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“And Becca? Do you love her too?”
“I’m pretty sure you know I do.”
“Me, too.” He drops his head to my shoulder. “Are we fucked? Being in love with someone who doesn’t know we love each other?”
“I refuse to believe that.” I lift his head off me and cup his face in my hands so he can see the truth in my eyes. “Her being here, with us, is meant to be, just like you and I are.”
A look of panic ghosts across his face. “Do you think she’ll believe that? I mean, I’m not sure this is just sex for her, but that doesn’t mean she’s all in withthis.” He draws a line between the two of us. “I know we need to tell her how we feel, but do we start with that, or with the two of us being together? I don’t want to scare her away.”
“One day at a time, remember?” I kiss his forehead. “And if it makes you feel better, we can tell her about us before we tell her we love her.”
“You mean tell her we’re together?” He lets out a shaky breath.
“Or tell her we’re bi. Seeing the two of us together might open the door for her to consider that this can be more than sex, for all of us.”
“Okay.” He sucks in a lungful of air. “Dammit, I’m scared. I want this to work so bad.”
“It will.” I lean in to give him a reassuring kiss. “I love you, Blake.”
“I love you, too.” Those four little words give me hope that the life I dreamed of is about to become reality.
Chapter 22
Becca
Liz’snameflashesonthe display, bringing a smile to my face as I hitaccept. “Hey sis. How are my little nephews doing?”
Charlie and Henry are two and four, and after they had to move to Arizona for my brother-in-law’s job I haven’t seen much of them. Had they stayed in Utah I might not have taken a job in Katah Vista, even if it made me one of the first female bike park designers on record. Them being gone was just one more reason for me to try something new, too.
“They’re doing great. They miss their auntie.”
“I miss them. So, are you boiling in the desert sun?” My sister is neither a tomboy nor an outdoor lover, but with two little boys she can’t escape playtime outside. I never get tired of teasing her about that.
“I actually took them to an indoor pool the other day, thank you very much.”
“It’s August for you too, right? You didn’t go through some sort of time portal or something when you crossed the border, because if I remember correctly, August is summer. No indoor pools allowed.
“When it’s seventy-five degrees indoors and well over a hundred outdoors, you’d stay inside, too. Besides, you’ll probably get snow in the next few weeks, and when you do, you’ll be begging to come down here and borrow my sunshine.”
I roll my eyes even though she’s right. “I just might take you up on that. So, have you met any more people down there?”
“I signed Henry up for preschool, so I’m sure I’ll meet some other moms soon. What about you?”
A smile tugs at my mouth as I recall the concert a few nights back. Not only did I meet some really friendly girls, they’ve already invited me to brunch this weekend. “Actually, yes. There’s a group of girls here that seem pretty nice,andthey like biking. Or they’re willing to try, anyway. One of them, Tiff, grew up here so she’s done some riding before. Then there’s Cora, her husband has been teaching her to bike, but she’d like a girlfriend to ride with. The others seem interested in having me teach them, too.”
“Sounds like you found your people.” I hear the joy in Liz’s voice, and I have to swallow down the lump it makes in my throat.
Only Liz knows the extent of my loneliness in Utah, and how I struggled to find people there. I clung to Brian pretty hard after our parents died in a car wreck, and my friendships suffered because of it. It didn’t help that I buried myself in work, establishing myself as the person Jackson could rely on. It was amazing for my career but the kiss of death for my social life. By the time I picked my head up from the bike trail and realized Brian was cheating on me, most of my friends had moved away or moved on. So, I did what was familiar. More work.
Looking back, I can’t say I regret anything. Those choices paved the way for this job, and I’m grateful to have it. But I’ve also learned that no matter how much I love my job I have to balance living with working, and finding people I can relate to is a great start.
“It’s early still, but yeah. I can see myself being happy here.”
“So, you’ve met some girls. What about guys?” The silence tells me she’s holding her breath, waiting for my response.
I should’ve been expecting this question. Liz has been wanting me to get back out there for months, not because she thinks I need a man but because she doesn’t want me to be afraid of them. I sort of figured she’d give me more time to get settled before bringing guys up, though.
Guys. It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her yes, I’ve met some. But I can’t get the words out.
