Page 49 of Broken Dream

Because she’s the hottest thing walking.

Because all I can think about is getting her into bed.

Which would get me fired, of course.

“Because you’re my neighbor,” I say, hating the lie. “I can drink myself into oblivion here and not have to drive home.”

God, what a crock. I can drink myself into oblivion anywhere and call an Uber or cab.

Besides the fact that I don’t even drink much. Even all those years, going through the loss and the pain, it never occurred to me to take a drink.

“Oh.” Her voice holds a trace of sadness.

She thinks I came over here for…

What did I come for?

And the answer is a simple one.

Yes, I wanted to celebrate with someone. Even though it could all be for nothing.

But the big reason is simple.

I wanted to see her.

I want to talk to her. Maybe get to know her. Maybe…

God.

She’s so different from Lindsay. Dark where Lindsay was blond, quiet where Lindsay was boisterous.

But brilliant, already I can tell. And Lindsay was also brilliant.

She took the MCATs with me for kicks. And she only scored one point below me. She hadn’t even taken all the pre-med courses.

But teaching was her calling, and her students loved her. God, those years I was in med school and then my residency were tough on our marriage. But we got through it.

Only to lose everything.

I take another sip of wine.

I don’t know anything about wine, but it tastes good.

“It’s good,” Angie says. “Very fruit forward. Of course that’s common for table wine.”

I raise my eyebrows.

She smiles shyly. “My mom again. She knows a lot about wine, but it’s her brother, my uncle Ryan, who knows the most. He’s really gifted. A true artist. And my cousin Dale, who now runs Steel Vineyards, is nearly as good. I’d say it ran in the family, except that Dale was adopted.” Her cheeks are rosy. “I’m sorry,” she says. “I’m babbling. You probably know all about my family.”

“No,” I say honestly. “I mean, I know of them. But it’s not like I keep up on all the gossip or anything.”

“Just as well.” She bites her lip. “I suppose you don’t hear about us much here. On the Western Slope, there’s always something going on that people are whispering about.”

“I’m sorry you have to go through that.”

She shrugs. “I’m used to it. Besides, I’m very grateful. Look at the way I get to live. My family is worth a fortune, and I’m a beneficiary of some of it. So how can I be anything but grateful?”

Wow.