Free Rerouted Obsession - A Sexy New Adult Contemporary Romance Novella by Amelia Basinger Page B

she was in right now, anyway.
    Cranking her truck up, she decided that there was no way she could stay in Pinesville any longer. Jake Penner was sealing that deal before the ink on the contract would even have time to dry. The thought of a new job and moving away had initially been scary, but now it was appealing. She needed to start fresh. Away from the airport and a lying Jake Penner. Those two things were now going to be irrevocably bundled together.
    Did he really think she would be okay with his dishonesty when she found out? He obviously didn’t know her as well as he thought he did. Being able to trust someone meant more to her than anything else.
    I’m just going to do it. Pack everything up and leave Pinesville in the dust. It seems I am only destined for heartbreak here, she thought sadly.
    She pulled into her drive and hopped out of the truck. Rushing inside, she grabbed her barely used luggage and began tossing things into the bags in a frenzy. Connor barked and jumped, not knowing what had gotten into Abby.
    “Buddy, get ready. We’re about to go on a trip,” she said in a silly voice to the dog. Even when her world was crumbling around her, Connor still brought in a ray of sunshine.
    In record time, she had packed up all of her clothes and necessities. She wasn’t going to take the furniture, but she did pack up her quilts and kitchenware. She paused when she saw the old coffee tin at the back of the pantry.
    I know I was saving this for a rainy day, but this snowy day is good enough, she thought as she opened the lid and pulled out several wads of bills. She knew there was enough money in her stash to get her comfortably through several weeks.
    Within two hours, her truck was loaded and Connor was settled happily in the passenger’s seat. He loved going for a drive with Abby. With one final look at the cozy little cottage she had called home for several years, she pulled out of her driveway, not exactly sure where she was headed, but knowing it was on a road out of Pinesville.
     
    * * * *
     
    Jake threw the wrench down harder than he should have. He was just so frustrated. He could tell in Abby’s cool demeanor that the walls he had broken down around her heart had gone right back up the moment he confessed his true identity. Even though he hadn’t actually ever lied, he had omitted his true reason for being here. When he was in the office earlier, he knew there was no reason to even bother pointing that out. He saw the way Abby looked at him. He was a liar in her eyes.
    After replacing the spark plugs and refilling all the fluids on the plane that was scheduled for a flight to Boise at three, he motioned for one of the other mechanics to take over. He had to find Abby and get her to talk to him. He cared about her way too much to allow her to freeze him out.
    He was falling head over heels in love with her. He had only been in love once before, years ago, and even though he had only known Abby for hardly any time at all, he knew his feelings for her were going to run strong and deep. Something about her drew him to her like a moth to a flame.
    Jake made his way quickly back to the office where he had left Abby barely an hour ago, but she wasn’t there. Instead, Jim and Scarlett were manning the office.
    “Where’s Abby?” he asked a flustered Jim and a frustrated Scarlett.
    “She left a while ago. Said she wasn’t feeling well,” Jim told him.
    “Will and I just got here. She left us in quite a mess,” Scarlett complained.
    “Where’s Will?” Jake asked, needing someone on his side.
    “Your pilot is helping load luggage onto the plane that should’ve departed half an hour ago,” Scarlett said.
    “So you know. . . ,” Jake said.
    “Yes, Will told me on the way here. I’m guessing Abby found out from someone other than you that you were both lying,” Scarlett surmised.
    “No, I’m the one who actually told her, but only after your father asked me a question that gave me no