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“Um, hey.” Good grief! Did my voice just go up three octaves?
He folds both arms over his chest, biceps bulging. He was always fit, but I swear those muscles are twice as big as I remember.Kinley, stop staring!
“What are you doing here, Kin?”
My heart squeezes at the nickname. My sisters call me that, too. But it’s the way Rowan says it that makes me mourn the close friendship we had for most of our lives. All ruined with one stupid kiss. One very good, toe-curling, not-supposed-to-feel-like-that-with-your-best-friend kiss.
I push off the tree and trek the last stretch up the driveway, painfully aware that Rowan watches me struggle with each step and does nothing to help.So it’s going to be this way. The last few feet, the big, fluffy dog named Bear wags his giant tail and trots toward me. “You aren’t going to eat me, are you buddy?”
“It’sBear.”
I give Bear a few head scratches, then latch onto his collar. “Little help?” I plead to the dog. As if he understands me completely, Bear pulls me up the last few feet. “Good boy,Bear.” He wags his tail so hard it whips me in the shins. I don’t mind. With the way Rowan is glaring at me, I’m pretty sure this pup is my only ally.
“You know why I’m here,” I say to Rowan, trying to pretend I’m not out of breath and failing.
He stares at me, arms still folded over his muscular chest. That poor T-shirt is strained within an inch of its life, the way it stretches tightly over each and every cut of muscle. I gulp a swallow, well aware that these arenotthoughts you have about your best friend. Or former best friend.Get it together, Kin.
“I didn’t think you’d come.”
“Yeah, me either,” I pant, bending over now that I’m on level ground. Well aware that while Rowan went and got extra buff in the past three years, I got extrafluffy. Even if he wasn’t mad at me, it’s doubtful he’d kiss me again like this. All huffing and sweaty. “We really need your help.”
Rowan shakes his head, drops his arms, and spins on a heel. “Unbelievable.”
“Hey, where are you going?”
Bear looks between us, unsure if he should stay with me or chase his dad. When Rowan reaches his covered porch, Bear lets out a whine to express his confusion. It’s then that I notice the log cabin. It’s not the same one that was on the property three years ago. It’s an entirely new house. One with a covered front porch that spans the entire front. Two rocking chairs sit on either side of a round table. Along with two glasses.
My heart sinks, though I hardly know why.
Rowan was never mine. That he’s moved on since that kiss should be no surprise. He’s amazing. It was only a matter of time before some lucky woman figured it out.
“The first words out of your mouth were afavor, Kin.”
Um. Okay. I wipe the bead of sweat from my forehead and square my shoulders. “Hi. How are you? How’s the family?”
“Christ.” He runs a hand through his shaggy hair, and dammit if it doesn’t take me right back to that kiss. I want so badly to thread my fingers through his hair before I come to my senses. “An apology, Kin. I’m waiting.”
“Willow didn’t say anything about an apology.” The second the words are out of my mouth, the gravity of what he’s saying sinks in. “Oh.”
I shuffle my feet toward the porch, giving Bear some relief. He wags his tail, happy to have the two of us in closer proximity. Oblivious to the way my heart is racing. Because Rowan is right. Idoowe him an apology. It was an ugly fight, but I was the one who delivered the winning blow. A victory title I really don’t want.
Bear hurries up the three stairs but I stop short and shove my hands in my back pockets. I wore jeans to keep the mosquitoes from eating my legs, but the way they stick to my sweaty body is uncomfortable. I’d planned on a long shower when I got back to Grandma Rose’s place, but Aurora tends to use up all the hot water. Who am I kidding? After I leave Rowan’s sight, I’m going to need acoldshower.
“I’m sorry, Rowan. Okay?”
“Sorry for whatexactly?” He drops into the far chair and reaches for his sweating glass of beer. The other glass—white wine—sits untouched, waiting for whoever is joining him.
“I’m sorry I said I didn’t want you in my life anymore. That was a…mistake.”
Rowan studies me, his gaze making me uncomfortable. I don’t like my best friend mad at me, but more than that, I feel like he can see every new flaw. I tug on my shirt to hide some of them. “How’s Anders?”
“Balls deep in Stacy last I checked.”
Rowan’s gruff expression softens, but his grip on the rocking chair arm tightens so much his knuckles turn white. “Ouch.”
Bear stands at the top of the steps, staring at me with those big brown eyes. I give in and sit on the top step so I can rub his enormous, soft head. “When’d you get a dog?”
“About three years ago.”
