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“So be friends with him. It doesn’t mean you have to marry him.”
Frowning, Annie asked, “You don’t think I should? You think the PTSD makes him a bad prospect? Too high a risk?”
Didn’t really matter at this point—Annie was committed. But Eyes Open being her new motto, she wanted to know.
“Absolutely not.” Becky’s adamant reply left no doubt about that. “And I’m not against you marrying him, though I’d be happier for you if it were more than just a legal agreement. Mostly, I want to make certain that you know why you’re doing it.”
Leave it to Becky to force the hard issues, to pull things from Annie that she didn’t want to look at. She could always count on her for that.
And valued her for it, too. Most of the time.
This wasn’t one of those times.
“It makes sense,” she said now, forking up a piece of lettuce with more force than was probably necessary.
“Annie?”
She glanced up into Becky’s concerned eyes. “You don’t marry for the sake of ‘sense.’”
“It’s not a real marriage.”
“So, Blake didn’t stay with you last night?”
“Of course not. You know he can’t sleep anywhere but his home.”
“I know no such thing. Of course he can. He travels, doesn’t he?”
Becky had her there. But…“Where he’s in hotel rooms by himself.”
“So tell me you didn’t make love last night before he left.”
That was really none of Becky’s business. Except that Annie had given her friend the right to be that much into her life a long time ago.
Her lack of a reply was all the response Becky needed.
“You love him, Annie. Not only that, you’re still in love with him. Just admit it.”
That wasn’t something she wanted to do.
But eventually, with a fresh flood of tears, she did.
COLE LEANED OVER AFTER Blake’s second loss. “You okay?” he asked, low enough for only Blake to hear.
“Fine.” He grinned at his friend. “Just not concentrating.”Luke dealt the next hand and Blake tipped the corners of his cards, then tossed them into the middle of the table. Cole did the same.
“Any particular reason you aren’t concentrating?”
Blake shrugged, pretending to watch the game, while watching his soon-to-be brother-in-law out of the corner of his eye. A surge of affection,
of gratitude, swept through him—a sensation more natural and comfortable than any he’d felt, aside from what he’d experienced being with Annie, since his return.
Having Cole know about his challenges wasn’t as bad as he’d thought it would be. Instead of feeling trapped, marked, Blake found a curious kind of strength in Cole’s concern and support.
As if he didn’t have to bear the entire brunt of his situation alone. It was good to know someone was watching out for him. Even if that someone was a worrywart. And had become more of an irritating parent than the guy friend he was used to.
The hand folded and Hap stood to get another beer. They were still playing in the back room of the Wild Card Saloon, waiting to hear from Jake, but they knew it might be their last time together in the old bar. Blake hadn’t played with the group anywhere else.
Brady, sitting two down from Blake, shuffled the cards. “You heading to the Henley farms?” Blake asked, as four of the eight men sitting there left the table, either to get more to eat or use the facilities.
