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“Maybe they’re not his owners,” she said, trying to find a way to make him feel better.
He set his jaw, and opened the car door, helping Eddie into the backseat. “I hope they are,” he told her. “It’ll be so much easier if I’m not having to take care of him when I should be working.”
Her smile wavered. “But you’ll miss him, won’t you?”
He shrugged. “It’s been fun having him around. But it was never meant to be permanent.”
She wanted to remind him of what he said that morning – that he and Eddie needed each other – but the words died in her throat. Maybe it was better this way. If Eddie’s owners really had been located, the dog would be going with them, whether Jackson liked it or not.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to hang around today?” she asked. “I can be quiet and keep an eye on Eddie.”
A ghost of a smile passed his lips. “It’s okay. I got this. You go home and have some fun with your sister. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
So he didn’t want her to come over tonight? Lydia swallowed hard, trying to hide the hurt from her face. “Sure. I’ll be over by seven. I know you like to leave early for the office.” Rolling onto her toes, she pressed her lips to his. He kissed her back, but didn’t deepen it.
“Thanks,” he murmured, walking around to the driver’s seat and climbing inside the car. “Hop in, I’ll give you a ride home.”
Autumn walked into the living room later that evening, carrying a bottle of red wine and two glasses. “Skyler’s asleep and Griff is in the garage working on his surf board,” she said to Lydia, who was moping on the black leather sofa. “So I figured we’d open a bottle of cabernet sauvignon and you can tell me why you’ve been walking around all day with a face like thunder.”
“Do I really have a face like thunder?” Lydia asked.
Autumn put the glasses down and filled them both generously. “Kind of. I guess it’s more like a hurricane. Which isn’t how somebody should be looking after they’ve spent the night with Angel Sands’ hottest bachelor.”
“I spent most of the night watching a dog vomit from both ends,” Lydia reminded her, as Autumn passed her one of the glasses. “I’m sorry. We’re supposed to be spending quality time together and I’m bringing us both down.”
“Did Jackson do something wrong?” Autumn asked. “Because the last time I saw the two of you, you couldn’t keep your hands off each other. The way he looked at you when you were giving your speech, whew!” She fanned herself. “It made me sweat like a Manhattan summer.”
Lydia swallowed a mouthful of wine, and put her glass on the table. “He’s a bit hot and cold,” she admitted. “One minute he’s all over me, the next he’s talking about having to work and giving me the distinct impression I’m not wanted.”
Autumn shot her a sympathetic glance. “He does work hard. Maybe he was just being honest.”
Lydia sighed. “Maybe. But it didn’t feel right. He didn’t mention me coming over tonight, or whether he’d even call.”
“So that’s it? You’re left hanging?”
“Well, I’m going over to dog sit tomorrow so he can go to the office. I guess I’ll see him then.” She curled her feet beneath her, laying her head back on the sofa. “It’s just that I have so little time. I really want to spend it with him.”
Running the pad of her finger around her wine glass, Autumn looked up at her sister. “Maybe he’s finding this whole last week thing difficult,” she said, giving Lydia a soft smile. “It’s easier to be the one leaving sometimes. You have something new to look forward to, things to distract you. But the one who stays, that’s tough. There’s an emptiness where things were once full.”
Lydia shook her head. “No. I’m just a distraction for him. A bit of fun, I guess. He said as much to Griff.”
“What exactly did he say?” Autumn leaned forward.
“I wasn’t supposed to be listening,” Lydia admitted. “But I overheard him tell Griff that he was bad at relationships and this was just a vacation fling.”
“Oh, honey.” Autumn pressed her lips together in sympathy.
“Please don’t feel sorry for me. He’s right. I guess I just wanted… I don’t know. Something other than this.”
“Would you stay if he asked you?” Autumn asked, her brows pulling together.
“I can’t,” Lydia whispered. “I have my job. And I know how much you love living like this, but I don’t know if I can. Traveling is who I am. It’s what I do. I don’t know anything else.”
Griff walked into the living room, took one look at Autumn and Lydia leaning in and speaking softly, and went to walk out.
“Where are you going?” Autumn asked him, as he turned his back.
“I thought
