Lovers at Heart (The Bradens, Book One: Love in Bloom Series)

Chapter Thirty-One, Lovers at Heart

Chapter Thirty-One

BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON Max was finally rested and feeling more like herself—with a broken heart. She hadn’t located her phone anywhere, and she’d called the airlines and finally the car rental company. They found her phone in the glove compartment of the car she’d rented and were sending it to her Priority Mail. She’d have it by Monday afternoon.

She flipped on her computer to check her work e-mails and saw a message that had come through Facebook. Max loathed Facebook; the idea of posting updates about what she did all day seemed an enormous waste of time, right up there with tweeting and getting manicures. Well, maybe a manicure now and then would be nice. She clicked over to Facebook, deleted the spam message announcing a great new diet plan, but before clicking off, she typed in Ryan Cobain, Texas A&M. Within seconds, her ex-boyfriend’s photo was in front of her. She hadn’t set eyes on him in years. She leaned in closer and clicked on his name. His Facebook profile page flashed on the screen. There he was, smiling at the camera. His long brown hair was cut short, and his face had thinned. If she didn’t know him, she’d think he was a handsome, happy man. But she did know him. She looked into his green eyes and saw the same fiery mess of a man she’d seen the day she left. Slay those demons, played in her mind.

Her fingers shook as she clicked on the message icon. No way would he respond, but she had to try to slay the demon that was strangling her a little more every day that she was without Treat.

She typed in the chat box, Hey. How are you? Thought I’d see what you’ve been up to. Max. She hit return and then stared at the screen like it might come alive. Her body was poised to flee, or pounce; she didn’t know which. She waited a minute. Two.

“That was stupid,” she said to the empty room and went to the kitchen. A few minutes later her computer chimed.

Max froze.

She took two steps toward the computer, then stopped. I don’t want to do this. Yes, I do. She took another step, then stopped again. No. No, I don’t.

Another chime rang out.

Shit. She clenched her jaw and went to the computer. “It’s not like he can see me.”

She clicked on the chat box, and sure enough, there was a message from Ryan.

Hey, Max. How are you?

Her fingers hovered over the keys. She bit her lower lip and typed, Fine.

A second later his message came through. Glad to hear it.

What do I want to say? She shook her hands in the air as she thought, then hunkered down over the keyboard and typed, Where are you living?

The computer chimed. Cheyenne, Wyoming. You?

He was an hour and a half away. Max’s hands stopped cold. What was she doing? She didn’t want him to know where she lived, but somewhere in the back of her mind, she was already forming a plan.

She typed, I’m in your area tomorrow for work. I’d like to come by and talk for a bit.

He answered thirty seconds later. Working all day.

Where?

He answered, Cheyenne Crowne Inn. Off Central Ave.

Can I stop by?

He answered. I never thought you’d speak to me again. Yes, I’d like that. I have things to tell you.

Okay. 1:00?

He agreed, and Max closed her computer, her work e-mail long forgotten. She paced her apartment, thinking about the next day. Her heart raced and her mind ran in circles. She thought about asking Kaylie to go with her, but she knew Kaylie would just talk her out of it. She had to do this. She told Treat she had to slay her demons, and she’d be damned if she wasn’t going to do it. She was Max Armstrong. She’d left Ryan once, and she’d carried the nightmare of him with her like a silent predator. After tomorrow, she hoped to never feel like his prey again.