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He looked up into the night sky and shrugged. “I don’t know what she is.”
Betty was silent for a few more moments—some kind of record for her—and then she moved toward him, hugging him with all the ferocity of a mother cub.
“That’s a start,” she whispered.
“What do you mean?” he asked gruffly. But he knew, didn’t he?
“She means something to you. That’s never happened before.”
He didn’t reply because he honestly didn’t know what to say. He was a man in his thirties and he’d never been in a relationship with a woman before. At least not one that wasn’t toxic.
“She’s special,” Betty said, pulling away. “Grace has the biggest heart of anyone I know. And you know how much I love you, but…”
“But you’re afraid I’m going to hurt her.”
Betty nodded. “It’s kind of been your MO.”
Matt had to look away. Betty’s honesty was brutal and real and full of the kind of truth he’d been running from his entire life. He always ruined the good shit. Always.
“The thing is, Matt, looking at you is like looking into a mirror for me. Up until I met Beau, we shared the same MO. How many men did I walk away from? How many men did I use and how many more did I let use me? I didn’t know what it meant to be loved. Didn’t know what it meant to offer up my heart to another human being. To let that human being hold it and nurture it. I had no idea what it meant to love someone so much that you’d be willing to die for them.”
She kicked at a snowdrift. “Literally die for them.” Her head shot up and Matt could see she was dead serious. “I would die for Beau Simon and he would do the same for me. Might sound dramatic and over the top, but that’s what love can be like.”
She reached up and kissed his cheek, sliding her hands up along either side of his face so that even if he wanted to, he couldn’t look away.
“If I can finally let someone in, you can too.”
Betty took a step back and pointed to the bar. “I should get back to my sisters. They’re probably worried that I beat the crap out of you or something.”
“Can’t be too worried. No one’s come out to check on me.”
“You coming back in?”
He wasn’t in the mood for crowds and people. He needed some time alone. He needed to think.
“Nah. I’m good. Gonna head home and check in on Rosie.”
“Okay,” Betty said with a soft smile. “See you tomorrow night?”
Matt nodded and turned. “Yeah,” Matt replied. “I’ll see you tomorrow night.” He strode across the parking lot and realized as he was getting in his truck, that for the first time since Monday, he was looking forward to something. And that something was Grace.
He stared out into the clear night sky for a long time and then with a small smile, cranked the tunes. As he hummed along to an old Zepplin song, he thought that maybe, just maybe, there was hope for him after all.
13
Grace spent the majority of the week catching up on emails and dealing with her job. She worked for the Simon Foundation, a non-profit that was her father’s baby, with a focus on saving the environment. She did this from the guest house in Nashville. A pretty sweet gig really, and one she was grateful for.
With an upcoming Christmas Eve Gala in New York City, there were more than a few problems to deal with, including a grumpy chef who was driving her insane. By the time Friday rolled around, Grace couldn’t wait to leave it all behind and head to Michigan.
And Matt Hawkins.
She glanced down at her cell one more time and exhaled a shaky breath. Just seeing his words made her stomach flip. Seriously, she hadn’t felt this way over a man in…
“Never,” she whispered.
See you in a few.
It was only a text message but it was enough for Grace, and she smiled settling back into the car. A driver had been waiting for her at the private airstrip just outside of town (all thanks to her brother Beau), and in less than twenty minutes, she’d be with Matt.
