loves kids. He’s a pediatrician. Trey really likes him, too.”

  “Wait a minute.” She put on her sass. “He’s a doctor? What is wrong with you?”

  I giggled. “It’s not that simple, Trish.”

  “I can guarantee you I would make it simple.”

  We roared with laughter, while I realized how much I was enjoying myself. I had missed this.

  “Okay. I’m buying margaritas for the table. I don’t want to hear any flack!”

  “Trish,” I laughed. “You know I’m a light weight.”

  “That’s the point,” she said. “You need to loosen up. You are way too uptight.”

  I rolled my eyes while she flagged down the waiter. And that’s when I saw him.

  Preston Cole walked into the restaurant with his father. My heart was beating out of my chest.

  Gasping, I ducked under the table and hoped he hadn’t seen me.

  “Uh, Savannah?” Trish poked her head under the table. “What are you doing?”

  “He’s here!” I whispered.

  “Who?”

  “Preston! The guy I’ve been telling you about.”

  “The hot doctor?” She lifted her head to sneak a peek.

  “Don’t look!” Too late, because she already had. “Trish!” I grabbed her arm.

  “He’s coming over here,” she said.

  “What?” I panicked. I was so not ready for this.

  As I sat up, Preston stood at the front with his dad. “No, he’s not. He hasn’t even seen me.”

  “Now he has,” she said when I turned my head.

  “What?” I looked over m
y shoulder as he smiled from a distance. I gave him a little wave. “Okay, you did that on purpose!” I hissed. “He hadn’t even seen me until you made me sit up.”

  “I know.” She gave me a devilish grin and winked. “You can thank me later.”

  I took a deep breath as he made his way over. I couldn’t believe Trish. She knew I wasn’t ready for this.

  “Hi.” He smiled, looking right through me.

  “Hi.” I got lost in his eyes until Trish cleared her throat. “This is my friend, Trish.”

  “Hi.” He shook her hand. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Savannah’s told me a lot about you.”

  “What?” I hissed. “Trish!”

  “Has she now?”

  “Hi, Dr. Cole,” I smiled as his father walked up. “How are you?”

  “I’m well. It’s good to see you. Preston was just talking about you.”

  “Oh. He was?”

  “Yes,” Preston hissed, burning me with his searing gaze.

  “Preston saw you on the sidewalk. So I suggested we’d come in and say hi.”

  I forced a nervous smile, paralyzed by the brooding look on his son’s face.

  “We were headed out to dinner anyway. I’ve never eaten here before. So we’re going to try it.”

  His father was so friendly. I’d always liked him as a child. Especially since going to the doctor tends to be a nerve wracking experience. I was nervous and shy when I was young. But Dr. Cole had always been great about easing my anxiety. Was his son determined to do the same?

  The hostess appeared, letting them know their table was ready.

  His father was sweet. So I shook his hand and he told us goodbye, following the hostess. But Preston lingered.

  “It was good to see you,” he said, staring into my eyes.

  Even after he walked away, it felt like he was drowning me with the ghost of his touch.

  “Wow. If that isn’t sexual tension, I don’t know what is.”

  I shook my head, eating a piece of chicken. “He was just being nice.”

  She made a sound with her lips. “Please. Do you know men at all? A guy’s not going to do that if he doesn’t like you. And he’s having dinner with his dad? How sweet is that?”

  “Then why don’t you date him?” I snipped.

  “You really like this guy. Don’t you?”

  I glared at her, because I knew she was right.

  “Are you open to suggestions?”

  I leaned back in my chair. “It depends on what you’re suggesting.”

  She looked around until she spotted Preston in the distance, sitting down at a table with his dad. I felt the thrum in my chest when he gazed across the room at me. Everyone seemed to be set on us getting together. Mom wouldn’t stop dropping hints. Trey loved to be in his company. And now Trish was pushing for it, too. Would it really be a sin to deny him?

  “You need to have a fling with a hot doctor. Oh, look! I see one eyeing you right over there.”

  “Trish.” I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. “It would never work.”

  “Why not?” she asked.

  “Because I might fall in love with him and end up with another broken heart.”

  “Or, you might have the hottest sex of your life and turn back into a happy person.” She motioned at me. “Instead of this dreary, depressing aura you put off now. You used to be fun!”

  “I know.” I couldn’t even argue with that, because she was right on the money.

  “Look, if you don’t act now he could meet someone else. I’m sure women are constantly throwing themselves at him. He’s tall, attractive, rich. I mean, he’s a doctor! For children!”

  I thought about seeing him with another woman. It made me jealous.

  “If you don’t take this opportunity, one day you’re going to look back and hate yourself. Come on, Savannah. When are you going to meet someone like him again?”

  She had a point. If I weren’t trying to protect my fragile heart, I’d recognize that he checked all the boxes for me. There was nothing about Preston that I didn’t like. But maybe that was what terrified me.

  What if he was too good to be true?

  “What did you have planned after this?” I asked, desperate for a subject change.

  “Maybe hit a few clubs, snag me a hottie.” She grinned like she didn’t have a care in the world.

  “So much for this being a girls’ night. What happened to no men allowed?”

  “Oh, men are allowed,” she said. “On my terms.”

  I giggled with the roll of my eyes. It was hard not to like Trish. She was fiercely independent—a quality I’d always thought I would have. One day.

  For the rest of dinner, I kept sneaking glances at Preston. To my surprise, he was already staring at me. Something about his warm brown eyes made me think about life in a way I hadn’t for a really long time.

  Maybe life could be good. Maybe I could find someone to love me and touch me and hold me.

  What was so bad about that?

  “Hello?” Trish waved her hands in front of my face. “Are you there?”

  “Sorry.” I looked at Preston, blushing when he winked at me.

  “Okay, we’re going over there.”

  “What?” I asked.

  “We’re about to leave. And you’re going to say something to him before we do.”

  I leaned across the table in a panic. “What do I say?”

  “Savannah, you’ve talked to him before. You know what to say. Don’t be so nervous.”

  I took a deep breath. “You’re right. I mean, he’s already shown interest in me.”

  “That’s right. You’ve got nothing to lose.”

  “Okay.” I felt my heart skip a beat as I walked over towards their table. Trish was right behind me, my supportive friend in charge. I felt nervous and excited all at once. It had been a long time since that.

  Preston watched me coming towards him. When I reached their table, he was smiling.

  “Hi.” I beamed. “We’re on our way out. I just wanted to come over and say goodbye.”

  Preston frowned.

  “It was nice seeing you, Dr. Cole.” I looked at Preston’s father.

  “Likewise, I haven’t seen you since you were a little thing. Well, compared to now.”

  I chuckled along with him, feeling the heat of his son’s stare. Preston was displeased about something.

  “Have a good night,” I said to Preston, heading for the door.

  But he stood up and said, “I’ll walk you out.”

  “Oh. Okay.”

  Trish was grinning ear to ear, tagging along behind us. Preston placed his hand on my back. When we walked outside, he lingered on the sidewalk. “So, what else do you ladies have planned for tonight?”

  “Actually, we’re headed to a club,” Trish said.

  “We are?” I gave her a look. Earlier, she’d only meant it jokingly. At least, that’s what I’d thought.

  “Yeah.” Trish grinned up at Preston and told him the name and address. “Why don’t you join us?”

  “Trish, I’m sure Preston has other plans,” I said.

  Preston turned to me.

  “What about your dad?” I said.

  “After dinner, he’ll call it a night.”

  His eyes never left mine.

  “Oh.” I briefly glanced at his lips. They were full. And pretty. And nice.

  “Well, when you’re done, you know where to find us,” Trish said.

  “Okay.” Preston leaned in and lifted my chin with his hand. “I’ll see you soon.”

  Shivers ran through my body as he walked away. He went inside the restaurant and looked back at me. When he was gone, Trish grabbed my arm and squealed in excitement. She was beyond thrilled.

  “That was so hot!” She led me down the sidewalk. “He’s got it bad.”

  I laughed, feeling a shudder ripple through me. Didn’t it feel good to be desired?

  Why had I forgotten that?

>   As soon as we got to the club, Trish ordered a round of martinis. One drink was enough for me to start feeling tipsy. But now that Preston would be coming later, I did need to loosen up a little and relax.

  We chatted for a while about her ex. Mainly discussing his incompetency in the bedroom. Unfortunately, when it came to Kevin, it had been like playing Russian roulette. He made sure he had a good time and his needs were met. But he never seemed to care much about mine.

  Eventually, Trish left me alone to dance with a blond, model type. He seemed to be into her, too. Which was good. I wanted Trish to be happy. If only I could find my own path to inner peace.

  Trish returned to our booth with her new hottie. And then she got in my face with a drunken grin

  “What?” I asked, giggling at her.

  “He’s here.”

  My breath hitched at the back of my throat as I watched Preston Cole making his way towards me.

  Chapter 8

  Preston

  It was a stroke of good luck that I’d happened to see her on the sidewalk. And that her friend had been mouthy enough to tell me where they were headed. Dad already knew all the details. So he’d hailed his own cab and jumped in the backseat without a second thought. Then he turned to me with a smile.

  “Go get her, son.”

  That was all the approval I’d ever need. So I shut his door and hightailed it to the club once his driver pulled away. Dad had spent dinner telling me about the love he’d shared with Mom. He really believed it could happen for me, that I wasn’t doomed just because my marriage had failed. The best part was that I felt more confident than ever before that I could show Savannah just how great we would be together.

  The moment I walked in the club, I found Savannah sitting alone in a strappy red dress.

  It took my breath away.

  She caught my gaze across the room and knocked her drink over on the table. I made my way to her and helped her clean up the mess. Thankfully, it hadn’t gotten on her dress.

  “I’m sorry,” she smiled with a nervous little giggle. It was cute. Actually, it was adorable.

  “It’s okay.” I joined her in the booth, loving the way her golden hair framed her face. “I like your dress.”

  “Yeah.” She looked down at it. “Trish made me change.” She shrugged her shoulders, unaware of how drop dead gorgeous she was. I wanted to touch her, but she seemed oddly shy. “Do you really like it?”