Love Survives (Love's Suicide #2)(53)

I clung to my truck door to keep from falling to my knees in the middle of the street. This wasn’t possible. I know I hadn’t talked to her in months, but I’d sent word that I was coming home to be with her. How could she get involved with someone so quickly?

Before I could make sense of it, I caught the man looking my way. To avoid her from seeing me distraught, I climbed back in the truck and drove away. It wasn’t until I was about five miles from her place that I pulled over and lost it.

How could she do this me? Did Kat not care that I’d come across an ocean to be with her?

That night I laid in my bed wondering what was going on. I kept trying to rationalize with who the guy was, and what he was doing there. With no sleep at all, I visited the house again the next morning.

Around the same time as before, I saw the man leaving for work. This time a little girl was waving. Then it hit me. The man had a child. Maybe Kat was the babysitter, and they’d been seeing each other. Maybe he was just someone like Spence was to me; a friend with a little on the side. I didn’t expect her to be a saint.

Even though I assumed it was just that, it took me a couple days to calm down. I didn’t want to appear at her door looking jealous. She obviously didn’t know I was in town, and I had to respect that if I’d just called her beforehand maybe things would have been different.

The next week I decided to try again, but this time with a different approach. I waited until my shift was over and then journeyed to her address. Much like a stalker, I sat in my truck waiting to catch a glimpse of her. It took a while, but I saw her and the little girl walking outside to hang some clothes. As I prepared to step out and greet her, I paid attention to the items she was hanging on the line. It was obvious that, not only the man lived there, but also the little girl.

This got me so hot that I had to leave. I beat on the steering wheel, wondering if in the time I’d not communicated with her she’d met someone and invited them to take my place. I felt as if maybe she never loved me to the extent that I cared for her. If she had, then nothing would have prevented her from waiting for me.

This time I stayed away for a month.

For those four weeks, I tried to stay occupied. My new training position kept me busy during the day, and as new recruits continued to come in, I kept my schedule full. It was the nights that tore me apart.

Finally, one evening, my superior invited me to have dinner with his family. While we sat there exchanging war stories like old buddies, his wife asked a question about my love life. “Since you’re back have you thought about finding someone to settle down with?”

I smiled and wiped my face with a napkin before responding. “As a matter of fact, I did. Unfortunately, I arrived too late. It seems that the woman I wanted to marry is shacked up with someone else.”

“Oh no. How did you find out?” She asked curiously.

“I drove to her a couple times. I saw him coming outside, they were together.”

“Have you spoke to her?”

“No. I thought about writing her a letter, but I can’t bring myself to do it. She’s moved on.”

“Were you involved before you left?”

I nodded. “I’ve loved her since we were kids. That’s why it’s so hard. I asked to be transferred here so we could be together.”

“Then I say you shouldn’t give up. Call her. Stop by again.”

“Forgive my wife, Valentine. She’s a bit of a romantic. All those novels put crazy ideas in her head.”

“It’s okay,” I laughed. “She’s right. I should have tried harder.”

“It’s never too late,” she said as she stood to clear the table. “It doesn’t hurt to keep trying.”

She was right. Had I come this far to give up so easily? Had I risked my life, been through, and lost myself, only to come home and not fight for what was mine?

I needed a new approach because avoiding her now was becoming impossible. She was going to give me answers even if they weren’t the ones I wanted to hear.





Chapter 26


That next evening I drove over to Kat’s house again. She wasn’t home, but ended up pulling in while I was sitting there. I watched her climb out of the vehicle and fetch the child from the back. She kissed her a few times before letting her walk alongside of her. That’s when it really sunk in. This little girl was her child. Kat had gone away and had a kid. She was a freaking mother, which meant there was obviously a father.

While I sat there trying to do the math with how soon she got pregnant after she’d left, the male pulled into the driveway. As soon as he got out the child ran toward him and threw her arms up. He lifted her, kissing her whole face. This was the dad. It was all very clear.

I couldn’t have been sure, but I swear Kat noticed my truck sitting on the road. I quickly pulled away before she said something to whoever the guy was.



That night, after I knew everyone was probably asleep, I left the barracks and headed back to Kat’s address. I climbed out of my truck and looked in the mailbox, hoping to find the guy’s name. When it was empty I looked back at the house and saw the curtain folding.

As fast as I could move, I got back on the road, hoping they didn’t call the authorities.

Since I had no luck, a few days later I went back during the day when I figured nobody would be home. I’d climbed out of my truck and opened the mailbox, hoping to get a name to put to the guy’s face. Once I had it I planned on writing her a letter, hoping she could at least explain why she’d given up on me.