Free Christy Barritt - Squeaky Clean 08 - Foul Play by Christy Barritt Page B

like Garrett. I really do.”
    “There’s a ‘but’ in there.”
    “ Sometimes I just wish we’d met at a different time in my life, you know?”
    “You mean, before Riley?”
    I bit down on my lip. Suddenly chilly, I pulled a fleece blanket decorated with cats over my lap. I wasn’t a cat fanatic, but Sierra had given me this as a gift at Christmas. “Yeah, I mean before Riley.”
    “Have you heard from him lately?”
    I shook my head. “No, not really. It’s been three weeks, I think.” There was no “think” about it. It had been three weeks, two days, and six hours. How long did it take you to get over losing the love of your life?
    “It might be time to move on, Gabby. You should give yourself permission to let go.”
    “But what if Riley decides he’s ready to try again? What if—”
    “What if that never happens and you turn down a great guy like Garrett? ”
    T he rock on my shoulders suddenly became heavier. “You’re right. I would be making a huge mistake.”
    “Riley may never be the same person, Gabby.” She squeezed my arm. “I know you don’t want to hear that. I know you want to think that things will go back to the way they were before. But injuries like Riley’s—”
    “They can change a person forever,” I finished. I’d spent hours researching all of this online and hoping that the information I’d read was wrong, even though I knew in my heart it wasn’t. “I know.”
    She wiped beneath her eyes as tears wet them. Sierra? Crying? This was not a sight I usually saw. This subject must be very touchy to her.
    “Gabby, n one of those other jobs you’ve applied for with the medical examiner’s office have come through yet. If there was ever a time to get out and see the world, it’s now. Maybe explore more than the world. Explore what life with Garrett would be like. I like him, Gabby. I know he’s not Riley, but he’s a good guy.”
    Garrett’s picture fluttered into my mind, and I smiled. “He is. He’s handsome, smart, funny—”
    “Rich. Don’t forget rich. But he’s also charitable. And his accent? It’s to die for.” She let out a sigh.
    “I won’t tell Chad you said that.”
    “I appreciate that.” She smiled and wiped her eyes one more time. “How long do you have to think about it?”
    “A couple of weeks.”
    “Garrett’s always good about giving you deadlines, isn’t he?”
    Garrett was definitely a deadline person. Maybe it had something to do with him being the CEO of his own company. He knew that being indecisive only wasted time. “He seems to know I’ll waffle around and not make a choice otherwise.”
    Sierra squeezed my hand. “You’ll make the right choice. You always do.”
    I wished I felt as confident as she did.
    “Don’t tell Chad , by the way,” I implored. “I don’t want to stress him out. It doesn’t seem right to leave him hanging with the business.”
    “I don’t know if that would stress him out. He’s seemed pretty happy lately, truth be told. At least, he’s happy when he’s at home.”
    Something about the way she said the words made me pause. “Is there any reason in particular he’s so happy?”
    A grin spread across Sierra’s face. “Because we’re having a baby!”

 
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER 9
    My mouth dropped open. “What? Are you serious? Congratulations!”
    I threw my arms around her. When we pulled out of the hug, she was still grinning. And my friend wasn’t a huge smiler. Marriage had softened her up some, and I was sure that having a baby would do that even more. It wasn’t that long ago she’d lived and breathed her job as an animal rights activist.
    She laughed and pushed her glasses up higher. “Yes, I’m serious.”
    “I can’t believe it. Here I was going on and on about Africa. You should have stopped me!”
    “I love hearing about your adventures. There was no reason to stop you.”
    “Of course there was. You’re having a baby! I want to hear everything. Everything!