If We Never Met

by Barbara Freethy

  Contents

  Also by Barbara Freethy

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Epilogue

  What to read next…

  Excerpt - ON A NIGHT LIKE THIS

  Access MEMBERS ONLY Page!

  About the Author

  Also by Barbara Freethy

  Whisper Lake Series

  Always With Me (#1)

  My Wildest Dream (#2)

  Can't Fight The Moonlight (#3)

  Just One Kiss (#4)

  If We Never Met (#5)

  Tangled Up In You (#6)

  * * *

  Don’t miss the Callaway Series that inspired Whisper Lake!

  * * *

  The Callaways

  On A Night Like This (#1)

  So This Is Love (#2)

  Falling For A Stranger (#3)

  Between Now and Forever (#4)

  Nobody But You (A Callaway Wedding Novella)

  All A Heart Needs (#5)

  That Summer Night (#6)

  When Shadows Fall (#7)

  Somewhere Only We Know (#8)

  The Callaway Cousins

  If I Didn’t Know Better (#1)

  Tender Is The Night (#2)

  Take Me Home (A Callaway Novella)

  Closer To You (#3)

  Once You're Mine (#4)

  Can't Let Go (#5)

  Secrets We Keep (#6)

  * * *

  For a complete list of books, visit my website!

  IF WE NEVER MET

  © Copyright 2021 Barbara Freethy

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  * * *

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  * * *

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Chapter One

  Dante DeAngelis sighed as the never-ending questions came once more: How are you feeling? What does the doctor say about your shoulder? Will you be ready to pitch again before the end of the season? Or the worst question: Will you be able to pitch the way you once did?

  He didn't have answers for any of those questions, but that didn't stop his friends, his teammates, the media, or his family from asking them. Today's questions were coming from his younger brother, Micah, whose call he should not have answered.

  He shifted his phone to his other ear as Micah's voice pierced through his reverie.

  "What's the deal?" Micah demanded. "Nikki says you haven't been talking to anyone, including her."

  "I texted her last night. And I can't answer your questions, Micah. It's too soon. I have my first rehab assessment tomorrow morning, with my official therapy sessions starting on Monday."

  "And you're going to stay in Colorado to do that?"

  "Yes. There's a new rehab center in Whisper Lake, and my orthopedic surgeon highly recommended it. Plus, I like being far away. It makes it…easier."

  It felt absurd to say easier because nothing about his possible career-ending shoulder injury was easy. Whether he'd be back this season or never was the big question. But right now, he could only focus on what was right in front of him, and that was three weeks of intense rehab at a state-of-the-art facility. The fact that the rehab center was in a mountain resort town was a bonus. He'd been sitting in Micky's Bar and Grill for the past twenty minutes, and not one person had come up to ask him for an autograph. That felt both shocking and amazing.

  "Dante!"

  "Sorry, what did you say?"

  "I'm worried about you. Why don't you come home? You don't have to stay with Dad. You can hang at my apartment. We have rehab centers in San Francisco."

  "This one is the best. It's brand new. It's going to be part of a new Olympic Training Center in Whisper Lake, and they have therapists who are specifically skilled in dealing with professional athletes. I will be getting the best care, and I like being away from a big city."

  He looked up as a loud group of guys entered the bar. They appeared to be a softball team with the bar's name scrawled across their jerseys, just the kind of men who might know exactly who he was. Luckily, they were too caught up in conversation to notice him. So far, he'd managed to stay under the radar, but that wouldn't last forever.

  "Where are you?" Micah asked. "It sounds loud."

  "A bar."

  "Well, that's good. I was thinking you were sitting in some hotel room alone on a Friday night. Where are you staying?"

  "An inn owned by my doctor's sister. I would have preferred a more impersonal hotel, but Grayson insisted that Lizzie would give me privacy. We'll see. She does make awesome chocolate chip cookies every afternoon."

  "Is she single?"

  "Engaged. And I'm here to heal, not find myself a date."

  "All right. Well, I gotta go. Call me if you get bored. Or if you want company…"

  "Thanks. But you're busy with your food truck. You don't need to babysit me."

  "Not so busy. The truck has some problems."

  "What's going on?"

  "I can't get into it now. We'll talk soon."

  "All right." He set his phone on the table and picked up his beer. He was thinking about getting some food to go with it when a very attractive brunette approached his table with an uncertain look. Apparently, he wasn't as unrecognizable as he'd hoped. She had on a short, silky floral dress that clung to her curves and showed off her tanned legs. Her dark-brown hair fell past her shoulders in thick waves. His gut tightened, but it wasn't because he wanted her to go away.

  "You're Danny, right?" she said.

  It wasn't the first time his name had been skewed. "Yes."

  "Oh, good." Relief ran through her wide-set, big brown eyes. She pulled out the chair across from him and sat down. "I'm Keira, but you probably figured that out, since you've been waiting for me. I'm sorry I'm late. I had a customer come into the shop right at closing." She paused. "And now I'm talking too much."

  He was a little bemused by not only how much she was talking but also how pretty she was, with a bright, self-deprecating smile curving her very kissable mouth.

  "Can I get you a drink, Keira?" the waitress asked as she stopped by the table.

  "Hi, Joanne. I'd love a glass of Merlot," Keira replied.

  "You got it," Joanne said, glancing back at him.

  "I'm fine," he said at her unspoken question.

  "So, your turn to talk," Keira said.

  He honestly had no idea what to say. It was becoming clear that she had no idea who he was. She hadn't confused Dante with Danny. She'd taken him for someone else entirely.

  "I'd love to hear what you think of Whisper Lake," she added. "You said you recently got to town?"

  "I did." He had finally gotten a question he could answer. "I like the town. I haven't seen a lot yet, but the mountains and the lake are spectacular."

 
; She nodded, pride in her eyes. "It's one of the prettiest spots in the country. But I'm prejudiced—I was born here."

  "Have you always lived here?"

  "No. I went to New York for college and stayed there for my dream job. I was going to be a fashion designer." Shadows entered her eyes. "But my mom got into an accident and needed not only care but someone to help with her real-estate business, so I came home. That was six years ago."

  "That's very generous. It sounds like you gave up a lot."

  "I'm not sure it was that much. I was just getting started in the business, and I was mostly doing grunt work at a fashion house. When I came home, I got my real-estate license and took over my mom's business."

  "Wait a second. I thought you said you worked at a store."

  "I do. I opened a clothing boutique two years ago. I've been juggling both careers since then." She tilted her head to the right as she gave him a thoughtful look. "Didn't I mention that when we were texting?"

  Before he had to answer that question, the waitress set down Keira's wine as well as crackers and dip. He really should tell Keira that she was at the wrong table with the wrong guy, but it was actually nice to talk to someone who had no idea who he was or what he'd just been through.

  "Micky sent his famous artichoke and crab dip over—on the house," the waitress said. "He said he owes you, Keira, for finding a rental for his cousin."

  Keira waved a dismissive hand. "That was no big deal but tell him thanks." As the waitress left, Keira picked up a cracker. "Have you had Micky's special dip?"

  "No."

  "Then prepare to be amazed."

  "Amazed, huh?"

  "I am not exaggerating." She popped the cracker in her mouth and then gave him such a look of intense satisfaction, his whole body tightened. "Give it a try."

  He took a cracker and lathered it with dip. The bite was absolutely perfect—hot, spicy, and creamy.

  "Well?"

  "I'm amazed," he admitted.

  "Told you. If you want to continue to be impressed, you should order the fish tacos. They are out of this world."

  "I'll keep that in mind. So, you have two careers going, huh? How do you find the time?"

  "I have help. And it's not really two careers, more like three. I also design for friends and family. Still thinking about how to get the custom design business off the ground."

  "Busy woman. How do you juggle it all?"

  "Sometimes not very well. It's super busy right now. I have a wedding coming up on July seventh for one of my best friends, Hannah Stark. I'm doing her gown and the bridesmaids' dresses. I'm also in the wedding party, so I have to make sure everything is perfect."

  "And yet you find time to date," he mused.

  "Actually, I don't date very often, but my friends have been pressuring me to get out there. Hannah, in particular, would love for me to have a plus one at her wedding," she said candidly. "That's why I got on the app last week and then you popped up." She frowned. "You don't look exactly like your photo, though."

  "Better or worse?" he asked curiously.

  "Better."

  "That's good."

  "Tell me about yourself. You haven't said too much. I know you're changing careers and you're giving up being an attorney to become a writer. I think that's great. I admire people who go after their dreams."

  "I admire that, too," he said soberly. Talking about dreams just reminded him how close he was to losing his.

  "Danny?" she queried with concern. "You suddenly look serious."

  "Sorry. Just thinking about dreams."

  "It's something I think about, too. Sometimes they can come true and sometimes they just stay dreams."

  Now she was the one who looked solemn. "You mentioned your mother was in an accident, and that's why you came back from New York. How is she doing now?"

  "She's much better. She had a head injury, and it was a long road back, but she's been improving every year. I'm starting to feel like she's going to be okay."

  "I'm glad to hear that."

  "Me, too. The days after her accident were the scariest days of my life, and that is an understatement."

  He was surprised at how easily they'd fallen into a personal conversation with so much depth. It certainly wasn't his usual first-date conversation, but he was enjoying it. "Was your father able to help?"

  "No. My dad died before I was a year old. I don't even remember him. We lived with my grandmother during most of my childhood. Unfortunately, she passed away when I was fourteen, and then it was just my mother and me." She sipped her wine. "I'm talking too much. What about you? Are you an only child or do you have siblings?"

  "I have three brothers."

  She arched a brow in surprise. "That's a lot of testosterone in one family."

  "You could say that."

  "Where are you in the line-up?"

  "I'm the second oldest."

  "So, a middle child."

  "Yes."

  "Did your parents keep trying for a girl?"

  "My mom always wanted a daughter, but she never got one."

  "Are your parents alive and well?"

  "No. Like you, I grew up with mostly one parent and some grandparents. My mom died when I was twelve."

  "I'm sorry. How did she die?"

  He was actually surprised by the question. Most people stopped talking when he brought up an uncomfortable subject like his mother's death. But Keira was gazing at him with genuine, compassionate interest.

  "She had cancer. It was aggressive and fast. One minute she was baking cookies and volunteering at school, the next minute she was in a hospital bed in our living room. I hated coming home and seeing her there. It felt so wrong. Even after she passed away, I went into the house through the back door for at least another year, so I wouldn't have to remember…" He shook his head and cleared his throat. "That was too much information." He couldn't believe he'd shared such a personal story with her.

  "We're getting to know each other. There's never too much information. I didn't realize we'd both lost parents. Although, your situation is much different. I never knew my father, so while I felt the loss of not having two parents, I didn't know my dad. I didn't have good or bad memories of him."

  "It sounds like you have a good relationship with your mother."

  "We've always been tight."

  "It says a lot about you that you gave up your career to come home and take care of her."

  "I never had a second thought about it. She would have done it for me." Keira took a breath. "I don't talk this much normally. I guess I'm a little out of practice when it comes to dating. What about you? Do you do this a lot?"

  "This? I almost never do this," he said with a dry smile. "Online dating has always felt awkward to me."

  "Me, too, but it's one way to meet someone."

  "It is one way," he agreed.

  She sipped her wine, then set her glass down. "Tell me about your novel. You said it's going to be a thriller. How far along are you?"

  He took a long sip of beer, knowing he had to tell her the truth. But as soon as he did, she'd probably be embarrassed. Or she might be angry that he'd been stringing her along when her real date was probably waiting for her somewhere in the bar. In fact, he was starting to feel like an ass for not having told her before now.

  As he opened his mouth to say something, the waitress interrupted them once more. She gave them an odd look. "Uh, Keira, there's a guy who says he's waiting for you, that he's your date. He asked me if I'd seen you."

  "What are you talking about? This is my date," Keira said, tipping her head in his direction.

  "Well, he's over there." The waitress pointed toward a brown-haired guy sitting alone at a table for two near the front door. "He said his name is Danny."

  As the waitress moved away, Keira gave him a wary look. "Your name is Danny, too?"

  "Actually, it's Dante. I thought you got it wrong when you first sat down, but I wasn't sure."

  "Wait. So, you're not
my date?"

  "No, I'm not."

  "Why didn't you say something?"

  "I don't know. You started talking, and you're really pretty, and uh, yeah, I don't have a good excuse."

  She flushed. "Well, I'll have to add tonight to one of my more embarrassing moments."

  "Don't feel that way. I enjoyed talking to you."

  "I'm an idiot. I thought you were a great listener, but you had no idea what to say, because you're not Danny."

  "You're not an idiot. I should have corrected you. I was about to, if that helps."

  "Not really. You shouldn't have waited so long. We talked about our dead parents."

  "I know. That was weird. I haven't actually talked about that with anyone outside my family."

  "Why did you tell me?"

  "I honestly have no idea."

  She stared back at him with a mix of confusion and embarrassment. "Are you meeting a date tonight?"

  "No. I just came in for dinner. The innkeeper where I'm staying recommended this place."

  "Are you staying at the Firefly Inn?"

  "I am."

  "Lizzie, the owner, is one of my best friends. You'll love it there."

  "It's very nice."

  "How long have you been in town?"

  "I just got in last night."

  "Oh." She drew in a breath and let it out. "I should go and talk to the real Danny."

  "Probably. I hope he's fun and plus-one material."

  "Me, too." She got up, then hesitated. "Are you even single?"

  His pause was a second too long.