“There’s nothingat allwrong with her,” Julian said with a sigh.“That’s the problem.Trust me, with everything she’s dealing with, the last thing in the world she needs is a guy like me sniffing around.”
“Maybe you’re exactly what she needs—someone solid and steady and reliable.”
“What is wrong with you?I’m telling you I’m toxic to women, and you’re pushing me toward your suddenly single sister who’s one of the most precious people in the world to you?”
Denny looked away for a second before he shifted his gaze back to Julian.“She’s not the only one who’s been through a lot with Gabriel.He came between me and my sister.If I’d had any idea what was really going on with them, I would’ve gotten her the hell out of there ages ago.So when I tell you that having her with you would give me peace of mind, I mean it.”
“Don’t give me permission, man.That’s the last freaking thing I need right now when I’m trying to forget this ever happened.”
“How’s that going for you?”
Julian’s deep sigh was his only reply.
“Think about what I said.”
He wondered how he’d think about anything else.
“She deserves a big love with a guy who deserves her.That’s what she’s always wanted.When she was little, she played bride and wedding and was Mommy to her dolls.After our parents died, she never played those games again.She was forced to grow up overnight, and the minute she was old enough, she found a guy to marry and committed to him with her whole heart, even though he never deserved her.She’s the best mom ever and the absolute sweetest person I know.It’s been so, so hard having to keep my distance out of fear of driving her away with my obvious, intense dislike of Gabriel.”
Picturing little Isla playing dress-up as a bride gave him a warm feeling inside, until he remembered that going anywhere near a woman who’d fantasized about love and marriage was the last thing he ought to do.
“I hope she finds that.She deserves the best of everything.”
“Yes, she does.”After a long pause, Denny said, “I appreciate you being honest with me.I know it wasn’t easy to tell me this.”
“It wasn’t, but I don’t want trouble between us.Whatever this was has been nipped in the bud, and life will go on.Don’t give it another thought, okay?”
“Yeah, okay.”
“And don’t say anything to her about it, please?”
Denny nodded.
“I’ll see you Wednesday, then.”
“See you then.”
“We’re all good?”Julian asked, needing to be sure.
“All good.”
They headed to their vehicles.
“Hey, Julian?”
He turned back to his friend.“Yeah?”
“Has this ever happened before?Where you had to step away like this from a case?”
“Not for this reason.”
“Huh.Interesting.”
That wasn’t the word Julian would’ve used to describe it, he thought as he hung his suit in the back of the G-Wagon and tossed his backpack onto the seat.Julian would’ve said it was shocking, unsettling and a bit… devastating.He felt the same way he had after he and Aimee broke up, which made no sense.They’d been together for three years.He’d seen Islathree times, for less thantwo hourstotal.
Make it make sense.
He drove home on autopilot, exhausted and annoyed and out of sorts like he’d been since he saw Aimee last month.That should’ve been a reminder of why he needed to steer clear of these sorts of things.Not that he’d gone looking for this.
