Free Opposites Attract by Lacey Wolfe

when it came to you, money doesn’t matter. Even if you were rich, I wouldn’t care. No, I don’t have the same desires for a Friday night like you do, but maybe we could have met in the middle and compromised. But you’ll never see me as anything else.” She paused and took a deep breath before continuing. “And I have no one to blame but myself. I dumped you years ago for that reason and have been living the rich life. And I like it. But for the right person, I could give it up.”
    Randall licked his lips, and for a moment she thought maybe he’d grab her, press his lips against hers, and make love to her. God, she just wanted to feel him touch her. Whenever they connected, she felt whole and as though the world had stopped moving. He made her complete.
    He took a step toward her, and she braced herself for the passion. But then he spun around and left. The door shut behind him and all was silent again. It was as though he hadn’t even been there. She plopped back down on the couch. What a turn of events. He’d come here to apologize and when he left, she was now the bad guy.
     

Chapter 10
     
    Sitting across from her brother Adam at Sweet Muffins Bakery, Francesca listened to him talk about work. The past week had been very entertaining for him. He’d had all sorts of calls from cats in trees to a woman who needed an alien arrested for abducting her. She knew Adam was just trying to make her feel better. He’d never been one to want to just sit and listen to her problems, but he did what he could to try and put a smile on her face. Right now, however, nothing was going to make her feel better until she figured things out.
    She’d bumped into Randall a few days after their last fight. They’d both been at the same gas station. Neither of them spoke to the other. Just looked. She wanted to go over and talk to him but knew it was best not to. Until she sorted things out for herself, she couldn’t try and work things out with him. He’d said a lot of things that made her think. And she needed to figure out if she could settle for the life he had to offer her.
    Francesca hadn’t seen him again. This could be the break she needed. But was it what she wanted?
    “Francesca, you there?” Adam waved his hand in front of her.
    “Sorry. My mind is elsewhere.”
    “Shit, you want to talk, don’t you?” He rubbed his forehead.
    She laughed. “No, Adam. This is something I have to do on my own.”
    “Look, sis, you’re perfect the way you are. You don’t take shit from anyone. Don’t sacrifice who you are for anyone.”
    “Even if I think I might love him?” She brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
    “If he loves you back, then you wouldn’t have to sacrifice.”
    “Love sucks.”
    “So, you do love him?” He raised an eyebrow.
    “I never stopped. But you’re right. I suppose it’s time for me to stop thinking about how I need to change and who I have to be and find out if he can accept me for who I am.”
    Adam sat back in his seat and took a sip of his coffee. “It’s going to take a special man to put up with you. And I will say that I think he is the one who can do it. Heck, he’s still around, that should tell you something.”
    Francesca sighed. “Maybe. I just need him to see me for me and not who he thinks I am. If money is such an issue now, won’t it always be? How do I get him to understand I don’t care?”
    “If he can’t see it, then it’s his loss. Want me to play bad cop and pull him over and give him a talking to?”
    Francesca burst out laughing. “God, no! Talk about embarrassing. I don’t think I could ever look at him again, and I’d have to leave town.”
    “What’s so funny over here?” Amy asked as she took a seat next to Adam.
    “Your future husband. He wants to pull Randall over and give him a talking to.”
    Amy poked Adam. “You better not.”
    “I wasn’t really. It was an offer,” Adam said.
    “I feel bad for our kids.”
    Adam pulled Amy