Page 69 of Don’t Go Breaking My Heart

Lucia let out an ear-piercing squeal. “I knew it! Details. Right now.”

“There are no details,” I said quickly, though my grin betrayed me. “We’re figuring things out. It’s a really long, complicated story.”

“You have to bring him,” Dominique said firmly. “I don’t care if you have to drag him onto the plane.”

“You think it’s a good idea?” I asked, biting my lip. “It feels big.”

“It is big,” Lucia said. “But you deserve something big, Merritt. Go for it.”

“You guys, he is a Texas boy. Always has been. I don’t know how this would work. I don’t even know if that’s what he wants. It was sex a couple of times. And he’s got a complicated past.”

“Because of his wife?” Lucia asked.

“What?!” Dominique screeched. “He’s married?”

I wasn’t sure it was my place to talk about his late wife. But it was a big part of the story.

“Kannon was married for a couple of years,” I blurted out. “She died.”

The declaration was met with silence.

“Is he still in love with her?” Dominique finally asked.

“No. I don’t think so. Apparently, I was a problem in their marriage.”

“I thought you guys hadn’t talked in ten years,” Dominique said.

“We didn’t,” I said. “But he had feelings for me, and I didn’t know it. I didn’t know, but his wife did. It was a source of contention in their marriage.”

“Damn,” Lucia said. “Wrecking marriages from halfway across the country.”

“That’s heavy, Mer,” Dominique said. “But it also means something, right? Maybe now is the time for you guys to figure things out.”

I sighed, my thoughts a whirlwind. “Maybe. Or maybe it’s too late.”

“It’s never too late for love,” Lucia said in a tone that made it clear she believed every word. “Especially if there are still feelings there. And there clearly are.”

“I just don’t want to mess up what we’re starting to rebuild. What if bringing him to Miami scares him off?”

“Or it could bring you closer,” Dominique said. “You won’t know unless you try. It might do you both some good to get away from her ghost there.”

That wasn’t a terrible idea.

“You know what, you’re right,” I said. “I should at least give it a shot. The worst that can happen is he says no.”

“And who knows?” Lucia chimed in, her tone teasing, “Maybe Miami will be good for him too. After all, he’s been a Texas boy for too long. He could use some sunshine and palm trees.”

“Thanks, guys. I’ll text you when I get my flight information. Then we’ll plan to meet up.”

I felt better about my decision. I ended the call and practiced a few ways to make my proposition.

By the time I pulled into my driveway, I was starting to second-guess everything. The bike was gone and there weren’t any trucks in the street. When I walked inside and found the house empty, the disappointment hit harder than I expected. Kannon wasn’t here.

I wandered through the house, taking in the progress he and his crew had made. The new paint on the walls, the refinished floors—it was all starting to come together. Pausing at the living-room window, I looked out at the front yard and smiled at the memory of Kannon and me jumping into a pile of leaves when we were kids. I’d screamed bloody murder when I realized the pile was crawling with slugs. He had laughed so hard he fell over, only stopping long enough to peel the slimy invaders off my coat.

That had been the first time I’d wanted him to kiss me. We were thirteen, and even though we didn’t, the moment had stayed with me. That was one of the first times I saw him in a different light. He wasn’t just my teasing best friend. He was a very attractive boy who I developed a ridiculous crush on.

I shook off the memory and headed to the kitchen to start dinner. Again, I was glad I had bought new pans. The rhythmic chopping of vegetables and the sizzle of oil helped calm my nerves, but it wasn’t long before I heard the familiar downshift of a motorcycle engine. My heart skipped. I turned down the stove before rushing to the front door.