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Chapter 23
“Those Ryker guys are nice, but we need to kick their asses,” Ford said as they drove through town enjoying the afternoon breeze streaming in the open windows.
“Not easy, because they’re good. Last time it was close, and they edged us out.”
It was warm today, the sky blue and cloudless. Nash rested his arm on the window. The mountains rose before them in all their majestic glory.
“You’ve waved four times already, and we’re only halfway down the street. You’re changing, bro. Softening and fitting in,” Ford said. “And FYI, the Ryker boys are not edging us out this time.” Ford slapped the dash of Nash’s pickup.
He’d left her this morning, and it had been one of the hardest things he’d ever done, walking out the door without waking Luna and making love to her again. He’d wanted to. His body had craved it, so he’d left. But before he did, he’d stood beside the bed looking at her for far too long.
She’d looked peaceful lying there. The world outside the door hadn’t existed, just like when he’d slept with her in his cabin.
Last night had seemed real, which made no sense. The kind of real that suggested he’d play a part in her future.
Since Kirsty, he’d never slept the night with a woman. But he had with Luna. He’d come here, made love to her, twice, and then they’d slept together. Waking to find her beside him had felt right, and that, he knew, would lead to more heartbreak. Nash had never felt that close to a woman before. Never wanted to just lie there and hold someone all night. Looking at her made his chest feel heavy.
“Being with you makes me feel different, Nash, and that’s scary because we lead different lives.”
He’d heard the truth in her words even as he’d wanted to deny them. So he’d told her to sleep because he didn’t have an answer.
“Where’d you go last night? I had to crash at Fin and Maggie’s.”
He’d known the question was coming, but he didn’t know how to answer it. It was getting harder. He couldn’t brush her off anymore as just someone he’d slept with.
“Luna?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Is she okay after all that shit that went down?”
“Yeah, I guess. Hard to say.”
“Because she’s contained like you are. Just puts on this face that everything is good. Not that you put on that face, but it’s kinda the same. Both of you are hiding.”
“I don’t hide.”
Ford snorted. “Bro, you could be bleeding out and your face would still be that.” He pointed at Nash. “No emotion, shut off.”
“Not everyone is a bleeding heart like you,” Nash muttered.
“True, but not everyone is the iceman either. I guess the kick to the balls that bitch Kirsty gave you hasn’t helped.”
“Thought I loved her.”
“And now?”
“Now, I’m not so sure.”
“Close miss then. I guess she did you a favor by leaving,” Ford said.
“And then some. You roped in some hands for today?” Nash asked, ready to change the subject. “Plus a couple of your loser friends?”
“You got any friends coming? That’s right, you ditched them all.”
“I didn’t ditch them all,” Nash growled. “I see Dill.”
“Only because he comes to see you. You’re antisocial, face it.”
