After a few minutes, Slater gently maneuvered them into a more comfortable position, but neither made any attempt to turn on the lights or even talk about dinner. She knew they would eventually. But for now, this was enough.
Chapter Thirteen
That conversation played over and over in his mind for days like a damn earworm he couldn’t shake. And other than it being incredibly frustrating, it also forced Slater to really think about his life.
The highs. The lows. All he achieved.
All that he missed.
Yeah, having his father come to the resort brought so many painful memories back; things from his childhood he’d thought were long forgotten, but now they were sitting front and center in his mind. He remembered spending time at friends’ houses and seeing how…normal everything was—they ate dinner as a family, went on vacations together, celebrated holidays at home. These were all things he remembered desperately wanting for himself. Unfortunately, instead of trying to capture that as an adult, he’d run from it.
Just like he ran from everything.
All because he gave Cal Slater Senior all the power.
And honestly? He was so ready to be done with that mindset.
Part of the reason he felt like it had plagued him for so long was mainly because it was his father, and that screwed-up dynamic messed with every aspect of his life growing up. Losing his mother five years ago made him hold on to the rage with both fists because he fully blamed Cal for it. But the reason it stayed was because he let himself spend so much time by himself.
Obviously, he had friends and had been in more than his fair share of casual relationships, but other than Walker, Axel, Milo, and Connor, he wasn’t close to anyone.
Until Evie.
She had brought something into his life that made him almost desperate to hold on to—like an elusive last piece of a puzzle he’d been searching for his entire life.
It was both comforting and terrifying at the same time.
She was leaving tomorrow; everything was planned and her flight was booked. Her work here with Milo was done and she had a life waiting for her back in Seattle.
A life he had no idea how to fit into.
What would it even look like? She was a corporate executive assistant. She worked regular hours, had weekends off, and scheduled vacations. He’d spent the last fifteen years practically living like a drifter. Sure, he’d stay at a job for a year or two, but when he got bored, he moved on.
He didn’t want to move on from Evie, but he just didn’t know how to stay.
The long breath he let out as he leaned back in his chair did little to help him find an answer. Sitting down in the shed office was peaceful and kind of what he felt he needed, but he clearly wasn’t figuring this out on his own. He needed to talk to someone.
Or several someones.
Reaching for his phone, he pulled up the group text with just the guys.
Slater: Anyone around that can meet me at the shed office?
Walker and Harlow weren’t leaving town until tomorrow, but he had no idea what they were doing today. He saw Connor up in the kitchen earlier, and Axel was heading up to the amphitheater site about an hour ago. And Milo was obviously at his office in town because that’s where Evie was.
Axel: I’m heading your way right now. Everything ok?
Slater: Yeah, just need to bounce some ideas off of people.
Connor: Why don’t you come up to the lodge and we’ll eat lunch? We can use the conference room.
“That seems a bit excessive,” he murmured, but it was preferable to talking in the middle of the restaurant.
Slater: Sure. Axel and I will head up there shortly.
Walker: Harlow and I are just pulling back up to the resort.
Walker: Is this a guys only thing or can she join us?
