“Me, too.” Blake 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. “Him being here, with us, is meant to be, just like you and I are.”
A look of panic ghosts across Blake’s face. “Do you think he’ll believe that? I mean, I believe it, but do you think he will? Considering…” Blake draws a line between the two of us. “I know we need to tell him how we feel, but do we start with that, or confess the two of us are already together? I don’t want to scare him away.”
“One day at a time, remember?” I kiss Blake’s forehead. “And if it makes you feel better, we can tell him about us before we tell him we love him.”
“You mean tell him we’re not just roommates?” Blake lets out a shaky breath.
“Knowing the two of us are together might open the door for him to consider that this can be more than sex, for all of us.”
“Okay.” Blake 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 twenty-one
Kane
Liz’s name flashes on the 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 was the right career move. Them being gone was just one more reason for me to try something new, too.
“They’re doing great. They miss their uncle.”
“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 nice guys, and a girl, they’ve already invited me to their business owner’s brunch this weekend. Even though I’m not technically a business owner, being in charge of the bike park must count in their eyes.
“Actually, yes. There’s a group of guys here that seem pretty nice,andthey like biking. Or they’re willing to try, anyway.”
“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 learnedthat 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 guys. Any that might be boyfriend material?” 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.
“You have met someone.” I hear the sly smile in her voice.
