* * *
The next afternoon,I sat out on a blanket in the garden with Amber and Ivy. The flowers on the frangipanis had begun to fall, yet it didn’t prevent their sweet fragrance from reaching us in the light autumn breeze.
I’d already told Amber all about my night. She listened intently between tickling her daughter’s feet and trying to stop her from reaching out to the blades of grass so she could ram them into her mouth.
“So, did you score?”
I shook my head at her.
“Seriously, Nate, give me something. At least tell me about the hot guys who were there.”
I relented with a snort. “There were all sorts of men there. A fair few women too. The blokes I was with were up for a good night.”
She bounced her brows up and down. “They were, huh?”
“Piss off. I mean, we had a laugh, talked shit.”
“But you hooked up?”
My cheeks heated, and she chuckled. There may have been a couple of guys who’d offered to take me home with them. I didn’t plan on telling her that, though.
“You did, didn’t you. Nice.” She dragged the word out.
“I didn’t, not really,” I admitted, not wanting her to get far-fetched ideas of me hooking up with anyone.
A frown creased her forehead. “Why not? You’re hot and single.”
“You saying I’m hot makes me want to gag a little.” She simply stared at me in expectation. “I could have gone home with someone if I wanted to.” It should have felt weirder that I was having these talks with Amber, but we spent so much time with each other that it seemed natural to overshare with her.
Amber’s brown gaze narrowed. “Is this about my brother?”
The heat in my cheeks dialed up a degree or fifteen. A few years back, I’d admitted to Amber how I’d crushed on her brother. This was after far too many beers one night and a moment of weakness. I shouldn’t have been surprised that she’d figured as much. The woman was too observant for her own good. Even when she was much younger.
“I’ve actually sort of made up my mind to head over for a visit, watch his last game of the season and take a holiday there before he comes home for a visit.”
Her brows shot high, and I was silently proud of myself for shocking her.
“Wow, okay, wow.” She pursed her lips a moment before they twitched and a smile formed. “I think this is a great idea. It’ll do you a world of good to have a break. Plus, I imagine you’ve got a lot of stuff you need to talk about.”
The hammering of my heart filled my ears, so much so I could barely hear my “What do you mean?”
“Well, it’s been years since you’ve really talked, let alone seen each other. A whole lot has changed since you were eighteen. It’ll be good for both of you, come to think about it.”
I silently agreed, thinking more and more that me visiting him would be the right thing to do, and for once, the right thing for me. I loved my life, my home, but it didn’t mean getting away wouldn’t be awesome. And the truth was, cutting through the tension between Ryan and me was something I wanted to do. Last night and his reaction to the possibility of me actually visiting had reaffirmed that even more.
The excitement evident in his eagerness, in the flash of emotion in his eyes, may have been good for my ego, but it was more than that. I wanted to get to know him again. And selfishly, I didn’t think I’d get the chance to do that with his family vying for his attention once back home.
“Do you think he’s worried about coming home?”
Amber’s question pulled me out of my thoughts. “As in, what? Seeing you and Gran?”
“I don’t know, maybe. It’s just been so long.”
“I think he’s desperate to see you both and meet his niece. I think he’d come on a plane today if he could. And definitely when Ivy was born. He loves you and misses you.”
She tilted her head. “I think he loves and misses you too.”
My laugh was awkward. Not knowing how to respond, I fidgeted and then picked up Ivy, needing the distraction. With a kiss on her cheek, I made a face at her, choosing to ignore Amber’s loud huff.
