Been there, done that. “I really hate cheaters.”
“I’m not a fan either, but she didn’t cheat,” he corrected swiftly. “Not physically, anyway. She was upfront about it. He was a friend from work and her feelings were unexpected. I couldn’t be angry when the only thing that bothered me was that she was moving out of state and didn’t want me to stay in contact with Cody. She didn’t want to confuse him, she said. Which was her right as his mother,” he finished quickly, looking down with a fierce scowl.
He hadn’t twisted the story to make himself look like the hero or the victim. He’d promised honesty, and he was giving as good as he got. The sky should be lit up from all the truth bombs exploding around us like fireworks.
How many people did I know over the years who’d gotten married because “it seemed like the thing to do?”
Too many.
It was why I’d stayed in my last relationship long after any hint of a thrill was gone. I’d been a successful woman in my thirties, but there was a voice in the back of my head that thought,I should be married by now.I should have children before it’s too late.
I didn’t think I was parent material because I could barely take care of myself and one moody dog, but I could easily see Wade in the role. He’d make a fantastic father, all gruffly protective and loving. He’d helped raise Phoebe and she adoredhim.
I could write him as a father. The hardened warrior in my series, the stoic fixer of broken things, who was based on Wade? He would absolutely change his life and burn the world down to protect a child.
Hold the phone.
Jumbled bits of ideas and storylines that had never quite meshed started reorganizing themselves in my head, like a puzzle I was close to solving. Was that the element I’d been missing? The Mandalorian key to my book’s salvation? My fingers started flexing as if they were typing on a keyboard made of water before I stopped myself.
Here he is, baring his soul, finally sharing himself with you after years of pretending you had the plague, and you’re using it as a writing prompt. What iswrongwith you?
Wade’s need for comforting words totally eclipsed my muse’s bad timing. “There’s no rule that says you can’t get in touch with him now, is there? It’s been years, and he’s not a kid anymore. A doctor doesn’t need permission from his mother to take a phone call or answer an online message.”
His expression said it hadn’t occurred to him. “You think he’d remember me?”
“You’ll never know unless you take a chance.” I smiled wryly. How many times had the same advice been aimed in my direction? “But you’re not that easy to forget, Wade Hudson.”
I’d never been able to.
He gave me a long look that made my heart beat faster. “I could say the same about you, August Retta.”
“Well, sure.” Huffing and scuffing my toe on the bottom of the pool, I took a step back. “Because I’m such an insightful ray of sunshine. Which is why we’re best friends and we’ve been talking like this for years.”
“You really don’t know why I’ve kept my distance?” He wascircling me slowly now. For a big man, he was very graceful in the water.
“Because you didn’t like my brand of soap?” I joked weakly.
“No, because—” Thunder echoed around us and I looked up, frowning at the still-clear sky.
“I think our reprieve is about to end,” I said, thankful for the distraction. I didn’t want to hear why he’d stayed away from me. Not tonight. I already felt too raw and vulnerable after sharing so much with him.
He accepted the subject change easily. “I think you’re right.”
Still studying the stars, I said, “Morgan and Gene are in Athens now.”
I knew the schedule by heart. Lesa. Athens. Mykonos. Malta. Sicily. A whirlwind tour of the Mediterranean.
“I can picture it,” he said, his voice deeper. Closer now. “Gene sticking out in his lime green shirt next to your fashionista sister. They’re taking selfies at the ruins while complaining about the heat.”
A giggle escaped me unexpectedly. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d made that particular noise. “Way to take the romance out of it.”
“Is it a lie?”
It wasn’t, but in a way, we’d been doing the same thing here, hadn’t we? Taking pictures of my “ruined” roof and complaining about the heat. I started to let him in on the joke, but the words died when I opened my eyes and realized our mouths were only a breath apart.
When had that happened?
He was close enough that I could see the crow’s feet around his eyes and the small curved scar on his forehead.
