Free Unexpected Chances by Carly Phillips Page B

John leaned back against the couch, relaxing as they talked like old friends.
    Which they were, she thought, feeling more settled than she had in a while. And he was right. She was in an awful mood.
    “It sounds like you two finally have everything going for you, no?”
    “Yes. No. I don’t know. He lives in L.A. Not only is it across the country, but his lifestyle, the people in it, they’re Hollywood. I’m small town. What kind of chance do we have?” she asked, expressing all of her doubts and fears.
    Not all , a tiny voice in her head chided her.
    “Listen to me,” John said. “You have exactly the kind of chance that you want . If you’re looking for excuses to bail on Dylan, I know you can be the master of avoidance. But if you want a future, you’re going to have to trust him.”
    “I do!” She narrowed her gaze. “Didn’t I just finish telling you I was certain the gossip about Melanie isn’t true?”
    “And that’s a start. It’s just not everything. When’s he due back?”
    She shrugged. “He didn’t say. He just promised he’d return.”
    “Then I guess it’s up to you whether you believe him or if you’re going to let one mistake the guy made ten years ago ruin any future you two could have.” In that one sentence, John nailed Holly’s last remaining fear.
    That Dylan would up and leave her again the way he had before. The last time, he didn’t know what he was running to. He had only the idea of fame and fortune beckoning to him. Now, ten years later, he knew what kind of lifestyle awaited him in Hollywood. He was America’s favorite movie star.
    For how long would he be content with his hometown girl?
    She blinked, her eyes burning. “When did you get to be so wise?” she asked John.
    “About the time I realized we were over.” His lips pulled into a thin tight line.
    She had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from apologizing again. “What about you?” She asked. “Are you going to be okay?”
    He nodded with certainty. “I definitely saw this coming. I’ve been thinking about moving to Boston,” he said, surprising her.
    “Really?”
    “Yep. There’s more of a social life there, and since I do want to settle down with the right person, I need more exposure.”
    “I think the women in the city had better watch out,” she said, laughing.
    He winked at her, assuring her that he really was going to be just fine.
    Would she? Her heart caught in her chest because she realized she would miss him as her friend. “I admire you for making the decision and going after what you want in life.”
    He brushed a kiss on her cheek. “I’d like to be able to say the same thing about you. Think about what I just said, Holly.”
    She forced a smile. “I will.”
    In the coming days, with Dylan gone, she’d have plenty of time to focus on her life and make a decision about whether she was ready to put her heart on the line again. Or whether she could live with herself if she chose not to even try.
    *     *     *
    Three days passed in which Holly kept busy. She saw patients and readied the office for her new partner. She’d been using the extra room for personal storage, and she needed to clear her things out before the first of the year, when Dr. Tollgate started working. After tackling the boxes and moving them into her own office, she began dusting the bookshelves and desk. She found that keeping busy also helped her think. Office cleaning was akin to clearing her mind and facing what she needed and wanted out of life. What she wanted from Dylan.
    He had called her two or three times a day since he’d been gone, testament to his desire to prove he’d changed. That he wasn’t leaving her behind—if not without a thought, then without another word for ten years. She didn’t know what more he had in mind for them, but she understood that she had to come to terms with her own feelings before he returned.
    She shook her head. Her feelings weren’t the issue. She