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“Well, you make her smile.”
“Not right now I don’t.”
She makes a face. “I find that very hard to believe, Wyatt. But okay, let me think. She loves the simple things. Daisies, the drive-in…oh, she loves those chocolate truffles that come in the shiny foil…I think her favorites are the sea salt milk chocolate and the caramel milk chocolate. Honestly, you know what I think Marlow loves most? Time together.” When I start shaking my head, she stops me. “I mean it. Cash was never home, Wyatt. He was working late and then out with his buddies. Not that she really loved spending time with him when he was around—they were not a good fit.” She rolls her eyes and then walks toward me, putting her hand on my arm. “The fact that you went to Donuts for Dads with Dakota meant everything to Marlow. She loved when you spent the day riding the alpine slide. I think you could take a drive into the mountains and she’d be there for it as long as you were together.”
“Before a week ago, I would’ve thought the same thing. I don’t know what’s happened to change it for her, but she’s looking at me differently.” I exhale a ragged breath and clear my throat. “I’m sorry to unload all this on you. Thank you for the ideas. I’ll be working on them…” I run my hands through my hair for the millionth time and laugh. “Bet you never thought I’d be such a wreck over a woman, did you?”
She grins a wide smile and I can’t help but smile back. She hugs me and laughs when she says, “No, I sure didn’t, but I’m so happy about it, and I’m even happier that it’s Marlow. I can’t think of anyone I’d rather her be with than you.”
“Thanks, Sof. Love you.”
“I love you too. Now, quit moping and tell her how you feel.”
I nod. “Okay.”
I leave feeling slightly better. I’ve never told a woman I love her and the thought of doing it now, when I’m uncertain about where I stand with Marlow, feels daunting, but maybe Sofie’s right.
Maybe she just needs to know how I feel.
CHAPTERFORTY-THREE
DENIAL WITH A CAPITAL D
MARLOW
“Look at you,” Logan says when I walk into the living room wearing a cute sweater dress. “I don’t think I’ve seen you in a dress since your pageant days.”
“It took me a while, but I actually wear dresses a lot around here.”
He smiles. “Landmark Mountain is a good fit for you. And I’d say Wyatt is too, from what I can tell. But you’re making the poor man anxious.”
I turn to face him, eyes wide. “You think he can tell something’s going on?”
“Uh, if he has a brain, which I think he does, yes, he can totally tell. You barely said two words to him, and you’ve put off hanging out with him.”
“I’m seeing him tonight.”
“With your brother and daughter in whatsounds likea romantic setting,” he volleys back.
I sit down to put my boots on. “He said himself he wants to get to know you.”
“And that’s nice of him. Not sure how I’d feel about me if I were him, the way I’m cockblocking his every move.”
“Ew, don’t say cockblock.”
His eyebrows go sky-high. “You gonna make me put money in the jar? I can’t say cockblock now?”
“You can say it. Just not around me.”
He scoffs. “You and your rules. If I were you, I’d want to know right away if he’s up for this next phase of life with you or not.” He looks around to see if Dakota is anywhere nearby and when she’s not, he adds, “Then you know what you’re dealing with.”
“It’s been so good between us. I have no idea what he’ll do, and part of me doesn’t want the perception I have of him to be ruined if he’s not happy about it.”
“I’d hoped you’d given up on denial when you divorced Cash,” Logan says grimly.
I growl at him. “Quit being so damn right.”
He laughs. “O-kay. You said it, not me.”
