“I don’t know for sure.”
“Delaney, he started this project when you first told him about the research on activities and dementia. He kept it going after things ended between you. The only reason that makes sense is that he loves you. Yes, he screwed up big time, but there’s no question my brother loves you. The only question is whether you love him back enough to fight for your relationship. God knows he’s trying.”
I turn and look back at the building. I’m still awestruck that he did this. “Yeah, I mean this is…” I look over my shoulder at him.
“No, I’m not talking about that. I’m… Never mind. Just think about what you want, either way, and go all in. Or you’ll both end up hurt even more than you already are.”
I spin my body to face him and narrow my eyes at him. “Tell me what else you meant when you said he’s trying, if you weren’t talking about this.”
Holden runs a hand through his hair and peers upward. When he returns his gaze to mine, he looks me in the eye for a second or two, then sighs. “Shit. He’s gonna kill me.” He glances toward the bench on his other side, then back at me. “Let’s sit.”
Once we’re seated, my patience wears thin. I have a frenetic need in me to know what he meant. “Okay. Now, please tell me.”
“Harrison started seeing a counselor to help him work through his issues—his trauma and grief. He started shortlyafter the two of you ended things. I think, for him, the things he said to you were his rock bottom. He’s been working his ass off to give therapy his all. He never misses an appointment, and he’s been faithfully working through whatever questions the guy gives him every week. I swear I hardly ever see him without one of those notebooks, furiously scribbling something in it.”
That’s the project he told me he was working on. My heart skips a beat.
“It’s good that he’s getting support,” I whisper.
“I don’t think you understand. It’s not just good; it’s miraculous. My God, he didn’t even go to counseling after he found our dad. It took losing you?—”
“What did you just say?” Surely, I must have heard him wrong.
“Which part? About the counseling?”
“Did you say that Harrisonfoundyour dad?” I don’t hide the incredulity in my voice. Harrison told me a lot of details about that day, but he left out this very important one. I’m not sure why I didn’t think to ask.
Holden’s head drops, and he closes his eyes for a few seconds before looking at me again. “Yeah, he did. He didn’t tell you that? Jesus. I’m really screwing the pooch today, aren’t I?”
“I need to talk to him.” I jump to my feet. “Do you know where he is? I haven’t seen him in a while.”
When Holden looks up at me, his face has fallen. “I’m sorry, Delaney. Harrison left quite a while ago.”
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Harrison
“What’s this?” I glance up from my notebook, first at the glass of whiskey the bartender just set down in front of me, then at the bartender.
“From a lady at the other end of the bar.” I don’t even bother looking. I don’t care.
“Yeah, thanks, but I’m not interested.” I push the drink off to the side and lift my glass of Macallan to take a sip.
“She told me if you said that, to give you this.” He hands me a slip of paper and walks away. This is weird, but curiosity is killing me now, so I unfold the paper, and it reads:Never have I ever completely nailed the grand gesture.
“What the hell?” I mutter. I glance up and look across the bar. None of the women in the large group that arrived about an hour ago are looking my way, but when I look further to the left, my heart pounds.
Is it really her?I blink my eyes a few times to see if anything changes. It doesn’t. It’s Delaney, and she’s watching me.
She picks up her phone, and a few seconds later, sets it on the bar top. My phone dings, and I glance down to see an incoming text from her.
Bets
Never have I ever fallen in love with someone I met in a hotel bar.
Ouch. That hurts, and I’m confused as to why she’d come all this way to tell me she doesn’t love me.
I peer across the bar, locking eyes with her. Watching me, she lifts her whiskey and takes a sip. When she sets her glass back on the bar top, she bites at her lower lip and stares at me with an intense gaze.
