Connor’s chains rattle against the edge of the table. “Hurt,” he says. “Not angry. Disappointed. I wanted to be a father. Kristen and I had been trying for a long time.”

“But you cheated on her.”

“You know that I did,” he says. “I’ve never said differently. I fell in love. I fought it.”

“You deceived your wife, Connor. Kristen’s smart. She fell for whatever it was you told her to cover your affair with Sophie.”

“Yes, I lied to her. Everybody lies for one reason or another.”

His voice is shaky now. I watch him struggle to stay composed.

“Everybody lies,” I repeat to fill the gap in the air while Connor Moss pulls himself together.

“I lied to Kristen. Sophie lied to Adam. Adam lied to Sophie. You’ve probably lied about something too.”

CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE

CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE

CONNOR

I almost never work the lunch rush, but that’s what I was doing that fall day when Sophie Warner and some others from her office came to the Blue Door. It was raining, and the entire party of four was soaked to the skin. Sophie just laughed it off and said it was the cost of living in Seattle.

“The rainy season,” she said.

I took her coat.

“Which is every season,” I said.

She gave me a warm smile, and some serious electricity passed between us. I felt it. I didn’t know if she did or didn’t. Hasn’t everyone experienced that moment when there’s a charge in the air between you and another person?

I hope so.

And really that was it. I thought Sophie was beautiful, of course. When I served her group, she was friendly and funny in the way that makes everyone feel more comfortable—servers included. That’s a rarity in Seattle. When she paid, she used a Starbucks corporate card. She thanked me for taking care of her coat and left.

The busboy found me in the kitchen a short time later.

“That four top by the window left this,” he said, holding out a packet of what appeared to be work material. The familiar Starbucks mermaid logo greeted me when I opened the dark green folder.

“Looks important,” I said. “I’ll make a call.”

Her direct line was on her business card in the folder. Sophie was relieved beyond words when I told her what I’d found.

“I must have put it under the seat next to mine,” she told me. “It’s a month’s worth of work. Crap! Completely forgot about it.”

I told her not to worry. It was safe in my hands. “Want me to bring it to you? I’m off in an hour.”

She thanked me, but insisted that she’d send a messenger to retrieve it.

“Seriously,” I said. “It’s on my way home.”

I could feel her relax over the phone.

“Are you sure?”