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Light suddenly blinded him.
Eddie cried out and raised her arm to block her eyes. “What the hell is that?” she asked, stumbling backward.
The voice of reason. That’s what that was.
Her father had flicked the porch light on.
The back door flew open. “What are you kids up to?”
Mr. Hunt knew exactly what they were up to. It was clear as day on his face.
“Just bringing Edwina home, sir,” Sullivan said, feeling all of seventeen years old and guilty as hell. He’d been on the verge of crossing a major line. It didn’t matter that he was falling head over ass for Eddie. It was still wrong. “She got a little too much sun today.”
“I was day drinking, Dad,” she confessed. “I had margaritas.”
“Oh, Lord,” Eddie said, shaking his head. “Get your butt to bed, girl. And drink some water.”
She blew a kiss to her father. “Okie dokie.” Then she turned and started up the steps to the garage apartment, leaning heavily on the railing.
“Sullivan.”
He paused, one foot on the bottom step. He swallowed and squared his shoulders before turning back to Mr. Hunt. “Yes?”
Eddie watched his daughter climb the stairs. He waited until she was almost at the top, then he said in a low voice, “Edwina is confused right now about her relationship. I’m asking you not to make things worse. She has to go back to her life. This isn’t a game, son.”
“I know.”
Eddie looked deeply concerned. “Because she can be easily persuaded. She’s a people pleaser. She wants everyone happy. It’s both something beautiful about her personality and a danger.”
Sullivan nodded. If there was ever a situation to do the right thing, this was it. He shouldn’t have even considered kissing Edwina. “I give you my word, I won’t mess anything up for her.”
They’d had a great day together, hanging out with friends, playing with Finn, taking another dip in the lake. They were friends and that was going to have to be enough.
“I trust you.”
That meant something to him. Because he trusted himself. He respected and cared about Eddie too much to be that guy. He couldn’t be selfish and just take what he wanted.
“Goodnight.” He followed Eddie up the stairs with a lump in his throat.
If you loved someone, you had to let them go.
Even if it sucked ass.
Eddie was in the kitchen chugging down a huge glass of water, which was smart. She made a loud smacking sound when she set the empty glass on the counter. “That was refreshing.”
“You going to bed?” he asked. Once he knew she was safely asleep, he was going back to Jesse’s and he and Finn could just crash there for the night.
He didn’t need or want any temptation. Which was why he stayed close to the door, still wearing his swim trunks and a T-shirt, sandals on.
“In a minute.” She refilled the glass. “I was serious when I said you’re a good man and you’re a fantastic father.”
He felt self-conscious and didn’t feel like he really deserved the compliment. “I haven’t been a good man all the time, Ed. I’ve been rude, I’ve been surly, I’ve taken my friends and family for granted. I’ve had moments where my emotions ran away with me.”
She eyed him over the glass, which rested on her lips. She took a sip and then lowered the glass. “You lost your wife right after she had your baby. You were allowed to grieve.”
He rubbed his forehead. It felt like he needed to say all this, like he needed her to understand where he’d been and where he wanted to go. He wanted her to know him, all of him, the good, the bad, and the ugly, before she went back to New York and figured out her life.
Maybe he just wanted to be totally honest with someone he trusted. He didn’t share his emotions often, but he trusted Eddie and she was easy to talk to.
