AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Water for me, please,” Everly said.
“Same. I think we’re ready to order.”
Neither of them had looked at the menu, but they each had a usual at Buck’s. Blake ordered the double deluxe burger, and Everly ordered a cheeseburger with avocado.
When the waitress disappeared, Everly leaned over the table. “You think Ridge is going to lose his mind?”
“Of course. I’m in the process of losing mine right now. Ridge won’t be far behind.”
Everly picked up the saltshaker and twirled it in her fingers. “He never liked David.”
Blake hesitated. He kept most talk about David to a minimum, but it sounded like Everly might not know that Ridge used to be friends with David. How had she missed that?
“Not sure there’s much to like about him,” Blake said.
“You never said anything like that about him before.”
“I never saidanythingabout him–mostly because I didn’t have anything nice to say.”
Everly tilted her head. “Really? What do you have against him?”
“I didn’t think he was good enough for you. He’s a successful businessman, but that single-minded determination doesn’t translate well into a personal relationship. Getting married, having kids, and growing old with someone aren’t just simple to-do list items that he can cross off.”
“No wonder you and Ridge are best friends. You’re like the same person.”
“I’m definitely not your brother.” Thankfully. Blake considered Everly a friend, but his feelings for her were not sibling appropriate.
Everly tucked her chin and examined the saltshaker again. “He wasn’t all bad.”
“I know you’re not second-guessing your decision to break up with him.”
“I’m not. I’m definitely not. He wasn’t ever bad to me though.”
“Objection. He wouldn’t even take you to the doctor when you were sick the last time he was in town. He left early becausehedidn’t want to get sick too. Who does that?”
Everly rested her back against the booth. “I guess now is the time to air all of our grievances. Lay them on me. I’m planning on burning pictures tonight.”
Blake leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. It took everything he had not to reach for her again. “You deserve better than that.”
Her gentle grin was back. Blake always tried to make sure she knew what he thought of her. She was smart, kind, and entirely too trusting. What would it take for her to believe him?
Their food arrived, and Everly hummed over her burger. “Don’t judge me while I inhale this entire plate of food.”
Blake snuck glances at her as she ate. She didn’t have that sadness in her eyes anymore. Maybe he could bring back that real smile he loved so much.
“We have the rest of the day off. What do you want to do?”
CHAPTER FIVE
Everly
Everly brushed her fingertips over the spines of the books on the shelf. When Blake had asked where she wanted to go next, Ginny’s Used Bookstore was the first thing that had popped into her head. The cozy shop used to be a house before Ginny filled its rooms with books. Everly rarely had time to visit, but browsing the shelves and tables was always a treat.
She inhaled a slow and steady breath, letting the smell of old, well-loved books fill her senses. It was the first breath she’d taken since the phone call with David that hadn’t ached in her chest.
She wasn’t sad over the breakup. She was more embarrassed than anything. Privacy had always been important to her, considering her brother’s watched and scrutinized life. Staying far away from the media wolves had been easy, and even though David hadn’t chosen a high-profile event to do his philandering, it felt like he’d exposed something that she’d hoped to keep closed off.
Her relationship with her fiancé? Yeah, that should have stayed closed. No other women allowed.
