After the night she’d had, Serenity got up Saturday morning needing to put some distance between her and Firefly Lake and headed to Vacaville Outlets for some retail therapy. She stopped first at a café for breakfast and enjoyed an omelet filled with spinach, mushrooms, bell peppers, bacon, and cheese, along with some fruit, while reading the book she’d brought along.

Fortified for her shopping spree, she drove over to the mall and found a reasonably close parking spot. As she turned off the engine, her cell rang. Gabriel. Her hand hovered over the accept call button for a few seconds before deciding to let it go to voicemail. She’d thought about the way he’d pretty much frozen when she’d proposed them continuing to see each other and wondered for the millionth time if it would have been better for her to refuse that first date and keep her friends-only stance.

Dropping the phone in her purse, Serenity decided to put all thoughts of Gabriel aside and focus on her me time. Two hours later and smiling, she headed to her car loaded down with all her purchases.

Serenity felt much better by the time she returned, but hoped Gabriel wasn’t home. Her heart rate kicked up when she saw his car, and she didn’t relax until she was safely inside. Then she remembered their movie night date. She fished her phone out of her purse and listened to his message telling her that his friends had flown in unexpectedly and were taking him to San Francisco for the weekend and that he’d probably be flying to Atlanta afterward. She waited for him to continue. To say something, anything about them, but he didn’t. He just ended it with a lame “I’ll call you.” The part of her that loved him and wanted to spend time with him was disappointed that he seemed to be running. The part that had warned her not to get close said, I told you so.

She did her laundry and tried to go back to her book but gave up after reading the same page three times. Needing to find her Zen zone, she decided to invite her friends over for an impromptu dinner. Serenity sent a text to all three women: Hey, sisters. How about dinner tonight around six thirty? The time frame would give her two hours to plan an easy menu, shop for what she needed, and cook. Before she could put the phone down, it buzzed twice.

Dana: Girl, you know I’m there. I’ll bring margaritas!

Natasha: Count me in. Since Dana beat me to the drinks, let me know what you need me to bring.

Serenity smiled and typed back: Margaritas are perfect, and don’t worry about bringing anything, Tasha.