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“That wouldn’t be so bad,” she admitted. “But come on, Lana. We’re total catches. Women like us don’t stay single forever.”
“I think that’s the problem. I think we’re too good for all the men out there.”
She laughed, then decided to practice her walking over to the recliner. We stayed camped out there for the rest of the night—eating, drinking, watching TV, laughing, and crying.
I did a good job of hiding the swirl of emotions inside, which shouldn’t have been a surprise. I had been keeping it from her for so long, I was used to it.
But through all the laughter and good times we shared that night, I couldn’t stop thinking about Keith. I knew I could get over him for good this time and give up any notion of a relationship between us standing a chance.
Still, it hurt. I ached for him, despite everything I knew and all that had happened. At the end of the night, part of me still longed to curl up next to him and feel the warmth of his body next to mine.
I had to stay strong. I tried to give him a chance, but was reminded why that was a bad idea. I let Keith hurt me for the last time.
28
KEITH
The air was thick and humid from a storm that had blown through the night before. The moisture brought all of the mosquitos, bugs, and frogs out in full force. They buzzed around the lake, which was still covered in a lingering fog from the early morning hours. Soon, that fog would be like steam lifting from the water. It was expected to be one of the hottest days on record for the summer.
I stood on the dock and tried to stay busy with as many tasks as I could out there, while keeping a watchful eye on the parking lot. I kept hoping to see Lana’s old van pull in. She hadn’t been there all week, but I expected the first few days were just to teach me a lesson. Maybe she was still coming back.
“He looks like a dog waiting for his master,” one of the guys on the crew joked.
They erupted into laughter and then got back to work.
I did my best to ignore them, but I knew I had exhausted every small outside task I could do. I needed to head inside and really get started on the day’s work.
Another day came and went with no sight of Lana. I tried to stay busy and distracted, but nothing I did helped to get her off my mind.
I worked until the sun started to set, then got in my truck and headed over to Derek’s house for dinner. The moment I walked in the door, Em came running up and nearly pummeled me.
“Hey there, sweetheart,” I said to her, nudging her on the arm. I didn’t have the energy for our usual rough-housing.
Melody shot Derek a look, which I could only assume, was some kind of concern for me.
“Take it easy on Uncle Keith,” he told Em. Then he turned to me. “You look like you need a beer.”
“Oh, no thanks. None for me. Is there anything I can do to help with dinner?”
Melody’s eyes widened at Derek again. “Uh, no. We’re all set. It should be ready in fifteen minutes or so. Em, why don’t you come help me set the table.”
Em walked over and took her hand as they disappeared into the kitchen. Derek was awkward as he approached me and patted his hand on my back.
“Want to step outside for a minute? I think it’s finally cooling off out there.”
I nodded and followed him out onto the porch. I sat down on the swing while he paced along the front steps and stared out at the dark roads and fields all around his house.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
“No, I’m fine. Tired, but all good.”
He shot me a look of disbelief. “Come on, Keith. I’ve never once seen you turn down an ice-cold beer after a hard day’s work. I’ve never seen you turn down a beer at any time, for any reason.”
“So what? You got a problem with me cutting back?”
His brow furrowed. “Is that what you’re doing? Cutting back? You gotta tell me these things, so I stop offering.”
“No,” I groaned. “I’m just…not in the mood tonight.”
