Instead, I lean in a little closer. “You can do this—one night off. Just you, me, and some ridiculously good food. Deal?”
She hesitates for a moment but then smiles softly. “Deal.”
I know it’s not easy for her. Kelsey’s the type who doesn’t stop thinking about work, even when she needs to. But she deserves this moment. We both do. So I make a silent vow to keep the conversation light. I’ll make sure tonight is about enjoying each other’s company—nothing else.
We order the parrillada for two, a mix of different cuts of meat, grilled to perfection. The waiter brings over a bottle of Malbec, and Kelsey looks at me expectantly.
“What?” I ask.
“This is the part where you try to convince me you know everything about wine,” she teases, setting her glass down.
I raise an eyebrow, giving her a mischievous grin. “I’m not going to pretend to be a wine expert, but I do know that a Malbec pairs perfectly with a good steak.”
She laughs. “All right, fine. But just so you know, I think red wine pairs perfectly with just about anything.”
“Ah, the side of Kelsey Harper I haven’t yet gotten to experience—the casual adult one. I got to watch the version of you whoexcelled at everything through school, and now I know professional Kelsey, but I’m so looking forward to getting to know just normal, grown-up Kelsey.”
She snorts but doesn’t respond. I may have been teasing, but I mean every word of it. Iamlooking forward to getting to know the version of Kelsey who isn’t in professional mode all hours of the day.
The food arrives shortly after, sizzling plates of meat that make my mouth water. Kelsey’s eyes light up when the first bite of steak hits her tongue, and I can’t help but laugh at the contented sigh she lets out.
“Oh my God,” she says, taking another bite. “This is heaven. If there’s one thing I can’t complain about in this entire crazy tour, it’s the food.”
I smile, leaning back in my chair. “I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”
She meets my gaze, her eyes turning a bit hard. “I’m not sure if I’ve earned it, but it feels good to be able to relax for a bit.”
We eat in companionable silence for a few moments, the clinking of silverware and the hum of the restaurant around us. Kelsey’s focused on her food, and for the first time in days, she seems like she might actually be relaxed.
“So,” I say, breaking the silence. “Tell me about something other than work. What do you miss most about home when we’re on the road?”
She leans back in her chair, thoughtfully swirling her wineglass. “Hmm. I think I miss family dinners most of all. It’s the routine and connection and just feeling like I’m back in a time when everything in my life was a bit simpler.”
“How often do you have family dinners?” I ask, so intrigued by the idea of more than just two people sitting down to eat each night.
“We’re not like some TV family with a set dinner every Sunday exactly at five, but we usually get together a few times a month. It used to be more based around Bryn’s work schedule, but now my parents try to time it up when Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb are in town.”
I snort, wine threatening to come out my nose. “I can’t believe you call two professional golfers and some of the most famous men in the country that.”
“I don’t know how I got so unlucky to be surrounded by famous people all the time.”
“Ah, I’m starting to see my appeal now,” I joke. “Common is now uncommon.”
She snorts. “Don’t play that game with me. You might not be as likely to have your face on a magazine cover, but in the right circles? The ones I happen to be a part of too? You’ve earned quite a name for yourself. I think military leadership all the way up to the White House wept when you decided to retire to come back to be with your mom.”
“I never had dreams like that. I just wanted to do the best I could for the other guys in my squad,” I say honestly. It’s not something I’ve ever really let myself think about—the what-ifs, but I can’t imagine anything else pushing me from the course I was on. I liked having a purpose. “Plus, I liked it. I was good at it.”
“I’m sorry you had to give it up. Will you try to go back once everything is…figured out with your mom?”
Most people have that pause. The one where they’re not sure what to say when they realize there isn’t a way my mom gets better. Death is what will eventually set me free, and it’s a freedom I don’t want.
“I’m hoping it’s a really long time from now. When I came back, I assumed it was forever. I thought I would have twenty or more years with my mom. Now, well, despite all the integrative care and other treatments we’ve had her in, it’s looking like it might be possible for me to go back after all.”
She squeezes my hand, her eyes meeting mine with an emotion I can’t quite name, but it makes my chest tighten.
“Is that something you’d like to do?” she asks, more timid than Kelsey ever is, and suddenly I realize what she’s asking: Is there a time limit on us?
“No. I think my path is elsewhere now,” I say, hoping the look in my eyes can convey everything my words can’t. I do want to stay, but if Trent fires me, I may not have an option. Harper Security has always been my backup plan—assuming I could learn to talk in Kelsey’s presence—but now that I know about her history with her ex-boyfriend, I couldn’t put her in the position of asking.
