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“You already love him, and he already loves you. You’re not sparing anyone from that hurt by staying away from him.”
“I’ve already buried one husband,” Courtney whispered. “I can’t…”
“Who says you will, honey? Maybe you’ll go together in your sleep like that sappy movie with that handsome Ryan Gosling. Or maybe you’ll do something stupid, and he’ll be the one mourning you. You can’t start by worrying about the end.”
Courtney pulled away and plopped onto her bed. Trudy stood in the middle of the room studying her.
“You could always ask him to stop, to get a less dangerous job. I’ve seen the way—"
“No.” Courtney shook her head. “Absolutely not. I would never ask him to give up his dream for me. I wouldn’t want to change him.” Not the way Kyle had changed her.
“I think he would though. Especially for a new dream that’s better than the old one.”
When Courtney stared back at her, confused, Trudy laughed. “You, honey, you would be the new dream.”
“I’d weigh him down,” she whispered. “He wouldn’t want me and my baggage.”
Trudy scoffed. “What baggage?”
“I’m a widow,” she reminded the old woman. But this time the words sounded hollow and ill-fitting. Yes, she was a woman who’d been married, and her husband had died, but did that make her a widow or was that just a title? For so long she’d let that word define her, after this week with Seth, it didn’t seem to fit anymore.
Instead of responding to Courtney’s words, Trudy just watched her with a satisfied smirk on her face. “You’re finally getting it, aren’t you?”
Courtney raised a brow.
“You’re so much more than a widow, Corey. You’re a woman, a young, fierce woman.”
Courtney slumped against the headboard. Maybe Trudy was right. Maybe she was more than she’d let herself be the past few years. Maybe it had taken having sex with Seth to prove it. But did that mean they had a future?
Only one way to find out.
CHAPTERFOURTEEN
Courtney hopedshe was at the right van. It looked just like the one Seth had described, and it was the only one in the garage, but still . . . She admittedly hadn’t been able to think straight since Seth had walked away from her the night before, so waiting at the wrong van wasn’t completely out of the realm of possibilities.
She just hoped if it was the right van, he wouldn’t be angry that she was here waiting on him. Another thing that wasn’t completely out of the realm of possibilities.
Finally, cruisers started to trickle into the parking garage. Most had probably slept in and had breakfast, savoring their last moments of vacation. Or even grudgingly saying goodbye to the man or woman they’d met on the ship. Maybe planning to keep in touch, to make the connections they’d found on the cruise permanent. And not possibly fucking up one of the best things that had ever happened to them. The way Courtney had.
“What are you doing here?”
Courtney jumped at the sudden sound behind her, but she wasn’t frightened. She knew that voice now.Seth. And while he didn’t sound angry at finding her here, he didn’t seem exactly excited about it either.
She turned, ready to explain herself but stopped. Seth looked like hell—something she thought she’d never say about him. He’d walked away last night, but it didn’t look like that had been any easier for him than it had been for her. Tears filled her eyes.
“You were right,” she told him. “Last night, when you said I’m scared. You were right. I’m not just scared, Seth, I’m terrified.” Her voice threatened to break as emotion clawed its way up her chest. “I’m scared because you make me forget. You make me forget that I’ve been sad and lonely. You make me forget that I’d sworn to never love anyone again.
“But I’m more scared because you make me remember. You make me remember what it’s like to love and to live. I don’t know if I’m strong enough to do that again.”
Through her tears she could see Seth’s face soften. “Oh baby.”
She shook her head. “I’ve never felt this way before. So, I know I can’t turn my back on it, right? I have to see where all this . . .” She released an exasperated huff because she didn’t know what this was between them. Was it love? Just lust? “I have to find out how we end.”
Slowly, Seth inched forward. “Who says it has to end, Corey? We’re just getting started. Don’t put an expiration date on us.”
Nodding, she stepped closer to him. Expiration date or not, she couldn’t predict how they would play out, but she knew she didn’t want to miss out on the happiness she could share with Seth in the meantime.
“My invitation still stands,” he told her. “I’ll be in New Orleans for another few days. There’s plenty of room for you, and I couldn’t think of anything I’d like better than sharing the city with you.”
She nodded again. “I’ll have to work. I’m due back for classes in three days.”
As a slow smile curved his lips, he cupped her cheek, swiping a tear away with his thumb. “So we have three days with no obligations?”
When she nodded, his smile grew bigger. “I definitely think I can find a few ways to occupy us until then.” Without waiting for a response, he gripped her hips and pulled her closer. “No more sad and alone. For either of us.”
He took her mouth with his, and she allowed herself to melt into him. No. No more sad. No more alone. Those ships had sailed.
