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“Constantly.” Her tone was dry.
“In that case, will you miss him if I take him upstairs for a coffee?”
“Be my guest.” Sara shrugged. “He’s been like a bear with a headache all week.”
“I have a patient to see,” Rich pointed out, holding up the chart.
Sara snatched it out of his hand. “I’ll give it to Simon. It’s a suspected broken toe, not brain surgery. Now go.”
He opened his mouth to protest, but Sara’s raised eyebrows were enough for him to shut it again. A coffee would probably do him good. He needed the caffeine rush.
The café was half empty, thanks to the late hour, and they carried their drinks over to a table next to the windows overlooking the town. James took a sip from his drink, looking over the rim at Rich with narrowed eyes.
“What?” Rich asked.
“I’m just thinking.”
“What about?”
James shrugged. “You. And what an idiot you are.”
Rich sighed. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
James put his cup on the table. “Harper insists that I talk to you about this. And I have to tell you, it’s pissing me off. What the hell’s wrong with you, man? Why did you tell Meghan it was over between you?”
Rich sighed. He’d told Belle the bare bones of his conversation with Meghan. No doubt she’d told Harper who’d reamed out James. The fun times of living in a small town.
“I did it for Isla,” Rich said. “She deserves to get to know her father without me interfering.”
“Bullshit.”
“It’s the truth.” Rich glanced at his watch. He’d give this conversation five minutes then hightail it out of there. It was obvious neither of them really wanted to talk about this.
“No it isn’t.” James shook his head. “It’s the lies you’ve told yourself to justify putting the barriers up again. And don’t look at me with that pained expression. Do you think I want to be here talking about this? But if I don’t, Harper will chop my balls off.”
Rich’s lips twitched at the imagery. Weird how a shot of jealousy rushed through him at the mention of his relationship with Harper. They had something special. Something he’d thought was in reach for him, too.
But then it had disappeared and it was all his own goddamned fault.
“So listen up,” James said, leaning across the table. “First of all, your parents dying wasn’t your fault. Belle being a paraplegic isn’t your fault. You’ve been a good brother to her, and she’s appreciative, yet you can’t stop beating yourself up for something you didn’t do.”
Rich opened his mouth, but James held up his hand. “I haven’t finished. Here’s the second thing. You messing things up with Meghan? That’s completely your fault. You had options here. You could have opened up to her, told her you were scared. Given her the support she needed because god knows she’s probably scared, too.”
Rich’s chest tightened. Meghan was scared? Why hadn’t he thought of that. He really was asshole of the year.
“Okay, and third, what I said that night at Belle’s was bullshit. You shouldn’t step back and leave Meghan and Dylan to it. If you love Meghan, then you have to fight for her. And the person you have to fight with is yourself.”
Rich’s brows lifted. “You said you agreed with me.”
“And then I talked to Harper and realized I was an idiot. And you can stop looking so smug, because you’re a bigger one and you
need to get your head out of your ass.”
“Well thank you.” Rich’s smile was fleeting. “I can always rely on you to pump up my ego.”
“It’s not your ego that’s the problem, it’s your fear.”
Rich blinked. “Fear?”
