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“That’s not very nice.” But she looked amused. “Why did you do that?”
“Because I don’t want him talking to you.”
“I can handle myself, Sullivan. I don’t need you to be my personal bodyguard.”
Rationally, that was true. But he hadn’t felt rational since he’d set his house on fire and been knocked on his ass. Something had been knocked loose in him and he had no clue what exactly was happening. But he did know he wanted Torin to stay the fuck away from Eddie.
“I have no doubt you can handle yourself. But I’m saving you the trouble.” He tried not to think about how beautiful she looked with the flames from the fire sending light dancing over her face. “Are you having fun?” he asked.
“Yes, I am. I appreciate the invite.” She smiled softly and rubbed her arms. “My dad would have been here too if his foot wasn’t bothering him.”
“Are you cold? I can get you a sweatshirt. Or a drink?”
She shook her head. “No, I’m fine.”
They sat quietly for a minute. Then he said, “Thank you for agreeing to go to Finn’s skating lesson tomorrow. I know he put you on the spot.”
“It will be fun. I spent so much time at that rink. I’d like to see it again. And Finn skating must be adorable.”
“He has my skill level. Very middle of the pack. But he’s enthusiastic and he enjoys himself.”
“That’s all that matters.”
He scoffed. “Okay, adult Edwina. That was not how you felt at twelve-years-old.”
She laughed. “Fair enough. I’m trying to be supportive though. We can’t tell kids the harsh realities of life. Not at four-years-old, anyway. They need pep talks, right?”
“They do need pep talks. And hugs. That’s why I loved Axl’s mom. She always gave me these huge hugs.” He smiled a little at the memory. “She still does.”
“My mother is not a hugger. She doesn’t like to mess up her hair, her makeup, or wrinkle her clothes.”
“That’s why I fell in love with Kendra, or partly anyway. I just knew she would be a mom like Axl’s. She was so generous and caring and the first person there, even in high school, when someone was sad or to help them celebrate a birthday. I wanted to give my son a mom like that.” He stared at his beer bottle, chest tight, overwhelmed by what Finn had lost.
“What happened to Kendra?” Eddie asked softly. “If you don’t mind me asking?”
He glanced over at Eddie. Her expression wasn’t filled with pity, just curiosity.
“We found out when she was pregnant with Finn that she had an aggressive form of early-onset breast cancer. She chose the pregnancy over treatment.” He wouldn’t have expected any other decision from Kendra. That was who she was, always willing to sacrifice for others. To do so for her own son had been an easy decision for her, if not for him. “She passed when Finn was just a few months old.”
Eddie’s hand briefly squeezed his thigh before pulling back. “I’m so sorry.”
“What’s funny is how happy Kendra was just to even have those few months. She was dying and yet she was happy. She made the most of every minute with Finn.” He hadn’t allowed himself to think about that in a long time. He did now with appreciation and wonderment. God, she’d deserved more.
“She sounds like an amazing person.”
“She was.” His heart hurt just thinking about what Kendra had been denied. But at the same time, it felt appropriate to dust off those emotions right now, when he was trying to be a better man. “I never talk about this. I don’t know why I am right now.”
“Because you’re talking to a friend,” Eddie said, giving him a smile.
He stared into her amber-colored eyes, sensing a shift in him. She was right and it felt kind of… freeing. “Yeah, I am. Thank you, Ed.”
“Back at you, Sullivan,” she said, softly. “Thanks for sharing.”
He sipped his beer. “I wonder what the hell Kendra would think of me now. I’m not even the same person she married.”
“I’m sure she’d be proud of the way you’re raising Finn.”
“I hope so.” Though he wasn’t sure, and that kept him up at night.
