Changing Lanes: A Novel (30 page)

Was I crazy? Maybe.

I pulled the fedora down over my hair and powered on my phone. I waited, hoping Mick had gotten the text I’d sent before I left Newark, hoping he cared.

He’d left my dad his cell phone number in case anything came up regarding his mother’s house. Dad, having always been a fan of Mick’s, had handed me the digits before he kissed me good-bye.

The phone illuminated in my hand, displaying the family portrait Mom had taken. Wallpaper only. No waiting messages.

My heart sank, but I knew I’d done the right thing by facing my fear and hopping on a plane.

I was through letting life pass me by, even if I got my heart broken in the process.

Then my phone vibrated in my hand.

New text message. Mick O’Malley.

I held my breath as I ran my fingertip across the screen to reveal the words beneath.

Nice hat, Halladay.

My face crumpled, and I didn’t care how hard I cried, or what anyone thought.

A man clipped me with a rolling bag as he rushed past, and I fought to keep my balance as I looked up.

I searched for Mick, scanning the faces in the crowd, my heart slamming against my ribs, my pulse roaring in my ears.

Maybe one day Mick and I would return to Paris. Maybe we’d spend the rest of our lives together in Seattle. Maybe we wouldn’t end up together at all.

But when I saw him, my every thought of making plans faded away.

Mick.

He handed his phone to an apparent stranger and pointed in my direction. Then he closed the space between us, pulled me into his arms, and kissed me.

The rest of the world went silent, and I wondered if it would be wrong to stay like this forever, kissing like two fools in the middle of the Sea-Tac International baggage claim.

Somewhere in the periphery of my awareness, his phone’s flash illuminated. Mick laughed, and his soft breath warmed my cheek.

“What took you so long?” he whispered.

I had no way of knowing what our future might bring, but there was one thing of which I was absolutely certain.

That moment—
our moment
—was absolutely perfect.

Dear Reader,

Thank you for picking up a copy of
Changing Lanes
. I appreciate you!

Are you a member of a book club or readers group? If so, please let me know if you’d like to receive bookmarks, signed bookplates, or other goodies. Drop me a line at
[email protected]
with the words BOOK CLUB in the subject line.

Also, I love chatting with readers groups! If you’d like me to visit via phone or Skype, let me know when you’ll be discussing
Changing Lanes
—or any of my other titles—and I’ll do my best to make the dates work. If your group is local to me, I’d love to visit you in person.

When you e-mail me, please let me know a little about your group. When did you start meeting? Where do you meet? How many members are in your club? And please send me a photo. I’d love to include your smiling faces on my wall of readers!

Thanks once more for your wonderful support of
Changing Lanes
. I look forward to talking with you soon!

With warmest wishes,
Kathleen

Be sure to catch
Chasing Rainbows
, a
USA Today
bestseller!

In life, you either choose to sing a rainbow, or you don’t. For Bernie, the singing is about to begin.

Available now on
Amazon.com
.

For my editor, Lindsay Guzzardo, thank you for your enthusiasm, patience, and encouragement as I developed the fictional world of Paris, New Jersey, for
Changing Lanes
. For my developmental editor, Tiffany Yates Martin, whose skill, insight, and wisdom helped me deepen Abby’s story while allowing my voice and intent to remain intact, I appreciate you more than you’ll ever know.

For the readers, bloggers, reviewers, and friends who embraced
Chasing Rainbows
and helped make this author’s dreams come true, thank you! Your e-mails, letters, and friendships mean the world to me. I hope
Changing Lanes
and the story of Abby Halladay’s lessons in letting go will strike an emotional chord and resonate with you long after you’ve turned the last page.

Last—but certainly not least—for Dan and Annie, I love you! It takes a special, supportive, and slightly crazy crew to understand and encourage my late-night hours, writing quirks, and endless scribbling of notes. For all of this and so much more, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I truly could not do any of this without you.

Photo © Lee Isbell, Studio 16, 2005

Kathleen Long is the RITA
^®
-nominated author of more than a dozen novels of contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and women’s fiction. In addition to a RIO Award and two Gayle Wilson Awards of Excellence, her writing accolades include National Readers Choice, Holt Medallion, Booksellers Best, and Book Buyers Best award nominations, as well as appearances on the
USA Today
and
Wall Street Journal
bestseller lists. When she isn’t writing, she dabbles in jewelry design and child- and puppy-wrangling. A Delaware native, she divides her time between Philadelphia and the Jersey Shore.