Jae

Having a job that puts food on the table is important, but what good does it do if it feeds your stomach without nourishing your soul?

“Let me quote what a wise woman once said to me when I got cold feet before my first date with Matt: Eliza is probably aware of everything that could go wrong, yet she cares enough to take the risk. That has to count for something.”

The crispy bread, the fried egg, and the melted cheese formed a perfect combination with the avocado and tomato, and the spicy aioli added an extra kick.

Since when are you so eager to get to Home Depot?”

For the rest of the evening, Dee threw herself into work. Her job had always been her sanctuary, the one thing that really mattered in her life, but now she found thoughts of Austen intruding time and again. Everything suddenly reminded her of Austen, even the numbers on her screen.

Zero chance of Austen ever talking to her again.

One hell of a kiss they’d shared.

Two fortune cookies they’d had for dessert.

Getting just three hours of sleep the night Austen had stayed over, lying awake, trying to figure out how to tell her who she was.

Four hours of waiting in the ER until someone had finally looked at the cut on her forehead.

The five points of the star that had crashed down on her.

Six years had gone by since she’d last been so interested in someone.

It would take more than the Seven Wonders of the World for Austen to forgive her and become her friend, let alone more.

For the rest of the evening, Dee threw herself into work. Her job had always been her sanctuary, the one thing that really mattered in her life, but now she found thoughts of Austen intruding time and again. Everything suddenly reminded her of Austen, even the numbers on her screen.

Zero chance of Austen ever talking to her again.

One hell of a kiss they’d shared.

Two fortune cookies they’d had for dessert.

Getting just three hours of sleep the night Austen had stayed over, lying awake, trying to figure out how to tell her who she was.

Four hours of waiting in the ER until someone had finally looked at the cut on her forehead.

The five points of the star that had crashed down on her.

Six years had gone by since she’d last been so interested in someone.

It would take more than the Seven Wonders of the World for Austen to forgive her and become her friend, let alone more.

Eight stitches in her forehead that would forever make her remember their first meeting.

She found Dee next to Toby’s cage, her head bent so she could be on eye level with the cockatoo while she talked to him. She wasn’t wearing a stitch of clothing, and Austen paused in the doorway to take in every inch of the body she’d worshiped just half an hour ago.

“Are you just going to stand there and ogle me?” Dee asked without turning around. Her confident posture revealed that she didn’t mind, though.

Austen chuckled. “No. I wanted to see what was keeping you from coming back to bed.” She walked over, pressed her body against Dee’s, and wrapped her arms around her from behind, cuddling against her naked back. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to teach him some new words.” Dee slid her hands along Austen’s bare arms, making her shiver.

“Mmm. Which ones?”

“Sexy.” Dee’s fingertips trailed over the sensitive spot in the bend of her elbow. “Gorgeous.” The touches wandered up her arm. “Hot. Anything more appropriate than loser to describe Toby’s owner. Isn’t that right, boy?” She reached through the bars of the cage to scratch behind Toby’s crest.

“Careful! He—”

Too late. Toby sank his beak into Dee’s finger.

“Ouch.” Dee pulled her hand back and stared at her bleeding finger. “Dammit.”

“Loser,” Toby screeched.

“Oh God. I’m so sorry.” Austen cradled the injured hand and tried to see how bad it was. “I should have told you how jealous he is. He doesn’t like to share my attention.”

“Can’t say I blame him.”

Austen dragged her over to the kitchen, held Dee’s finger under the tap, and then dried it with a clean towel. Thankfully, it didn’t seem too bad. The bleeding had almost stopped already.

“We seem to make a habit out of this—me ending up bleeding all over you.”

“Yeah, but at least this time I can kiss it better.” Austen pressed her lips to Dee’s palm, then to the inside of her wrist. She had found out earlier how sensitive that spot was for Dee. Goose bumps formed under her lips, and she lightly traced them with her tongue.

When Austen looked up, Dee’s eyes had gone dark. “My legs feel a little weak. Do you think it’s the blood loss, Doctor?”

“I’d need to do a more thorough examination before I can rule out other causes.”

“Maybe you should have the patient lie down for that.”

“Good idea.” Austen pulled her back into the bedroom, stripping off the shirt on the way.

Luke had climbed Independence Rock before. She knew

that it was covered with thousands of names from emigrants,

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trappers, and explorers, earning it the nickname “Great Desert Register.”

The water from ponds and creeks freezes in the winter.

The tapestry of marsh grasses and sedges acts as an insulating layer and keeps the ice frozen until summer

I don’t want to look back and have even more regrets about something I didn’t do, just because I was afraid to put myself out there