Starting Now (Blossom Street #9)(59)

They’d found an excuse to be together almost every day. Well, no longer. “Yeah.”

“You’re sorry?”

“Oh, Robin, how could I have been so foolish? I feel dreadful.”

“Then tell him that. Eat crow if you have to, but do it—otherwise you might regret it for the rest of your life.”

“I’ll think about it,” Libby promised, and she would. Eventually she would run into Phillip. Either he was doing a masterful job of avoiding her or the fates were conspiring against them. She supposed she could pick up the phone, too, but she held back. Fear had made her break it off with him in the first place, a fear that she couldn’t embrace new things and be a success. And also fear of being hurt again when so much of her life was up in the air.

Robin went silent and kept her head lowered as she drew circles with her straw in the thick drink.

Libby sipped her smoothie. She’d noticed lately that people tended to ask the very questions they wanted others to ask them. It made her wonder what exactly was going on between Robin and Roy. Robin only rarely mentioned the judge, and it seemed like she was afraid of what Libby might say if she did.

“What about you and … what’s his name again?” Libby asked, playing dumb. “Roy, isn’t it?”

Robin’s head shot up.

Bull’s-eye.

“What makes you ask?”

Libby played it nonchalant and shrugged. “No reason.”

Robin stirred the smoothie with increased energy. “I see him nearly every day.”

“Fabulous.”

“Yeah, it’s fabulous all right,” Robin muttered sarcastically, and set her drink on the counter before she slid off the stool. “Listen, I need to run. See you.” She scooted off the stool.

“Will I see you Friday?” Libby asked.

Robin nodded.

Libby didn’t know what had happened between Robin and her judge, but apparently something must have for her friend to react that way.

Phillip wasn’t at the gym the rest of the week. Friday morning, after working out with Robin, Libby showered and changed clothes, and headed to the hospital to rock babies. While she exchanged chitchat with Sharon, she kept an eye out for Phillip, hoping she’d see him. Gathering her resolve, she planned to talk to him, tell him she’d made a mistake, and ask for a second chance.

He didn’t stop by.

Until today she’d always felt better after spending time with the newborns, but her nerves were on edge and the babies quickly picked up on her tension.

“Have you seen Dr. Stone this morning?” Libby gathered her courage and asked Sharon when she couldn’t stand it any longer.

Sharon shook her head. “Dr. Stone hasn’t stopped by all week, and frankly, that surprises me.”

It didn’t surprise Libby.

“He generally finds an excuse to visit the nursery on the days you’re here.”

At one time that had been true, but Libby suspected that it wouldn’t be any longer.

After leaving the hospital, Libby returned to her condo. She didn’t bother with lunch. She sat with her knitting for a short time as she sorted through her feelings. After a while she decided she was too numb and upset to feel much of anything other than sadness over the loss of a promising relationship—a relationship she’d single-handedly ruined.

Phillip Stone wasn’t the only person on her mind. Libby decided to try contacting Sarah one last time. She used the number for the direct line, only it wasn’t Sarah who answered.

“Hello, this is Libby Morgan,” she said. “Is Sarah available?”

“I’m sorry; Sarah is out for the day.”

“All right, thank you.” Libby hung up the phone. She had Sarah’s cell number, but she’d need to dig out her address book to locate it.

After taking a couple of moments to compose her thoughts Libby punched out the number for Sarah’s cell. It rang four times and then went to voice mail.

“Hello, Sarah,” she said, doing her best to sound upbeat and enthused. “I haven’t heard back from you. If I don’t get word by Monday morning I can only assume that you aren’t interested in the job offer, which is completely fine.”

She disconnected and then sat down. It felt as if she were struggling to swim upstream during a winter thaw.

Sarah was a huge disappointment, but Libby would do fine without the paralegal. Her life was moving along just fine—actually, more than fine.

She had friends.

She had prospects.

She had a bright future and Libby was determined to make the most of it.

She looked down at her knitting once more and reached for it.

Little did Sarah Matto realize that she had just walked away from the opportunity of a lifetime.

It’d taken courage to call Sarah. Now all she had to do was find the nerve to reach out to Phillip.

Chapter 23

Libby’s doorbell chimed and she leaped off the sofa and hurried to open her front door. Robin stood on the other side, looking as sad and depressed as Libby herself felt. Friday night and the rest of the world was out partying and laughing while the two of them were alone. No men. No dates. No fun.

Robin was dressed in an old college sweatshirt and jeans. Head hanging low and shoulders slouched forward, she looked like she’d lost her best friend. She had a sack in her hand.