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

by Delaney Cameron

  “Hey, Camille. I thought you’d dropped off the face of the earth. I haven’t heard from you all week.”

  “Sorry about that. My boss had to go out of town suddenly and of course, everything fell on me. I’ve barely had time to sleep over the last few days. I did spare you a few moments of commiseration. What was it like working with Trent the Terrible? Did you crash his computer or better yet, spill hot coffee on him?”

  Sabrina laughed at her friend’s silliness. “I thought about it, but no. I refuse to lower myself to that level.”

  “You know what the ultimate revenge would be, don’t you?”

  “Sure. Make him fall in love with me and then dump him.”

  “Exactly!” Camille said excitedly. “I’d love to see you bring him to his knees.”

  “You’ve read too many books. First of all, I couldn’t do something like that. Secondly, it’s kind of high-schoolish. And lastly, it wouldn’t work. I couldn’t even get him to fall in love with me before. What makes you think I’d be any more successful this time?”

  “Because now you’ve got the upper hand: you’re not in love with him.”

  “That’s true; but unlike Trent, I can’t fake affection, and I’m a terrible liar.”

  Camille sighed. “Yes, you are. It’s unfortunate, too, because there are times when being able to lie comes in handy. It’s one of those things that shouldn’t be used too often, but every woman should have it in her arsenal.”

  “I would’ve loved to hear you explain that to my grandmother. In her mind, nothing ever justified lying. What are you doing this weekend? Is Zane coming here or are you going to Valdosta?”

  “I’m going there. His company is having a Halloween party tomorrow night. We’re going as Beauty and the Beast.”

  “How appropriate! Send me some pics, and thanks for reminding me about Halloween. I’ll have to pick up some candy to give out to the kids in my neighborhood.”

  “I’ll give you a call when I get back home on Sunday.”

  “Sounds good. Give Zane a hug for me.”

  “I will. Bye for now.”

  The trip to the store to purchase candy didn’t take long. When she reached the duplex, she saw James’s car parked behind Madeline’s in the driveway. Sabrina wondered why he even bothered to go home. He was at their place more than his own. She found them in the kitchen. It was obvious they hadn’t heard her come in. They were standing close together; she couldn’t see Madeline’s face, but she didn’t need to. She could see James’s. That’s what real love looked like. It was amazing how obvious it was once you knew the difference.

  Chapter Four

  Sabrina had more or less made up her mind that she wasn’t going to participate in the 10K run. What she hadn’t counted on was Madeline finding out about it from the one person she didn’t want her sister to meet let alone talk to. It all began innocently enough with a trip to the hardware store.

  Since losing her job, Sabrina had kept busy by refinishing an antique farmhouse trestle table belonging to her great grandparents. What had started as a remedy for boredom had quickly become an ambitious project. The table had spent most of the last twenty years sitting in a basement. Along the way it had collected several layers of white paint and as well as the usual wear and tear from time and use. Since their move to Alpharetta, it had been in the garage where it became a catch-all storage area for anything she and Madeline didn’t feel like putting in the attic.

  Being something of a perfectionist, Sabrina hadn’t been satisfied until every scratch, watermark, and speck of paint was removed. This had entailed long hours of sanding, but the result had been worth all the time. The next step was restoring the wood’s original color. After some internal debate and a discussion with Madeline, she settled on golden oak.

  In spite of the early hour, the store was crowded, not surprising given that it was a Saturday. The weekend warriors were out in force. Sabrina pushed her way through the throng of people until she found the right aisle. Madeline followed a few paces behind, eyes and fingers on her phone, trading texts with James who Sabrina had no doubt would eventually catch up with them at some point. It didn’t seem to matter what Madeline was doing; James wanted to be part of it.

  While she enjoyed teasing Madeline about his devotion, she hoped very much to be as fortunate. Her intermittent and unsatisfactory dating life was a testament to her sad lack of success in that area. She could count on one hand the boyfriends she’d had since graduating from college. She didn’t have to look far to find at least part of the reason.

  What happened with Trent had a profound effect on her. A first love tends to do that, especially when it comes in your twenties, the point in life where you begin to think of relationships in terms of permanency. The fact that he’d been able to fool her so completely robbed her of more than her dignity; it made it difficult for her to open up and trust anyone else. She’d always had a fear that if someone got to know the real her, they wouldn’t like her. The experience with Trent more or less validated that insecurity. Added to this was the knowledge that she’d brought some of this on herself by believing she could change him.

  His comments about wanting her forgiveness and being friends again were easy for him to say. He hadn’t had his feelings manipulated nor had he carried any emotional wounds into future relationships. Forgiving someone sounds great in theory, but it’s much more difficult to actually accomplish. Sabrina knew it was the right thing to do, but knowing you should do something and being able to do it were on opposite ends of a very long scale.

  Giving herself a mental shake, she returned her attention to the various brands of stain arranged in neat rows in front of her. A feeling that she was being observed made her look up suddenly. Through the foot long gap between the top of the shelf and the level of the cans, she saw Trent staring at her from the next aisle.

  “Hi, there,” he said, his face breaking into a boyishly sweet smile that was achingly familiar.

  Every nerve in her body responded to him even as her brain looked on in horror, unable to believe what was happening. How could she, for even a nanosecond, be glad to see him?

  “Are you okay?” he asked when she continued to stare at him in silence.

  No, she wasn’t okay. She felt like a captain on board a ship trying to subdue a mutiny. How could her feelings betray her this way? “Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

  “I don’t know. You looked sorta funny for a second.”

  “I wasn’t expecting to see you again so soon.” Or so often. This was getting ridiculous. She became aware of muffled grunts coming from the backpack slung over his shoulder. Her eyes narrowed as a thought occurred to her. “Did you bring Butterscotch in here?”

  He glanced to either side of him and then back at her. “I had to. I couldn’t leave him in the car.”

  “Who are you talking to?” Madeline asked, standing on tiptoe beside her.

  “One of the guys I work with,” Sabrina replied in a lowered voice.

  “He’s cute,” her sister said loud enough for Trent and anyone else to hear.

  Sabrina heard his barely suppressed chortle of laughter. When she glanced back through the gap, he was gone. She was surprised he left so abruptly, but one didn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. He was gone, and that’s all that mattered.

  Her relief was woefully short lived. Just seconds later, he turned the corner of the aisle headed in her direction. Great! Now she had to introduce him to Madeline and hope he didn’t mention that their acquaintance dated much longer than a week. Her curious sister would definitely wonder why Sabrina had left out that important piece of information.

  “I’m sorry if I scared you,” he said as he came to halt in front of them.

  “That’s okay. Trent, this is my sister Madeline. Madeline, this is Trent Thomas.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Madeline.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, too. There’s something moving in your bag.”

  He leaned closer an
d spoke in a low voice. “It’s the puppy Sabrina found the other night.”

  Madeline turned to Sabrina, her eyes accusing. “You didn’t tell me you found a puppy.”

  “It must have slipped my mind. It was the evening you went to the concert with James.”

  “You never forget anything,” her persistent sister reminded her.

  That was true enough. Trent was living proof of that. Sabrina turned back to him. “You can’t leave Butterscotch in there. He’s going to suffocate.”

  “No, he’s not,” he said, turning sideways. “I’ve got the top halfway unzipped, and I’m on my way to check out right now.”

  “I want to see him,” Madeline put in. “Can I go with you to your car?”

  That was Madeline for you; not a shy or timid bone in her body.

  “Sure.” He looked back at Sabrina. “I’m parked at the end by the storage sheds. Meet us there when you’re finished.”

  Without giving her a chance to refuse, he turned to Madeline and the two of them walked away. Sabrina blew out a frustrated breath. This situation was getting worse and worse. Hopefully, the puppy would keep her nosy sibling too occupied to ask any other questions.

  * * * * *

  Trent hid a smile as he listened to Madeline chatting away beside him as they made their way across the parking lot. She might look like a miniature version of her sister, but in personality she was completely different. Sabrina had to know someone fairly well before she opened up. It had taken all the persuasion he’d been capable of in college to get her to tell him the most basic things about herself. Madeline, on the other hand, was the type to divulge her entire life story at the first meeting.

  When she finally stopped talking long enough to draw a breath, he asked, “What brings you girls to the hardware store?”

  “Sabrina’s in the process of restoring an old table. She’s one of those people who can’t relax. She always has to be doing something. Since she lost her job as a graphic artist, she’s been more restless than usual.”

  “When did that happen?”

  “A few months ago. She doesn’t talk about it much, but I think it hit her pretty hard. She put her heart and soul into that place and then they had the nerve to give her position to someone with half the knowledge and experience.”

  “That’s unfortunate. She’s been a real help to me and my partner.”

  “There are places in Atlanta that would hire her in a second, but I’m in my second year of culinary school. Sabrina won’t budge from here until I’m done.”

  Nothing Madeline was telling him was a surprise. It only confirmed that Sabrina hadn’t changed. She was still the kind-hearted, unselfish person he remembered. “Your sister will always put those she loves before herself.”

  Madeline looked at him curiously. “You’re right. She’s put her life on hold for me. Not many people are willing to do that.”

  When they reached the car, Trent opened the bag and lifted out Butterscotch. He was rewarded by a grateful lick on the chin.

  “Oh, he’s darling. Can I hold him?”

  “I wouldn’t have brought you all this way and not let you hold him,” he said as he handed her the excited puppy.

  “You look familiar, but I don’t think we’ve met before.”

  “Are you talking to me or the dog?” he asked, laughing.

  “You, of course.”

  “I was sitting at the table next to you at The Blue Plate the other night with my ex-girlfriend.”

  “Do you always take your ex-girlfriends to dinner?”

  Trent shook his head. “Not always, but this was a friendly breakup.”

  “I remember now; you brought Sabrina’s purse to her. She didn’t tell me you were her boss.”

  It was obvious from this remark as well as others that Sabrina hadn’t told her sister much of anything about him. He wasn’t sure what to make of that. “She probably had other things on her mind; like the guy she was with.”

  Madeline rocked the puppy back and forth. “I doubt it was Chris. He called twice this week, and she refused to go out with him both times. I keep telling her that she can’t meet Mr. Right if she never dates.”

  Madeline had no idea that she’d just made Trent’s day by telling him that Sabrina didn’t have a boyfriend. The odds weren’t great that she’d ever go out with him, but at least he knew there wasn’t any immediate competition. “Maybe he’s not her type.”

  “I’m starting to think she doesn’t have a type. Chris is the fifth guy my boyfriend James has tried to fix up with Sabrina.”

  “Speaking as someone whose family and friends have been doing this for years, I suggest you let nature take its course. Your sister is beautiful, intelligent, and has a smile that can make a man forget his own name. She doesn’t need any help.”

  “You’ve sized her up pretty well for only having known her a few days.”

  He kept forgetting that he wasn’t supposed to know Sabrina. “It comes with the territory. In my business, I have to be able to accurately read people. Did you enjoy the concert?”

  “I did. Thank you so much for the tickets.”

  “You’re welcome. I’ve got four tickets to The Nutcracker in late December. I was supposed to go with my girlfriend and a couple of her friends, but that fell through when Kiley broke up with me. Maybe we can work something out where you, James, and Sabrina can come with me.”

  “I’ve always wanted to see The Nutcracker. Do you want me to mention it to her?”

  “If you want to,” he replied, thinking it would be better coming from Madeline. Sabrina hadn’t been as stiff with him today, but that was most likely because he’d taken her by surprise. It was strange that she hadn’t told Madeline the history between them. He hadn’t told anyone in his family either, but his reasons were different from hers. He’d been too ashamed to admit he’d done something so despicable.

  * * * * *

  With less than her usual calm, Sabrina returned to her contemplation of the cans of stain. By the time she reached the check-out area, there was no sign of Trent and Madeline. After paying for her purchases, she headed out the door and in the direction of the storage sheds. When she reached the now familiar BMW, the sight of their heads close together, the two of them talking with the ease of all friends, did nothing to soothe her already ruffled feathers. It was bad enough that she had to deal with Trent at work; she didn’t want him easing his way into her personal life.

  “We need to get going, Maddie.”

  Madeline held out the puppy. “You can’t go without saying ‘hello’ to Butterscotch.”

  “You’re right; I can’t.” Sabrina put her purse and shopping bag on the ground and took the puppy in her arms, laughing as he licked her face. “He’s the cutest little thing.” She looked at Trent for the first time. “Were you able to get your neighbor to watch him for you?”

  “Yes, I was. She’s got a twelve-year-old grandson who comes over every day after school. Between those two during the day and me at night, Butterscotch isn’t hurting for attention.” He glanced at his watch. “I hate to break up the party, but I have a puppy training class starting in about twenty minutes.”

  “You signed up for a class?” Sabrina asked in disbelief.

  “I told you I’d never had a pet before. This way he and I can learn together.”

  “What a good idea!” Madeline chimed in before Sabrina could.

  “I just want to do my best for the little guy. He’s had a rough start in life.”

  Sabrina’s knowledge of Trent made it difficult not to question his motives. More than most people, she had firsthand knowledge of the lengths he was willing to go to achieve something. In the case of Butterscotch, however, she could find nothing to fault him with. Only a very unreasonable person would see an agenda in these actions. “I keep thinking about what would have happened if I hadn’t heard him.”

  “Don’t think about that,” Trent advised, coming to relieve her of the puppy. “Thanks to you, Butt
erscotch has a bright future.”

  “I only found him; you’re the one who risked life and limb to rescue him.”

  His lips twitched. “Life and limb? The only thing I risked was my clothes.”

  “Your clothes! Trent, I completely forgot. You were supposed to bring them to work so I could have them cleaned for you.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I was taking some other things to the dry cleaners anyway. If you want to repay me, come out for the 10K run next weekend. That’s a much more worthy cause than my clothes.”

  Madeline’s head came up. “Is that the one for charity?”

  “How do you know about it?” Sabrina asked.

  “James mentioned it the other day. Georgia Power is one of the sponsors. That’s his weekend to work, but you and I could do it.”

  Refusing to participate because of Trent would be petty. Among all those people it should be easy to avoid having to constantly talk to him. “I guess we could.”

  “That’s great,” Trent said. “I need to get going. I don’t want to be late for the first class. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.”

  As the two sisters walked back to the car, Madeline said, “I wouldn’t mind getting to work with him every day. Talk about a job with perks.”

  “Looks aren’t everything. What counts is what’s inside a man.”

  Madeline sent her a sideways glance. “I think giving up his Saturday mornings to take a puppy to a training class is a good indication of what’s inside.”

  Sabrina couldn’t argue with that without revealing her previous dealings with Trent. “What did you two find to talk about?”

  “He asked about the concert. He also told me he’s got four tickets for a performance of The Nutcracker.”

  “Did he suggest you and James go with him and his girlfriend?”

  “His girlfriend was supposed to go, but she broke up with him.”