Page 20 of Revived My Heart

Patty was a great woman, who had an amazing head on her shoulders, so the only thing I could think about that would be good for both of us was for me to pull away.

She deserved someone who could treat her right and give her the things I couldn’t, like a relationship.

Was it something I wanted?

Of course not, because I didn't want to share that amazing woman, but I had to let her go, had to let her find someone that would be a better catch than me. The other problem, I would never find another Patty, another woman that matched my sexual drive or who could be as different and sassy as I was.

I’d be stuck dealing with the bimbos, and they didn’t hold any damn appeal after someone like her.

“Fucked this one up, Mason,” I muttered to myself.

Days later, Dixon left and I saw him one more time at the diner before he did. His look told me everything I needed to know; back away while I could or else.

Yeah, well, buddy, you didn’t need to worry.

I already was because I knew better.

“So,” Patty said, walking up behind me, her hand resting on the counter, “he’s gone and I’m free.”

“I’m glad you got time with him,” I told her, and I honestly was. She wasn’t going to like what I was doing, but it was an ‘oh well’ type deal too.

“He's a good kid, and I missed him.”

“Yup.”

“But since he’s gone, I figured I could come over…,” she said, giving me a smirk and holy hell did I want to take her up on that.

I really did.

But again, I needed to do this. Needed to end it. To back off. For both of our sakes.

“Can’t. Need to fix a water line,” I told her, not looking up from my job. I knew if I did, I'd see her crushed look, and I would have to recant my lie.

“Oh, I didn't know something happened. Mason, you don’t have to be here, you can go home to fix that.”

“Thanks, but I hold true to a promise, and I said I would help, so I’ll be here. I’ll just work on the line later.”

I finally looked up, seeing her eyes narrowed slightly and her arms crossed.

“Right, makes sense. I thank you again for everything you’ve done for me. I can get going on some other stuff then I’m closing early, so if that’s all you need to finish up, you can go home too.”

I got the hint, she was dismissing me today, and while I should be happy, she was picking it up, I wasn’t.

Why couldn’t my heart let me move on and be with someone like her?

Why did it have to stay in the past?

Or was I just using that as an excuse?

~ Patty ~

I wasn’t dumb. I knew something was going on. In all the time I’ve known this man, he has never turned me down. And if he had a bad line that needed work, he would have gone to fix that. Because he had something similar happen a few weeks back.

So, did I think he was lying, yup.

My only thing was why.

However, I was a mother, so I was always really good at digging for truth and often getting it. I just hope that when I didfigure it out, it wasn't him being such a dick that things couldn’t be fixed.