would have been easy to walk away from her. But he’d opened his heart to her. He’d let her in.
She’d taken what she could get and turned her back on him. So it was fun. It didn’t mean a damn thing .
It had meant something to him.
He stepped forward and cleared his throat. “Mason, Regan—you’ve been great hosts and I’ve enjoyed my time here, but I think I better head out today.”
Mason exchanged a look with his wife. “Not you, too. Sarah’s bailing on us as we speak.”
“I can’t believe you two are going to spoil everything for everyone.” Regan crossed her arms over her chest.
“I really apologize. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
Regan shook her head. “For a couple of elite warriors, you’re the biggest cowards I’ve ever seen.” She flounced out of the room, leaving Mason to shrug at him.
“Sorry, man. She’s pretty upset. She wanted the holidays to be special.”
“I don’t blame her. I thought they were pretty special until today.”
“What happened between you and Sarah?”
“Crossed signals.” He didn’t trust himself to say more.
Mason opened his mouth to say something, but Regan strode back into the room, waving her phone. “I called a cab for you. It’ll be here in fifteen minutes and take you straight to the airport.”
Dan blinked. He hadn’t expected Regan to kick him out of the house quite so quickly. But why wouldn’t she? He was being a lousy guest.
“Regan,” Mason began, but Dan cut him off.
“It’s okay. Thank you, Regan. I’d better go and pack.”
Chapter Eleven
‡
“A re you angry at me?” Sarah asked when Regan came upstairs and informed her the cab would arrive soon to take her to the airport.
“I think you’re being an idiot.”
Sarah suppressed a smile, despite the awkwardness of the situation. “I probably am, but I can’t stay with Dan here. Not now. We—” She couldn’t tell Regan what they’d gotten up to last night, and she struggled to express her feelings. “I should have held back, but I didn’t. Now it’s just too uncomfortable.”
“I hope you aren’t making a huge mistake.”
“I’m not.” But she wasn’t at all sure about that. Maybe she was making a colossal mistake. After all, what other man had ever made her feel like Dan had? For a few short hours she’d felt closer to someone than she ever had in her adult life. She’d thought Dan understood her through and through.
She’d been wrong.
Now the future stretched before her empty of all meaning. She already knew the military couldn’t give her what she truly wanted; the chance to be a part of an elite group. The chance to lead. She’d have to find a new career where she could shine. She hadn’t the faintest idea what that might look like.
The honk of a horn had them both moving toward the door.
“I’ll miss you,” Regan said as they went downstairs. “I’ve really enjoyed spending time with you.”
A pang of regret pierced Sarah’s heart as the smell of a delicious breakfast wafted over her. She’d miss the boisterous meals here at the ranch. She was being an idiot, just like Regan had said. She was sabotaging a wonderful vacation with a friend to avoid the embarrassment of being near Dan. “We’ll have to get together again soon.”
She knew that wasn’t likely, though. She doubted she’d get another invitation to the Hall, and she had no home to welcome guests to.
She nearly collided with Dan in the front hall and frowned when she took in the duffel bag slung over his shoulder. He was obviously leaving too.
“That’s my cab,” he said. “I’m going to the airport.”
“That’s my cab,” she retorted. “I’m flying out on the next plane.”
They only hesitated a second before they both dashed for the front door.
“Oh, for God’s sake!” Sarah heard Regan exclaim behind them, but she was too engulfed by the need to win this final race to care. They both hit the doorway at the same time, struggled through
She’d taken what she could get and turned her back on him. So it was fun. It didn’t mean a damn thing .
It had meant something to him.
He stepped forward and cleared his throat. “Mason, Regan—you’ve been great hosts and I’ve enjoyed my time here, but I think I better head out today.”
Mason exchanged a look with his wife. “Not you, too. Sarah’s bailing on us as we speak.”
“I can’t believe you two are going to spoil everything for everyone.” Regan crossed her arms over her chest.
“I really apologize. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
Regan shook her head. “For a couple of elite warriors, you’re the biggest cowards I’ve ever seen.” She flounced out of the room, leaving Mason to shrug at him.
“Sorry, man. She’s pretty upset. She wanted the holidays to be special.”
“I don’t blame her. I thought they were pretty special until today.”
“What happened between you and Sarah?”
“Crossed signals.” He didn’t trust himself to say more.
Mason opened his mouth to say something, but Regan strode back into the room, waving her phone. “I called a cab for you. It’ll be here in fifteen minutes and take you straight to the airport.”
Dan blinked. He hadn’t expected Regan to kick him out of the house quite so quickly. But why wouldn’t she? He was being a lousy guest.
“Regan,” Mason began, but Dan cut him off.
“It’s okay. Thank you, Regan. I’d better go and pack.”
Chapter Eleven
‡
“A re you angry at me?” Sarah asked when Regan came upstairs and informed her the cab would arrive soon to take her to the airport.
“I think you’re being an idiot.”
Sarah suppressed a smile, despite the awkwardness of the situation. “I probably am, but I can’t stay with Dan here. Not now. We—” She couldn’t tell Regan what they’d gotten up to last night, and she struggled to express her feelings. “I should have held back, but I didn’t. Now it’s just too uncomfortable.”
“I hope you aren’t making a huge mistake.”
“I’m not.” But she wasn’t at all sure about that. Maybe she was making a colossal mistake. After all, what other man had ever made her feel like Dan had? For a few short hours she’d felt closer to someone than she ever had in her adult life. She’d thought Dan understood her through and through.
She’d been wrong.
Now the future stretched before her empty of all meaning. She already knew the military couldn’t give her what she truly wanted; the chance to be a part of an elite group. The chance to lead. She’d have to find a new career where she could shine. She hadn’t the faintest idea what that might look like.
The honk of a horn had them both moving toward the door.
“I’ll miss you,” Regan said as they went downstairs. “I’ve really enjoyed spending time with you.”
A pang of regret pierced Sarah’s heart as the smell of a delicious breakfast wafted over her. She’d miss the boisterous meals here at the ranch. She was being an idiot, just like Regan had said. She was sabotaging a wonderful vacation with a friend to avoid the embarrassment of being near Dan. “We’ll have to get together again soon.”
She knew that wasn’t likely, though. She doubted she’d get another invitation to the Hall, and she had no home to welcome guests to.
She nearly collided with Dan in the front hall and frowned when she took in the duffel bag slung over his shoulder. He was obviously leaving too.
“That’s my cab,” he said. “I’m going to the airport.”
“That’s my cab,” she retorted. “I’m flying out on the next plane.”
They only hesitated a second before they both dashed for the front door.
“Oh, for God’s sake!” Sarah heard Regan exclaim behind them, but she was too engulfed by the need to win this final race to care. They both hit the doorway at the same time, struggled through
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