Without thinking too much, she sent a friend request. Whether Arlo accepted or not didnât matter.
The nurse was rightâif she didnât take the first step, there would never be a story to tell.
At the airport, Shawn was startled when he received a friend request from Katherine. It took him a moment to process what he was seeing.
After all this time, she still hadnât let go of Frankie? Why reach out now when she was about to get engaged to Bobby?
Without hesitation, he accepted the request and sent a simple question mark.
But Katherine didnât reply for a long time. Determined not to miss her answer, Shawn set an alarm for when he landed, just to be sure.
Meanwhile, Katherine, having indulged in a bit too much wine, had dozed off on the couch. She woke up the next morning to the sound of her phone ringing, the haze of sleep and alcohol still clinging to her.
âHello?â Her voice was hoarse, a clear sign she had just woken up.
âItâs me, Shawn.â
Katherine glanced at the caller ID. âHi!â
galnovels . com is your storytelling hub âAre you free this weekend?â
âFor what?â
âCome with me to an event.â
âWhy me?â
âStop asking so many questions.â
Running her fingers through her tangled hair, Katherine relented. âAlright, what kind of event?â
âAn outdoor adventure survival course.â
Katherine had heard of such experiencesâpart of the recent boom in domestic tourism. The image of her and Shawn, stranded in some remote wilderness, flashed in her mind. It was the kind of situation that seemed ripe for unintended sparks. People had a way of giving in to temptation when loneliness and opportunity crossed paths.
âGot it,â she agreed.
âOh, and bring Bobby along.â
Katherine blinked, taken aback. âHuh?â
Why bring Bobby? Wasnât Shawn inviting her for a date?
âThe boss said the more, the merrier.â
Katherine couldnât think of a good reason to argue. âOh, got it.â
After the call, she reached out to Bobby.
Bobby, always cautious about things like this, voiced his concerns immediately. âItâs one thing for Shawn to invite you, but why me?â
Katherine could only shrug. âHow should I know?â
Bobby paused, thinking it over. âDo you think itâs one of those situations where a love turned sour, and now he wants to kill me off in the mountains?â
âHonestly, itâs not entirely impossible.â
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