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We talked a little longer, sharing notes about grief. I admired her resilience. Her desire to get back out there and find love. She was nice, but I wasn’t interested. And I certainly wasn’t looking for love.
But when I glanced over at Elle, I knew it didn’t matter whether I’d been looking for love or not, it had found me.Shehad found me. Even broken and at my lowest, she’d been there for me. She’d trusted me.
If you’d told me a year ago that I’d be here, I would’ve never believed it. Losing Tessa had shaken me to my core. Becoming a widower and solo parent had nearly done me in. And yet, I was happy again. I was falling in love again.
That realization nearly knocked me on my ass.Holy shit, I need a drink.
I made my way over to the cooler for a beer. No sooner had I opened the lid than Bennett and Liam descended on me like a pair of vultures. I popped the top off my beer and took a long gulp, trying to steady myself.
“Hey.” Bennett tipped his beer to mine, a sheepish grin in place. “I see you met Miranda.”
I grunted and lifted my beer for another sip. Was he in on this? We hadn’t talked about Elle again after that night at Kiss My Ax, but Bennett was perceptive and generally not one to push. I had a feeling this was more at Wren’s insistence.
“So—” Liam nudged me. “How’d it go?”
“Um, yeah. It…went.”
“Oh no.” He cringed. “You blew it. It’s okay, big guy.” He draped his arm over my shoulder. “You’re out of practice. It’ll get easier.”
I rolled my eyes. I wasn’t out of practice. And, “I didn’t blow it. I’m just not…interested.”
“In Miranda or in dating?” Liam asked.
How the heck was I supposed to answer that? Fortunately, Bennett saved me from responding, saying, “I told you guys to leave it. When Tristan’s ready, he’ll take that next step.”
I nodded, silently thanking him for that. Both for respecting my boundaries and keeping his mouth shut about Elle and me.
Liam’s expression fell, and he kicked at the grass. “Yeah. Sorry. You just seemed happier lately. And you were making changes that made us…” He shook his head. “Never mind,” he added more softly.
“I appreciate that you want me to be happy, but life isn’t like the romance novels you write.”
“I believed that once too,” Liam said. “But that was only because I was scared.”
Jesus, Liam. Save me the bullshit.
“Yeah, well. Ihadmy happily ever after.”
I wasn’t scared, was I? Even if I was falling for Elle, I already knew how our story would end. She was leaving.
“I know how much you loved Tessa,” Liam continued. “We all do. But you’re young. Surely you don’t want to spend the rest of your life alone.”
“Of course not,” I snapped, my tone harsher than intended.
“Then you have to get back out there. You have to try. Right, Bennett?” He nudged Bennett.
Bennett lifted his hands in the air. “You know me. I’m not getting in the middle.”
Liam rolled his eyes. “You’re my best friend and my brother-in-law. You’re supposed to back me up on these things.”
I sighed, dragging a hand through my hair. “Can wepleasetalk about something else?”
Liam decided to take pity on me, pivoting to talk about his latest book. He was writing a story about an Olympic skier who was trying to overcome a tragic accident while also avoiding love. It sounded interesting, and Liam was a skilled storyteller.
When there was a lull in the conversation, I turned to Liam. “Can I borrow your cabin for a long weekend next month?”
“Of course.” He sipped on his beer. “Not the Fourth, though, right?”
I shook my head, knowing how big a deal the Fourth was in the AV. I hated to miss it. “No. I’ll be on a yacht for the Fourth.”
