Free Love Me: The Complete Series by Shelley K. Wall Page B

all you want. She probably thought you were stalking her.”
    He shrugged. “Hey, she’s cute. I think I know her, not sure.”
    “Then why didn’t you say something?”
    “I said I wasn’t sure. Hair’s different. Say what exactly? You look just like someone I used to know—that’s a great line. Or maybe, I’m a tea guy, how about you? Or sooo, you hang out here often? What about—hey, that’s a cute cup you’re holding?”
    “Anything’s better than nothing. Just curious, Roger, were hers real?”
    “Huh? What? Oh, I-I don’t know, I wasn’t looking.” Roger’s face turned the color of a stop sign. “Hey, aren’t you going to Bangkok next week to work on that contract for the sports equipment guys?”
    Carter nodded. Good change of subject.
    • • •
    Abby was with customers when Caroline rushed in from lunch and dropped a bag of food beside her purse. She had little opportunity to eat for another hour and even then, more customers were out front with Caroline. Between the two of them, they barely spoke until the end of day. Caroline said the luncheon outing wasn’t a big deal and she’d left because one of the guys was leering at her. It gave her the heebie-jeebies.
    Abby wanted to pry Caroline with questions, but that would be desperate, which she certainly was not. In fact, she hadn’t cared one way or the other if Carter and his friends thought any part of her anatomy wasn’t real. It was ridiculous. Nor was she concerned whether Carter actually said anything about her. He was still on the rebound, and rebounders were a bad bet.

Chapter Eleven
    Carter braced for takeoff and closed his eyes. Flying was a ritual, or so he told himself. He’d been on a number of airplanes as the business grew. No matter where he sat or how big the plane, he was borderline claustrophobic the moment he clicked the belt around his hips.
    He mentally voiced the numerous things he always did—thankfulness for his fortune, blessings for his friends and family, and promises to be his best self. Just in case he crashed and met his maker. If any of the guys he hung around knew what went through his head on a plane, they’d label him a sap for sure. Still, it had worked for him thus far; he had no intention of switching gears and breaking the good fortune and smooth flights. A small part of him believed karma was a good thing. Or at least nothing to mess with.
    When the plane leveled off at full altitude, he pulled his laptop from below the seat and read through his presentation. The company had put him in charge of this venture and, with their new confidence, it was critical he prepare adequately. This was a contact Jackson knew and he was counting on that to be a good referral. They needed this contract if they were going to stay on target and minimize their production costs.
    He’d called Jackson twice to discuss the project and gave up. As a last resort, he sent Jackson a quick text to let him know about the meeting, half-hoping he’d join him on the trip. No answer. Not like the guy.
    A week and a half later, he reversed his flight routine and headed home. His laptop was filled with notes, copies of building plans and designs, and the longest to-do list he’d managed since starting his job six months earlier. He was exhausted and Jackson had been a no-show. It would have been irritating as hell if he hadn’t been too busy to think about it.
    The ten-hour flight managed to satisfy his need for sleep but had done nothing to rest his mind. Swirling thoughts of work made him anxious. As the plane taxied to the gate, it dawned on him he’d thought of little else the entire trip. Not a single time had his mind wandered to Amanda or their breakup.
    Then he passed the airport florist on the way to his car and he realized his thoughts
had
been on a woman. Or maybe not his thoughts, but his dreams. Only the woman was surrounded by flowers and ribbon, and she’d done some pretty crazy things with them.
    Abby.
    Once he