“What?”
Kelsey had to do this. Now. Whatever Will’s reaction, she had to take the chance or live with the regret. She inhaled deeply. “Would you come with me to San Montico?”
“San Montico?”
“I’d like to see my cousin, and I thought it might be nice if you…we…went together. We could see how we get along away from all this wedding planning.”
He shifted his weight between his feet. “We don’t need to go away to know if we get along. We both know we do.”
Her heart filled with hope. She was so happy he saw it, too. “Might be fun.”
Will paused. He opened his mouth and then closed it.
Her heart thudded so loudly she wondered if he could hear it. “What?”
“If I say yes and we go away together, you know that’s all I could give you. Once we got back, it would be over. Is that enough for you?”
“No.” How quickly she answered surprised both of them, but what he’d offered wasn’t what she wanted or could accept any longer. “Before you and your family changed my mind about the possibility of true love and happily ever after, I may have considered it, but now…” She stared into his eyes. “Don’t you even want to try?”
“There’s nothing to try.” His tone was flippant.
Kelsey flinched as if she’d been slapped in the face. She half laughed. That was better than crying. “Guess I asked for that one.”
“I didn’t mean—”
“Yes, you did.” Of that, she had no doubt.
As he brushed his hand through his hair, the gold band on his finger gleamed, reflecting the light from the lamp. He still wasn’t over Sara.
Nothing Kelsey could do or say would change that. He’d told her in the many times he’d mentioned his late wife. She hadn’t thought it would be an issue when she wasn’t looking for anything serious, but the truth was Sara’s memory had been a protective wall between them, keeping Kelsey safe. Now, his past was a wall keeping them apart. But that was on her for not listening. “It’s…okay.”
Okay, that he didn’t need her. Okay that he didn’t want her. Okay that he didn’t love her.
This love stuff really hurts.
Just as she found her heart, she lost it in the same instant. No guarantees. Too bad that didn’t make her feel any better or hurt any less. But at least she’d taken her shot. What more could she have done?
Nothing. Her eyes stung, and she blinked. No way would she cry in front of him.
“I never meant to hurt you.” Regret shone in his eyes. “I do care about you.”
Care, not love. She wouldn’t settle for anything less than the whole enchilada. And Will couldn’t give that to her. Someday, after a few years of therapy, she might find someone who could.
“Say something,” he urged. “Please.”
She took another breath. “You’re a hypocrite.”
He drew back. “Excuse me?”
“You wax poetic about how important love is for everyone except yourself. The last thing you want is to find love again and have a happily ever after. You’re no different than me, except I was at least honest about my feelings.”
He stared at her. “I tried after Sara died. I’ve dated, but you can’t replace perfection.”
“You told me that no one is perfect.”
He wouldn’t meet her eyes. “That’s different.”
“Why? Because it’s safer to view the past with rose-colored glasses?”
