“Night, Mama.”
I hung up and let my head hang. God, I was pathetic. I swiped at my eyes and hopped out. My phone buzzed.
I thought Mama was trying to call back, but no. My heart did a hopeful leap and then stalled.
Jonah: I just need to know you made it home okay.
There went the tears again. Was I really not okay with our current arrangement?
I shook my head.I’m home.
Several minutes went by before I realized I was still standing in the dark garage, looking at my screen, waiting for him to reply. But he never did. He cared enough to check up on me, and that was it.
I went inside, tossing my purse and keys on the counter. Maybe Mama was right. I needed to make sure I hadn’t laid out unrealistic standards for Jonah to live up to.
The problem was,hewas unrealistic. He was sensitive and caring, sexy as sin, and had muscles galore. He was vulnerable around me and only me. He’d made me feel special. He’d been everything I’d ever wanted in a guy. But even that hadn’t been enough.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Jonah
“I’ll be right back, Jonah.” Macy scurried off, and I was left waiting in the front of the hardware store. The young guy working the till lifted his chin toward me like this was our usual routine.
Actually, it was.
I pushed a hand through my hair, waiting for the fall of the strands on my forehead, but with regular haircuts, that happened less and less. I had trimmed my beard and my scar showed through the stubble more, but the kid didn’t dwell on it.
Actually, no one at Curly’s last weekend had either.
I didn’t like to think about last weekend. How I’d been an epic dick and lashed out at Summer. How I’d gone to bed alone. How her face had looked when I’d said the shitty things I had.
Wasn’t that what I’d done? Pushed her away when she was trying to have an honest conversation?
Fuck. Like usual, my thoughts spun like tractor wheels in mud.
I struggled to concentrate on the task at hand. I had to pick up another order of epoxy, a special-ordered router, and a band-saw blade for another custom project. This time, I made sure the order didn’t include heirlooms or collectibles.
But that had been a nice table.
No. I was not making more. The pressure had been absurd.
Yet... the detail would take my damn mind off missing Summer every second of the day.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. Loss ripped through my chest, followed by panic that I couldn’t turn back time and take back everything I’d said to make Summer leave.
But I had, and I’d meant what I’d said. Summer was better off moving on with someone else and getting what she wanted. I couldn’t have her pausing her life to wait on me.
A cart wheel squeaked as Macy returned. “How’s this?”
I didn’t bother to check the order. Only once in fifteen years had an item been missing, and today, I didn’t care if everything was there. I’d come to town to keep from being home and replaying the conversation in my head like I’d done for the last four days.
“It’s all been run through your account.” Her grin was wider than normal. “You look like the spring air’s agreeing with you.”
She was digging for information I wasn’t willing to give. I felt like hell. Seemed like an insult to what I had with Summer to get compliments on my appearance, asif waking up knowing I wouldn’t be seeing her this weekend wasn’t hell.
“Thanks.” It took all my energy to soften my response. Macy and her husband had been too good to me over the years to bite her head off for thinking I was a stable adult. “Winter’s finally done with us for a while.”
A piercing hole burned through my chest. Had I said that to remind myself what I’d lost? No more snowstorms until next winter. No Summer getting stranded at my cabin. Just me. Alone. Until next winter.
