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“The first night we met. When we were having drinks.”
I didn’t realize at the time that she was angry about it or how much it had affected her life. And now it makes sense. If she hasn’t told anyone, telling me was one way of getting it off her chest.
“Oh.”
“Yeah, oh. I bet you never even told your family, have you?
She hesitates, then shakes her head.
“And youaremad at him. You would be stupid not to be. He left while you were pregnant after missing the birth of your first child. He chose his career over you.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Easy for someone who has never served to judge.”
“Hey, don’t get me wrong. I completely understand getting called up. Becca’s brother is a SEAL. But what I don’t understand is why he left you by choice. Not when you are the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. He left you to handle everything on your own.”
“He said he would be back in time, so he wasn’t planning on getting killed.”
“No, he wasn’t, and he is a hero. Don’t get me wrong. I’m thankful for men and women like him every day, but you have a right to be angry, Liv.”
“You have no right to judge me, Mason.”
“I do when you use it as a buffer.”
“What the fuck do you mean by that?”
I know she’s pissed now. She doesn’t cuss much.
“I mean, you use the fact that you’re a widow to keep men—everyone—at a safe distance.”
“I’m a mom too. I have a lot of things on my plate.”
“Guess what, Liv, you aren’t the only single mother. And if you were happy, that would be okay. But you aren’t. And I know if you walk away from me, you’ll regret it.”
“Is that a threat?”
“What? No. I mean…” I take a deep breath, trying to calm my temper. I don’t have a quick one, but I tend to go scorched Earth once it flames to life. “I mean that someday, those kids will grow up and have lives of their own. Then you’ll not have them to use as a buffer, either.”
“My kids are more important than a one-night stand.”
“As they should be but using them as an excuse to ignore what’s going on between us is bullshit.”
“Why can’t we go slow? Since my husband died, I haven’t had a relationship, and I need you to be patient with me.”
“Fine, but being patient doesn’t include hiding this.” The look on her face tells me that’s what she meant. “I won’t pretend we’re not involved.”
“It’s just that you’re so much younger, and people will talk.”
“In this town, people will talk no matter what. What you mean is that you don’t trust me.”
“I barely know you.”
I step closer and take her hand, pressing it to my chest. “You know me. You know you can trust me, or you never would have gone to my room with me.”
She’s staring at her hand on my chest, mine still covering hers. Her gaze is filled with a longing so big that I can feel it reach down into my soul.
In the next moment, she’s slipping her hand from mine and stepping around me. If she had picked up a kitchen knife and stabbed me, it would have hurt less than that rejection.
“So, you don’t trust me.” I turn to face her. I can see the tears there, but she’s holding them back. That hits me harder than if she were a sobbing mess.
