“Don’t have to think,” he returned instantly and also quietly, only for me. “If you give me that shot, I don’t know what’s gonna happen. If this goes somewhere, we both gotta know that won’t always be smooth. That happens, that’ll be ours. But what I handed you last night that you didn’t do shit to deserve, swear to Christ, Amy, I won’t need any second chances.”

Swear to Christ, Amy, I won’t need any second chances.

That’ll be ours.

Ours.

That sounded amazing.

“Yeah?” he called when I drifted away.

I focused on him. “Okay, Mickey.”

“Hope you make the right choice, baby,” he whispered right before he walked away.

I hoped I did to.

“Do you need to come in for a shot of bourbon?” Mr. Dennison called.

My body jolted and I looked to the windows.

“No, Mr. Dennison, thanks!” I called back.

“Is it only me who sees Nazis conspiring in the parking lot?” Mrs. McMurphy asked tetchily.

I loved that woman.

No matter what I was feeling, like right then I was feeling a lot, and even if she had no intention of doing it…

She always had me smiling.

* * * * *

“Oh my God, I want your life,” Robin declared.

It was early that evening, we were on the phone, and I’d told her everything.

“Not sure it’s as fun living it,” I mumbled.

“I haven’t had sex since my personal trainer moved to Vegas,” she retorted.

“Eek.”

Yes, I made that noise out loud.

“You understand me,” she mumbled.

I did.

Then again, I hadn’t had sex since the night before Conrad told me he was leaving me, and I’d obviously not had sex with anyone other than Conrad for two decades.

Something else to fret about for I had a feeling Mickey hadn’t abstained since he kicked his wife out.

Maybe sex was like riding a bike.

God, I hoped so.

I curled my legs deeper under me in my sectional and asked, “So what should I do?”

“Honestly?” she asked back.

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” I told her.

“Okay, then honestly, if we never again took a chance on love, then our ex-asses would win. They’d beat us. Completely.”

I drew breath sharply into my nose.

I’d recently realized I’d been beaten, and often, and not only allowed that to happen but had given away my power in order for it to happen.

And I’d also recently made the determination that had to stop.