Next Time by Robin Alexander Read Free Book Online

another squirrel’s stash from last year.”
    Jana covered her mouth with both hands. “Oh, Payton.”
    “Yeah,” Payton said with a sigh and noticed that Melanie hadn’t waited around to give her a hug like she had the rest of the guests. “Call me this week if you’re not busy, we’ll go grab a pizza or something.”
    “Okay.” Jana wrapped Payton in her arms, and her body shook with silent laughter.

Chapter 4

    “Okay, wait, I have questions,” Olivia said. “What was it like seeing each other again?”
    “Painful,” Payton said as she stared into space. “That was a day of reckoning for me. She affected me the night we met, but she was in a relationship, and I respected that. I did my best to push her from my mind and go on, but that day…” Payton craned her head back and looked at the ceiling. “God, she looked so beautiful. I just wanted to be the one she left with, and it was so hard to see her go with Leigh. It made me ache, and after that day, I really lost the desire to get back into the dating world.”
    “Disconcerting is the word I’d use,” Ryann said as she ran her finger across Payton’s cheek. “I was dealing with so many different emotions while I was preparing to end my relationship with Leigh, but when we got Melanie’s invitation, I can’t deny, my heart skipped a beat. I knew Payton would be there. I wanted to see her, and at the same time, I didn’t because the interest I tried to ignore made me feel guilty.”
    Olivia made a note on her paper. “And Leigh didn’t know what you were contemplating at this time?”
    Ryann shook her head and looked away. “We barely saw each other, and we didn’t talk. She was maintaining the same work schedule, and that made it easy for me to be complacent. The only reason she took time off work for that party was because Melanie begged her. We were done, it just wasn’t official yet.” She drummed her fingers on the table. “I hate to admit that I was waiting for Leigh to come home and say it was over. I don’t know why it was so hard for me to take that step. It was just so sad to me to be the one to close the book on eight years. Some part of me was waiting for her to give me one shred to hold on to. Walking away was so scary.”
    *******
    ******
    ***
    Payton took a break from work and went outside to collect her mail. She could hear the scrape of doggie nails on the pavement as Trevor shot down the sidewalk toward her. She knelt with a smile and petted the excited Jack Russell terrier.
    “Dirt on the muzzle, you’ve been digging again. Are you helping your momma in the garden?”
    “What he’s been doing isn’t what I’d describe as help.” Grace Harrison stood on the other side of the picket fence dividing their property with her hands on her broad hips. A straw hat covered her white hair, and her pink T-shirt was splattered with dirt. She brushed at it as she glared at her dog. “I’d make a rug out of his hide if it’d cover more than six inches of floor.”
    “She doesn’t mean that, Trevor,” Payton whispered with a smile as she stood and wiped sweat already forming on her brow. “What’re you doing out here midday, Grace? It’s way too hot even for October.”
    “Janet had to make a business trip, Sophie’s staying with me. She’s got one of those videogame things, and the noise gets on my nerves. I have her restricted to two hours of play per day, and right now is that time. I haven’t seen you lately, where’ve you been?”
    “I’ve been working on a few projects.” Payton moved closer to the fence. “I’m totally stumped by a hypochondriac hippo.”
    Grace shook a finger at Payton. “Good, I’m glad that’s finally being addressed with children. Nowadays, we’re all too quick to run to pills to cure our ills.”
    “Good rhyme, can I use it?”
    Grace held her head high. “Absolutely. Back in the day, people were tougher, they just rode the sickness out.”
    “They died a lot younger,