Chapter 7
Colton
The time Summer took to recover had changed her, turning the girl as bright as sunshine into a rain cloud.
And then, I had my own demons at home to bear with. The world I had come to know was slowly shattering to pieces, and I didn’t have time to play this foolish game anymore.
And the more I got to know Summer over time, the less I wanted to hurt her.
Then, in the span of a week, my life had taken a turn for the worst.
On Monday, my dog died after biting a poisonous toad.
She had been my first purchase after leaving the Navy, and she was my best friend. The absence of her in the house was staggering.
On Tuesday, my truck got a flat, and the tire wouldn’t be in for at least a week.
On Wednesday, the doctor confirmed that my fiancée’s cancer was worsening.
On Thursday, Summer told me all about her new boyfriend with the biggest grin on her beautiful face. She had moved on, and my chance of conning her into falling for me was becoming slimmer by the day.
And now, it was Friday. The circles under my eyes had only grown with the stress of the week. Shannon hadn’t gotten out of bed since the news of her worsening condition. She just stared at the TV screen like it had the answers to all of her problems.
She refused to eat, shower, or sleep – just kept her gaze unwavering from that damn screen. Her father called at least three times every night. I could only imagine how many times he tried during the day, but she wouldn’t pick up.
I had called him Wednesday night and relayed the news. He was a man of few words. He just grunted in acknowledgment and asked me if this changed my feelings towards her.
His question hung in the air as I pondered. I didn’t love her any more or less than before, so I quickly told her father that my feelings hadn’t changed, that the wedding was planned to still go on.
Glancing at my reflection in the black car I was washing, I fought the fatigue weighing down on me. I hadn’t slept well since Monday – since my Nala girl had curled up next to me on the couch and sighed out her last breath before closing her eyes and leaving me.
I didn’t believe that I needed a service dog. I barely suffered from PTSD, but the loss of her immediately showed me just how wrong I was. I couldn’t sleep without her.
The low rumble of Summer’s car alerted me to her presence as she peeled into the lot. Letting all of my pain and problems leave, I plastered a smile on my face. I didn’t bring my problems to work. It wasn’t how I was raised.
When she got out of the car, I immediately noticed that her hair was different today. She walked past me with a small smile, and the scent of her intoxicating perfume lingered behind. I fought the compliment on the tip of my tongue at the sexy, red-flannel shirt she was wearing that accentuated all of her curves.
I was on my way to ask her dad something as she walked into the office, so I held the big door open for her. “Thanks,” she mumbled, her voice as sweet as honey when it washed over me.
“Anytime.”
She quickly walked into her dad’s office, a smile no longer on her face as she slammed her water bottle and phone on the desk. “He didn’t notice,” she said to her father as I walked in. She looked at me and then walked out to clock in, the strong smell of her perfume tickling my nose.
Was I the one that didn’t notice? Didn’t she have a boyfriend?
Walking out of the office, she brushed past me, mumbling a half-hearted apology. “Your hair looks good today,” I said softly so only she would hear, and the beautiful smile I was greeted with this morning came back.
“Thanks. I was just at the salon.” She twirled a blonde lock around her finger, her cheeks flaming.
I dragged my hand through my unruly hair and smirked at her. “You think they could fix this mess?”
“Hmm,” she pondered. “I’m not sure. It’s pretty bad,” she giggled – actually giggled – and the sound sent my heart into a spasm. I couldn’t contain the smile on my face.
“Might need to get the number from you, then.” She nodded and gestures for me to follow her into her office.
“Are you okay?” she questioned. “You look exhausted. How’s your dog?” With her back to me, I fought the pain that immediately washed over me.
“She died.” Summer whirled around, her big, blue eyes round with pain.
“Oh, no. I’m so sorry.” She stepped forward, arms extended, but then stopped herself.
I stepped back, right into the wall of her office, and she grimaced. “It’s alright. I’ll be okay. I, uh, need to get back to work.” I stepped out of her office, ignoring her fallen expression at my rejection.
I couldn’t hug her.
I would not survive feeling her body against mine. She couldn’t be anything more than a coworker.
I had to put a stop to this stupid attraction.
My fiancée had cancer, needed me, and all I could think about was kissing my boss’s daughter.
Doesn’t that just make me a sick bastard?