But I’m so far past his gestures of kindness. I want him to just leave me be.
Desperately.
Or so I tell myself.
Because, maybe then, I can find some peace. Maybe then, I can find a man who will love me in the way I wish Dylan would.
“Happy birthday, honey!” Talia greets me as she wraps her arms around me in the aisle between pews.
“Thank you.”
“Dinner tonight, right?” she confirms once again.
“Have I missed a year?” I ask. “Besides, you asked me yesterday.”
She laughs. “I just want to make sure.” She and my mother ran in the same circle growing up, so after my parents died, Talia and her husband kind of took me under their wings. Since they couldn’t have children of their own, and I was a bit of an orphan, it worked out.
We spend holidays together—and birthdays—whenever the mood strikes.
She looks past me and waves. “Oh, I’ll see you tonight, okay? I need to catch Ursula before she leaves and I head into the diner.”
“Sounds good. See you tonight.”
I retrieve my purse from the pew, then start to leave right as Kennedy Hunt—Bradyn Hunt’s wife—steps into my path and wraps her arms around me.
“Happy birthday, Emma!”
“Thanks,” I reply with a smile as she releases me.
“Happy birthday, Ems,” Bradyn says warmly. The eldest of the Hunts, he was always a surrogate big brother to me. Truthfully, they all were.
Everyone but Dylan. I never saw him as a brother. He was always?—
That thought cuts off when he moves into my eyeline. It’s distant, as he’s standing beside his parents while they talk to Pastor Ford, but he’s there. The proverbial elephant in the room. And when he looks up at me, hazel gaze locking with mine, I momentarily forget that Kennedy’s talking to me.
We’ve always been this way—drawn to each other. Or, at least, I’ve always been drawn to him.
“So, what do you think?”
“Huh? Sorry, I didn’t sleep well last night.”
Kennedy smiles knowingly. “I know you have plans with Talia and Connor tonight, but are you up for a girls’ night tomorrow to celebrate? Nova is still out of town and won’t be back until next month, but Jules, Alice, Lani, and I are ready and available. Sound good?”
“Yeah.” I smile. “That actually sounds great.”
“Perfect. Then it’s a date.” She hugs me again. “See you tomorrow!”
“See you.”
Kennedy and Bradyn walk out hand in hand. I hate the jealousy that sneaks into my thoughts. Jealousy that I’m not wrapped around Dylan’s arm right now. That he’s only across the room but might as well be a million miles away.
I need to get out of here.
I’m headed to Charlene’s next, so I wave to Ursula and Talia as I step out onto the front steps of the church. Manners dictate I should go to Dylan and thank him for the flowers. However, the first couple of years I did that, he acted like he had no idea what I was talking about.
He’d completely brushed it off, despite me knowing without a doubt it’s him leaving them. He’s the only one who knows how much I love wildflowers. The only one who ever took the time to choose each bloom carefully.
So, ever since that third year, I’ve just pretended that I didn’t find the most beautiful assortment of flowers on my porch.
