She laughs. “Ok. Sooooo, your withdrawn and less-surly mood is a sudden behavioral shift that has nothing to do with the beautiful woman across the street to whom you secretly gifted new tires and brakes?”
Those narks.
I run a hand over my face. “No. And the tires weren’t new. She’s too smart for that. They’re ten percent worn.”
Silence. I check to be sure we’re still connected.
My shoulders ease down, and I glance up at the sky. “She. . . I think money is tight. She has two kids, and her tires were down to the wear bar.”
“Grandpa Cal would be proud of your ingenuity and generosity.” I hear the smirk attached to that comment.
I learned from the best. Cal would have done the same damn thing.
“I seem to recall you asking me not all that long ago when enough is enough. I also believe it was you who told me it was time to quit running and hiding and finally go after what I want.”
I huff out a laugh. “This is in no way the same thing. You’d been pining after Mark for years.”
“But I was scared, and so are you.” She drops that there and lets it dangle as if I might bite. Not happening.
She continues. “A lot is changing. Krissy is moving out, the garage is exploding with business, and there’s a beautiful woman who might have finally cracked your hardass I-don’t-need-or-want-anyone state.”
My jaw clenches. “She hasn’t cracked anything. I gave her a ride to work and helped her out a few times. It’s nothing.”
I pause because she knows this nothing feels like something, and I don’t want it to. She sits tight, waiting for me to admit it.
I surrender to the one person who will get it. “She’s . . .different.”
“You know, it’s ok if you liked doing those things for her or if you evenmissdoing them.”
I roll my eyes, my breath creating a cloud in the cold air. “I don’t miss shit. I’m getting back to my regular schedule.”
“All right,” I hear the annoyance roll through the phone. “Listen, you can deny this all you want. Hell, I denied needing and wanting Mark for eight years. There’s a reason this chick has you moping around. It tells me she’s different in the best way because there hasn’t been a woman who’s made you do a double-take in. . .well, ever. So, you need to quit being afraid and pull yourself from your sullen, depressed state and see what could be. You are too good a man, Slade, to reduce yourself to a life of self-imposed isolatedloneliness.”
She takes a breath. Alex is a woman of few words until she’s not. “It’s been long enough. Krissy is a grown woman, and it’s time, man, for you to get a life. The one we both know you really want.” She calls me on my shit and then lowers her voice. “Take it from me. What’s on the other side of fear issoworth the risk.”
My stomach squeezes tight, pushing my beer upward at just the thought of seeing what could be and losing everything I want to call mine.
I hear one of the girls begin to cry.
“I’ve got to go. Hang in there. Be patient with the guys. They love you.”
I grunt.
“Oh, and Slade, just ask her out. I have a feeling it’ll be ok.”
She hangs up before I can shoot her confidence down.
I watch my breath billow in the air for a few long seconds before heading inside to the blabbermouths.
Alex isn’t wrong. I closed myself off from the possibility of a relationship long ago. If I’m honest, it’s not because I don’t want one. It’s just that you can give your entire self to someone, make plans, see the future, and then have it all ripped right out from under you as if none of it mattered at all.
I am afraid. I’ve been there and have absolutely no intention of ever being that fool again.
Inside, I slide back on my stool, and all laughter and conversation instantly die as three pairs of eyes settle on me.
I hand Carson his phone.
“So?” he asks as if I’ll give him even the tiniest nugget of information about what Alex and I talked about.
