Dare to Love: A Sweet Contemporary Romance (Finding Love Book 4)

by Delaney Cameron

  Madeline’s acceptance into culinary school had brought them to Alpharetta. It was too bad that it appeared Trent’s job had done the same. She’d thought herself safe from ever seeing him again; worse than that, she thought she’d been successful in putting the past behind her. It had only taken a few minutes in his company to dispel that theory. Meeting him again brought to the surface all the painful memories she’d worked hard to forget. It was also a reminder that she hadn’t met anyone else who came close to touching her heart the way Trent had. Given how little he actually cared about her made that fact even harder to swallow.

  As she followed the hostess to the table where Madeline and James were already seated, she counted three heads. Two of them were male which could only mean one thing. She suppressed the urge to leave before they spotted her. She was getting tired of being thrown at every man James had ever known. While she appreciated his concern, she felt like an unwanted toy left sitting on the shelf that the owner kept reducing the price on hoping for a quick sale.

  “Sabrina! Over here!” Madeline called out loudly as if Sabrina was blind and couldn’t see them in the half-full restaurant.

  Forcing a smile to her face, she slid into the chair the unknown man was holding for her. “Hello, everyone. Sorry I’m late.”

  “You’re fine,” Madeline assured her. “We just got seated a few minutes ago. Sabrina, this is Chris. He works with James at Georgia Power.”

  It appeared James had run out of friends and was now working his way through his single coworkers. Sabrina turned to face the man seated opposite, noting his crew cut and light brown eyes. He was older than she first thought and nice looking in a rugged, outdoorsy sort of way. “Hi, Chris. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Same here. Madeline told us you started a new job today. How’d it go?”

  “It went very well. Thanks for asking.” She opened the menu the hostess had given her. “I haven’t been here in forever. I forgot what they have.”

  “The meatloaf with mashed potatoes is very good,” he told her. “Or the fried chicken.”

  “That’s right; I remember now. I got the meatloaf last time.”

  The waiter appeared to take their orders. After he departed, Madeline sent Sabrina a meaningful glance before starting a conversation with James that effectively excluded the other two. Accepting the inevitable, Sabrina turned to Chris.

  “Are you one of those fearless guys who climb the electric poles?”

  He laughed as he shook his head. “No way. I’m the head of security.”

  “Were you in the military?”

  “I was in the navy for fifteen years. What was it that gave me away? The haircut?”

  Sabrina’s eyes roved over his powerfully built physique. “That and the way you carry yourself.”

  “James told me you’re a talented graphic artist; he didn’t tell me how pretty you are.”

  “That’s because he only has eyes for Madeline.”

  “Yeah, he’s got it bad for your sister.”

  “He’s what my grandmother would call a sweetie pie.”

  “What would your grandmother call me?”

  A fast worker probably or something even more colorful. Her grandmother hadn’t been one to mince words. Sabrina bit her lip to keep from laughing. “I don’t know you well enough to say.”

  Their food arrived and with it the conversation became more general. Sabrina was listening to Madeline try to talk James and Chris into going to see the latest chick flick when the family of four at the table next to them was replaced with a couple, one of whom was none other than Trent. Why did it have to be him? She’d gone years without seeing him and now they’d run into each other twice in three days. Something was out of balance in the universe.

  Sabrina couldn’t avoid looking at him. He was directly in her line of sight. After a slight hesitation, she acknowledged his nod with one of her own. From there her glance strayed to his companion, and her lips turned down. Some things never change. It seemed he still preferred blondes who wore too little clothes and too much makeup.

  When she looked back at Trent, he was watching her, a faint smile on his face. If she hadn’t known it to be impossible, she would have sworn he could read her mind. For the second time in their ill-fated acquaintance, he’d caught her staring at him and his girlfriend. At least this time, she didn’t have a candy bar in her mouth.

  Irritated with herself for showing interest in someone she disliked, she declined in a slightly flustered voice the coconut cream pie she’d been raving about only minutes before. She hoped the others would follow her lead and opt out of dessert. Trent might take it into his head to actually speak to her which meant she’d have to introduce him to Madeline. One careless comment of his could reveal what she was so desperate to keep hidden. She hadn’t realized she was holding her breath until she saw James signal for the bill.

  Madeline was successful in convincing the two men to take a chance on the movie. Not that there had ever been any doubt about it. She was one of those people who could charm almost anyone. When the four of them gathered at James’s car to discuss the logistics of show times and transportation, Sabrina realized she’d left her purse in the restaurant. She was quick to blame her mental lapse on Trent’s arrival. Excusing herself from the others, she made her way back across the parking lot. Just as she reached the entrance, the door swung open revealing a face that appeared far too often in her dreams. Make that nightmares.

  “Looking for this?” Trent asked, holding out her purse.

  “Yes, thank you,” she said, taking it from him.

  He looked beyond her into the parking lot. “Was that your sister Madeline?”

  First her bee sting allergy and now Madeline. Did he forget anything? Oh, yeah, just how to tell the truth. “Yes, it was.”

  “She’s like you, only smaller.”

  This drew a laugh from Sabrina. “She’s normal size, and I’m extra-large.”

  His eyes swept over her from head to foot. “Actually, you’re just right. I better get back to Kiley before she thinks I left her to walk home.”

  Disturbed not only by the implied compliment but also by that all-encompassing gaze, she rushed into speech. “Thanks for bringing my purse to me.”

  Trent smiled. “You’re welcome. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

  As if she was likely to forget that less than twelve hours separated her from disaster. Sabrina walked slowly back to the others. Sometime later, she found herself sitting between Chris and Madeline in the dark theater pretending an interest in the movie. She wanted to attribute her inattention to being tired, but she knew that wasn’t entirely true. Most of her restlessness could be traced back to that short conversation with Trent. Why was she wasting time thinking about the empty words of a proven deceiver?

  * * * * *

  After his early morning run, Trent returned to his condo to shower and change for work. Then he headed to the Starbucks located a few blocks from his office. He and Jared took turns picking up breakfast for themselves and Debby. Sitting in the drive-thru line waiting to order, he realized he had no idea what to get Sabrina. She hadn’t been much of a coffee drinker before. A quick text to Jared solved the problem. Hopefully, Sabrina wouldn’t mind getting the same thing two days in a row.

  As was his habit, he unlocked the door to Debby’s office and stepped inside to put the food on the desk. Several squares of yellow paper bearing familiar handwriting caught his eye. Sabrina’s love affair with Post-It notes was still going strong. Her textbooks had always had them stuck to the surface and sticking out of the top. Although he teased her about it, he quickly discovered a good use for them. They were the perfect means to communicate with her when she was ignoring him. All he had to do was write something provocative on one, pass it to her during class, and wait for her to blush.

  He doubted it would have the same effect now.

  He was in his office checking stock prices when Jared walked in, coffee in one hand and a
n oversized glazed donut in the other. “What in the world got you out of bed so early? It’s only seven-twenty.”

  Jared slumped down in one of the chairs. “Connie’s out of town this week.”

  Trent nodded knowingly. “That explains it.”

  “How was your sister’s wedding?”

  “It was nice. Taryn managed to get through the entire ceremony without crying, and I only fell asleep once. Kiley pinched me before anyone noticed.”

  Jared dunked his donut in his coffee. “Don’t you know that the worst thing you can do is take a girlfriend to a wedding? It’s the equivalent of a marriage proposal.”

  “Well, it backfired in my case. Kiley broke up with me at the reception.”

  “You dodged a bullet. I was worried you were going to be stuck with her forever.”

  Trent laughed as he reached into the Starbucks bag and pulled out a muffin. “This from the guy who tells me at least once a week how great married life is.”

  “It is great, but only with the right person. Kiley is eye candy and that’s about it.”

  “How can you say that? She improved my golf score by ten strokes.”

  “So that was the attraction? Free golf lessons?”

  “Yes, but it’s all over. She’s going back to Cole, and I’m all alone again. Maybe it’s time to swallow my pride and try one of those online dating services.”

  “You know those things are a waste of time.”

  “Desperate times call for desperate measures. How was yesterday? Anything exciting happen?”

  “Just the usual complement of people worried about the declining stock market.”

  “And our new temp? How’s she working out?”

  “Great. It’s nice to find someone who actually works instead of spending all day on the phone. How’d you let her get away?”

  Trent frowned as he removed the paper wrapper from his muffin. “It’s not a nice story. But then again, I wasn’t a nice person back then. All I cared about was me and my need to pass chemistry. I’d already failed the class once. If it happened again, I was in danger of being kicked off the baseball team and losing my scholarship. When I asked the professor for a study partner, he paired me with Sabrina. I’d seen her around campus, and talked to her a few times, but I didn’t really know her.

  “I quickly found out that she was more serious-minded than the crowd I usually hung around. She was also very quiet. I couldn’t tell if it was because she didn’t like me or because I made her nervous. Being the egomaniac that I was at that time, I decided it would be fun to see if I could get her to like me. The more she responded to me, the more I wanted.”

  Trent went to stand at the window. “This went on for several months. A few weeks before finals, she told me she loved me. That wasn’t the first time I’d been told that by a girl, but I knew with Sabrina it was a big deal. I went into full panic mode, and instead of telling her that I’d just been playing around, I told her I loved her, too. Then I raced back to my dorm, packed some clothes and headed home for the weekend to figure out what I was going to do. I didn’t want to hurt her, but I wasn’t ready to get serious with anyone. I had my sights set on getting drafted.

  “The next day when I went water skiing with some friends on a lake near my parents’ house, I collided with another skier. I woke up in the emergency room with a concussion, sprained elbow, and a broken leg. Word of my accident made it back to campus. Sabrina drove four hours to see me in the hospital. It wasn’t exactly the right time to break up with her. After she left, one of my friends who’d been with me on the boat asked me what was going on. I told him what I just told you. What I didn’t realize was that Sabrina had left her phone behind. She walked back in the room, picked it up off the chair and walked out, all without saying a word or even looking at me. I knew then that she’d heard everything. I called her and left messages every day for weeks. She never got back with me. I didn’t see her again until last Friday.”

  “You never went back to Young Harris?” Jared asked.

  “No. My parents wanted me to stay in Augusta. I did rehab for a year and tried to play baseball for a local school, but it didn’t last. I’d lost all my speed and agility. My coach told me I looked like a cow trying to run to first base. With no chance of getting drafted, I had to take school more seriously. I changed my major from exercise science to finance and the rest is history.”

  Jared shook his head. “What a story! You’re right; you weren’t very nice back then. I can’t believe you did that to her.”

  Trent returned to his desk and sat down. “It’s not something I’m proud of. That’s why I’m shocked she agreed to take this job. If I was in her place, I’m not sure I could have.”

  “You better watch yourself, Trent; a woman scorned and all that.”

  “You worked with her yesterday. Do you really think she’s capable of doing something mean and vindictive? It’s not who she is.”

  “People change. You obviously have; maybe she has, too.”

  “I changed for the better, or at least that’s what I tell myself. I refuse to believe she changed for the worse.”

  Jared took a sip of coffee. “Well, one thing’s for sure. It’s not going to be boring around here. I’ve got some phone calls to return. See ya later.”

  Trent finished his emails, but what Jared said refused to budge from his mind. He hadn’t given much thought to how his actions might have affected Sabrina. He’d been consumed with his rehab and trying to live with what he’d done. Once again, he’d displayed tunnel vision. Nothing happens in a vacuum. Had she emerged from that incident unscathed? Or had it left its mark on her as it had on him? Memories of the evening before his accident floated through his mind.

  Her fingers lightly skimmed the contours of his face. It both soothed and excited him. He wanted to taste her lips and feel her trembling against him.

  “Our four month anniversary is this weekend.”

  Guilt cooled some of the heat racing through his veins. He didn’t want to think about what that remark meant. “Four months?” he asked. “Are you sure? I’ve never dated anyone this long before.”

  Sabrina laughed. “Me, either. I guess that means we’re doing something right.”

  “So you’re not ready to get rid of me yet?”

  “No. I want to keep you. Forever.”

  It was sad to think that two days later he would trample all over her romantic ideas. Hopefully, the guy he’d seen her with in the restaurant was more worthy of her. It was unfortunate that Trent didn’t realize how special she was until it was too late.

  * * * * *

  Sabrina took a deep breath and counted to ten. This wasn’t the worst thing she’d had to do by a long shot, so she needed to stop being childish and get out of the car. When she passed through the glass door, she called out a cheerful ‘good morning’ to Paige and started down the hallway, her eyes trained on the last door on the right. It was open. Not only was Trent back; he was early. She’d counted on him being late; she should have known he’d disappoint her.

  Back in college, he’d been late to everything except something related to baseball. His life had revolved around that silly game, and it was largely because of that game that he’d smiled and talked and kissed his way right into her heart. Along the way, he made her believe that she mattered to him - that they had a future together - and all the while he was laughing behind her back. A familiar sadness welled up inside her. How could she regret losing something that was never hers?

  She stopped in the doorway of Jared’s office. “Just checking in.”

  He looked up and grinned. “You came back. That must mean I didn’t work you too hard yesterday.”

  “Not at all. Is there anything you want me to start on first?”

  “I’m making some updates to the presentation you did for me yesterday. By the time I’ve got them ready, you should be done eating your bagel.”

  Sabrina smiled widely. “You didn’t have to get me anything.”
/>   “Tell that to Trent. He picked up the food today.”

  “That was nice of him,” she said through gritted teeth, trying to look appreciative when she felt the opposite. “I’ll have to thank him.” And while she was doing that, she’d tell him – as politely as she could manage – not to bother buying her anything in the future.

  Sitting down at her desk, she put away her purse and turned on the computer. She resisted the childish urge to throw the bottle of green tea and multigrain bagel in the trash can. Instead she moved them to a less prominent position and stood up again. Might as well get this over with.

  Trent was on the phone when she reached his office. She started to back out of the room, but he motioned her to stay, saying in a low voice, “I’ll be right with you.” She sank down in the chair he indicated. She hoped his call wasn’t going to take too long. The less she saw of him the better her day would be. He half-turned in his seat, giving her an excellent view of his profile.

  “Flowers?” he asked whoever was on the other end. “I don’t remember sending any flowers. Why would I send flowers today?”

  Sabrina pursed her lips and looked out the window. She should have known it wasn’t a business call. He was talking to his girlfriend, probably the pretty girl who’d been with him at the restaurant. When had he ever been without one? Or two or three? He’d practically had his own cheering section at the baseball games. She hadn’t minded so much because she thought she held his heart. She’d been so head over heels in love that she actually believed he saw only her when he looked into the stands and smiled that special smile of his. Talk about living in a dream world!

  She shifted in her seat, wishing she could get up and leave so she wouldn’t have to hear any more of his sweet-talking nonsense. She could fill a book with the things he’d said to her. His voice interrupted her thoughts.

  “Oh, it’s your birthday. That explains it.”