“I think the three boys before him got all the fear out of me.” She laughs, picking up a black clutch that is resting on the bed before turning to look at me. “You okay?”

“Totally, and I already told the boys we are having pizza for dinner, so I will be filling them with lots and lots of processed foods while you’re gone.”

“Fill them with whatever you like. You can make it up to me by staying late. I’m going to try to convince Jelikai to get us a hotel room in the city.”

“I’m thinking that as soon as he sees you in that dress, there won’t be much convincing needed,” I say, standing. “You guys should stay out. I don’t have a client until eleven tomorrow, so I can stay the night if you want.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she tells me, walking over and giving me a hug then leaning back. “Are you sure you’re okay? How was your appointment yesterday?”

“I swear I’m okay, and my appointment went great. I feel really good about my new plan.”

“Good.” She touches my cheek before dropping her hand away. “You know where the petty cash is. Use whatever you need, and I’ll call you as soon as I know what we’re doing.”

“Okay.” I give her a smile then follow her out of the room and down the hall to where the boys are hanging out. Standing in the doorway, I watch her give each of the boys a kiss goodbye, even the ones that fight her on it. Walking fully into the room, I take a seat on the couch then watch her leave with a wave and a wink in my direction.

After that, the rest of the night goes by in a flash. The boys and I order pizza, watch a movie, and then go to bed after Elizabeth calls to say she and Jelikai won’t be back until morning, which means I go to bed with a happy smile on my face for my friend.

Chapter 3

Kim

“WHAT THE HELL?” I glance around before looking back at the briefcase sitting on the passenger seat of my car. The large metal case wasn’t there when I went into work this morning, and I know I locked up my car, so I have no idea who it belongs to or how it got in my car.

Feeling my heart pound, I reach over and touch the smooth metal. It looks like something out of a spy movie, like the kind of briefcase someone would deliver money in. “No,” I breathe. “No fricking way.” With the way this last week has been going, I forgot all about telling Sage I would go out with him for a million dollars. Not that I have forgotten about Sage. He’s come into the salon everyday, either bringing me flowers or demanding I talk to him. The flowers I took to the nursing home in town, and I’ve been working hard at denying his demands. But this—this is something else.

Letting out a breath, I put the keys in the ignition and start up my car. I don’t want to open the case where people could see, because if it is a million dollars—which I have no idea how Sage could get—someone could see it and then… I don’t know… track me down and kill me for it or something.

Reversing out of my parking spot, I head to my house, and as soon as I get there, I head up the stairs with the briefcase held tightly in my grasp. Locking the door behind me, I place the case on the couch and get down on my knees in front of it. I inspect the latches, noticing a button on either side of the handle. Pressing down on them at the same time, the locks click open, sounding horrifically loud in my quiet apartment.

I bite my lip, slowly open the lid, and my heart starts to go wild inside my chest when I see what’s inside. Monopoly money, lots of it. Stacks and stacks of it. Some old, and some new and still wrapped in plastic. Picking up a piece of paper that is folded on top of it, I fall to my bottom, unfold it carefully, and then start to read.

Kim,

It’s all here, a million dollars that you can count if you want.

It took me a little longer than I thought it would to get all the money together, and some I will have to return to friends and family, since they let me borrow it.

I laugh at that then pull in a sharp breath when I read the next line.

In the twenty-four hours we spent together, you gave me a taste of something beautiful, and the memories of those moments have haunted me since I walked away from you. It’s something I have regretted doing since then, something I know I will always regret, because even if by some chance you forgive me, I will never be able to get back the time with you that I missed out on.

If you accept my apology, meet me at my place tonight at seven for dinner.

Xx Sage

Seeing the address to his house scrolled along the bottom, I close my eyes and fall to my back, holding the piece of paper to my chest. I don’t know if I’m brave enough to do this with him. I don’t know if I’m courageous enough to put myself out there with everything I have going on. Sage doesn’t know about my illness, and I don’t know what he will do when he finds out. Will he take off on me the same way Kelly did? Will it be too much for him to handle?

The what-ifs are enough to keep me from going to meet him, but it’s the idea of regretting something that has me opening my eyes to look at the clock on the stove. If I’m going to do this, I need to get up and get ready to leave now. The urge to call Chris to ask him what he thinks I should do filters through my mind, but I know what he’d say. He’d tell me that I’m an idiot for not already being in my car after seeing the money and reading the letter.

I can’t imagine badass Sage Mayson going around borrowing Monopoly money, but he did that, and he did it for me. “Screw it.” If I get hurt, if I end up brokenhearted, at least I can say I gave it a shot, that I took a chance. Since the moment I was diagnosed with kidney failure, I have worked on living a life without regrets, and I know I will regret not showing up to meet him if I don’t go.

Getting up off the floor, I start to close the briefcase then pause, take a five hundred dollar orange note off one of the stacks, and then pick up my purse, digging through until I find my wallet. Once I have it unzipped, I carefully place the note in the zipper compartment in the middle, and then drop it back in my bag. With that done, I close the briefcase and head for my bedroom, where I hurry up and get ready to leave.

Putting a light pink lip gloss on, I lean back away from the mirror, and then turn my head from side to side. I don’t want it to look like I’m trying too hard, so I leave my makeup light, only adding a few more swipes of mascara. My hair is still in the same style I wore to work, which is down with wavy curls that end at the tops of my breasts. Leaving the bathroom, I shut off the light and go to my room, where I change out of the slacks and heels I wore to the salon today, exchanging them for jeans and a pair of ballet flats. Then I take off my blazer and slip on a long, gray, cashmere cardigan over my simple black tank.

Looking at my refection in the mirror on the back of my bedroom door, I put a hand to my stomach that is filled with nervous butterflies since I made my decision to go meet Sage. Knowing I don’t have time to debate with myself about going, I head for the living room, grab my bag, my keys, and the briefcase, and then head downstairs to the garage to get in my car.

Driving down a long dirt road, through what can only be described as a forest, I look at the map displayed on my dashboard. The mapping system in my car told me that I arrived at my destination about three minutes ago, but I still haven’t seen a house, and I’m starting to freak myself out. It’s dark. I’m in the middle of nowhere, or I should say in the middle of the woods, and I’m pretty sure Bigfoot is going to walk out in front of my car at any moment.

Leaning forward to get closer to my windshield, I squint my eyes trying to see through the darkness that has engulfed me, when I notice something move off on the side of the road.

Please don’t be Bigfoot. Please don’t be Bigfoot, I pray inwardly, and then slam my foot on the brake when two deer run out of the woods and across the road. “Oh my God.” I hold my hand to my chest, feeling my heart beat hard against my palm. I pull in a breath then let it out slowly as I take my foot off the brake and start to drive forward, going much slower than I had been before.

It’s now seven, which means I’m late. My stomach tightens, and my palms start to sweat then my breath leaves on a whoosh as I come over a slight incline in the road, spotting a house, which is not a house at all, but a cottage. A white stucco cottage with bright blue, red, and yellow trim around the windows, and doors that make it look like it belongs in a fairy tale.