“I’ll be gone anyway,” Sadie says and pauses to sip her coffee. “I fly out this afternoon. I’ve got to work and I miss my boyfriend. And I’m confident now that Winnie is handling things in her own unique way.”
“She is,” I say with a nod. “And I don’t think I’ve said it yet to you but I’m very sorry for your loss. Your dad was a great guy. He never made me feel unwanted, like most of the other parents in this town did when I hung out with their kids.”
Sadie smiles. She looks a lot like Winnie when she does that. “Dad was a very easygoing, open guy who gave everyone a chance. He could forgive people anything…unless they hurt his wife or his kids.”
She gives me a very pointed stare I couldn’t miss if I tried. I chuff out a sheepish breath. “Winnie’s pain right now isn’t caused by me.”
“I know that,” Sadie replies and sits up a little straighter. “Judging by the fact that I saw her sneak into your trailer last night and stay there for four and a half hours, I’d say you’re actually providing her pleasure, not her pain.”
Am I bushing? I feel like I’m blushing. Fuck. Sadie lets out a breathless laugh. “But I know my sister and this…you…are out of character for her.”
Ouch. That stings. But before I can figure out how to respond to what feels like one hell of a burn, she gives me an apologetic smile. “She’s had one serious boyfriend in her entire life and the last time she saw you, she broke your nose, so you have to understand why this seems out of character.”
“Grief changes you,” I reply because I have my own experience to prove that.
“Grief makes you vulnerable.” Sadie stands up from the couch, keeping her gaze level with mine.
I see where this is going. “I’m not taking advantage of Winnie. If anything, there’s a chance she’s taking advantage of me.”
Sadie’s blue eyes flare at my admission. I rub the back of my neck. I’m not great at dealing with my own vulnerability. “I just came here to renovate a damn house. I didn’t expect to see Winnie again and I certainly didn’t expect to develop feelings for her. But I did. Now whether this is just some crazy grief-induced fling for her, I have no idea. But it’s not for me.”
“Does she know that?” Sadie asks.
“She does,” I say and any further conversation is interrupted by the sound of feet on the stairs.
“Sadie, why is Winnie still asleep?” Dixie says as she comes bounding into the living room already dressed for the day in leggings and an oversized sweater. She stops short at the sight of me. “Holden.”
“Yeah, that’s probably why,” Sadie says under her breath with a smile. Louder though, so Dixie can actually hear, she says, “She probably didn’t get much sleep. I’ll go wake her up and change and we can go out and grab food.”
Sadie disappears around the corner and I hear her climb the stairs. Dixie and I just stand there staring at each other awkwardly for a second. I clear my throat. “I’m going to head outside and wait for my buddy who’s helping me paint this morning.”
“That’s not who was standing on the front lawn taking money from you this morning?” she asks and I stop breathing. Fuck, she saw me. Did Winnie see me?
“No,” I say as she’s stares at me with a single raised eyebrow. “That was a personal matter.”
“Where you going to live after this job is done?’ Dixie asks bluntly.
“I’ll be getting an apartment and storing the trailer.”
“Where?”
“Are you the one getting married here next summer?” I ask desperate to change the subject before I snap at her for being so damn nosy. My eyes land on the diamond ring on her finger. “A hockey player?”
She nods. “A goalie.”
“So you like them crazy,” I quip, and her hard, suspicious expression snaps as she laughs.
“Yeah, he’s a little nuts, but so am I,” Dixie says.
I hear more footsteps on the stairs and then Sadie and Winnie appear behind Dixie. My eyes go straight to Winnie. She’s in jeans and a plain, clingy white T-shirt with her dad’s gray cardigan. Her hair is in a messy bun and her cheeks pink slightly as she looks at me. I smile. “Morning, Winona.”
Winnie smiles but quickly bites it back. “Hey. Sadie said the kitchen is almost finished.”
I nod. “Painting this morning and cabinet installation later tonight. When I get back from my appointment this afternoon.”
“Appointment?” Winnie echoes and her expression turns hard. I swear I can see her building a little wall around her heart right now, brick by brick, as we stare at each other. I could tell her where I’m going. I could validate it, but I’m so sick of her still searching for a reason to run from me, to distrust me and shut down her feelings for me. I’m sick of making amends and being the adult here.
I feel my shoulders tense. “Yup. An appointment.”
