Him by Carey Heywood (reading strategies book .txt) 📕

how much Jared reminds me of Brian. He just has this easy-going way about him. Ever since he offered to introduce me to guys, I've felt more comfortable around him. Not that I want to meet guys, but he wouldn’t have made that offer if he was interested in me. It'd be nice to have a guy friend again, and I can see him being that for me. We have our coffee and eat breakfast. Neither of us are shocked that Sawyer and Caleb don’t make it out of Caleb's room until two hours later. We're watching a reality TV marathon on MTV.

"Those cats are mental," Caleb says, looking at the TV.

"But entertaining." I grin.

"Fair enough," he says, sitting down.

Jared gets up to get a drink. "Anyone want to go tubing tonight?"

"Like sledding?" I ask.

"Exactly. They’ve got a night run like thirty minutes from here."

"I'm game," Sawyer says from the kitchen.

"Still want to go boarding tomorrow too, right?"

I nod while Sawyer says. "Hell yeah."

Caleb sits on the couch, looking at his cast. Sawyer sees his pout and sits in his lap.

"Can you go tubing?" she asks.

He nods and laughs as she shimmies in his lap and says, "SWEET!"

After we all eat lunch, I borrow Jared's laptop to email documents to the couple from the first day. They run a wellness center, focusing on helping people find balance. They offer mainly yoga-based fitness classes, diet counseling, and meditation clinics. They have a staff of ten part-time and full-time employees and are setting up individual 401Ks for each. I use a draft file in my email to save all the documents I use on a regular basis. I email them everything they need to set up their accounts. They’re going to use a managed service with a wire house to manage the investment options for the relationship. Each employee will have the ultimate decision in what funds they select for their individual account.

I send the email with times that I’ll be available to come in the day before our flight leaves. One unique service I provide is being there in person for all of the paperwork. These plans can be complex and overwhelming. It’s my job to make that process as smooth and stress free as possible. If they’re able to meet with me before I leave, I won’t have to deal with booking another flight out. Any savings I can manage just increase my profit. I’m supporting myself, which I’m really proud of considering I’m my own boss, but I’m not raking in excess cash either.

Caleb and Jared leave to go pick up a new board Jared had ordered from a local board shop. Sawyer and I stay back. I feel like I’ve barely had a chance to talk to her alone the whole time we’ve been in Colorado.

"So things seem to be going well with Caleb."

Sawyer blushes. She never blushes. "Things are amazing with Caleb."

"That's great," I say, giving her a hug.

"I know. I actually wanted to run something by you." She hesitates.

"Okay?" I push her knee.

"I'm thinking about moving out here, and I want you to come with me."

My mouth drops open.

"I know it sounds crazy, Sarah, but think about it. What is keeping us in Trenton? Your uncle moved to Florida last year, and you had two really good meetings here."

"I don’t know," I stammer.

She stands and starts pacing back and forth in front of me, counting off on her fingers all of the reasons she thinks we should move out here.

I laugh when wanting to see what Caleb can do with both hands makes the list and argue. "That reason has zero impact for me."

"True, but I know for a fact Jared likes you so that can be your romance reason."

I groan. "Sawyer, Jared is hot. I get that. And he seems like a really nice guy, but I don’t like him that way."

Her brows push together. "Is it because of Will?"

I let my head fall back onto the sofa and look up at the ceiling. I hate how shaky my voice sounds when I say, "He’s just a tough act to follow, I guess."

She comes to sit next to me and shakes my knee. I turn my head to look at her, my eyes wet.

"Maybe if you live someplace new, someplace you didn’t run away to, you will get over him."

She does have a point there. It’s been over four years since I had moved to New Jersey, but even now if I drive past the train station or Jake's old apartment, I think back to the day I ran away. Sawyer’s right. Now that my uncle lives in Florida, there’s nothing keeping me in Trenton.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. "Let's do it."

She grabs both of my shoulders and gets right in my face, almost nose to nose. "Really?"

I nod.

She pulls me forward into a bear hug as she jumps up and down on the sofa. I laugh and push her off of me. She gets up and happy dances in front of the coffee table. I'm shaking my head, watching her when Caleb and Jared walk back in. Jared looks at me, and I shrug. I can't explain the crazy that is Sawyer. She sees Caleb behind him, grabs his hand, and she pulls him into his room, shutting the door behind them.

"What was that all about?" Jared asks, carrying his new board into his room.

I get up and follow him. "I think we're moving to Colorado."

His back is to me as he leans his new board in the corner of his room. He pauses before turning to face me. He's grinning, and I yelp when he pulls me into a hug. Maybe if I live here and get to know him better, I can like Jared as more than a friend. For now, I still need time. My body tenses in his arms. I cringe when he notices and drops his arms.

He takes a step back from me and scratches