That’s exactly what she was going to do. She was done with living in the past. It was too heavy of a burden for her to carry around. What would it feel like, she wondered, to have this weight lifted off her shoulders?
From this point forward, she was choosing joy. She was choosing Xavier.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
By the time Friday night rolled around, Xavier was raring to head over to Northern Exposure so he could meet up with True. Despite the gnarly weather, Alaskans went out and about conducting their business and living their lives. The heavy snow might make driving these roads a bit trickier, but Xavier had been getting a lot of practice in with Jacques. Bless his heart, he was a really cool dude with a big heart. And now that Xavier knew Jacques and Hattie were an item, he could see all the dozens of ways they showed their love for each other.
He should be so fortunate. If he could find a love like what they had, he would consider himself the luckiest man on earth.
The other day True had pointed out that Hattie’s condition seemed to be worsening, and it was something he had been trying to ignore. The moments shared between them would be fleeting. No one knew what tomorrow might bring, and even though Hattie thought she might have months and months left, there were no guarantees. No matter what, heneeded to make the most of the time he had left with his grandmother. There was still time to make memories.
And Hattie wasn’t the only one he wanted to make memories with.
When he wasn’t with True, Xavier found himself missing her. For him that was huge. He knew what it meant. His heart was on the line now. And it made his insides feel all tangled up. His emotions were all over the place. He wanted to fall in love again, yet he wasn’t sure he could ever fully trust anyone. His heart had been kicked around so badly by his ex-fiancée, it felt as if he might never fully recover from the trauma. But yet he wanted to love and be loved.
Every romantic relationship in his adulthood had involved him being used for some purpose or another. Mostly it had been for financial reasons. As an NFL player, his lifestyle had been lavish, until he’d lost it all. He’d been played for such a fool that he almost didn’t trust himself not to go down that road again. But it wasn’t fair to True to be so jaded. She’d done nothing wrong, and he couldn’t place all of his baggage on her shoulders.
Furthermore, he didn’t have anything True could use him for. He was rebuilding his income from disastrous levels. If they sold their Yukon Cider holdings in a year, he would be financially sound. But, at the moment, he wasn’t exactly rolling in it the way he had been during his time in the NFL.
Regardless, True wasn’t like any other woman he’d ever known. There was a realness about her that resonated in every one of their interactions. She wasn’t shallow or fake. If nothing else, he was beginning to learn how to spot a quality woman.
“You’re on your own tonight. I’ve got a date with True,” Xavier informed his brothers as he pulled into the parking lot of Northern Exposure. He looked around for a spot, noticing that the lot was already packed with vehicles. Aftera few minutes, he spotted an available spot not too far from the entrance. A large flashing sign out front advertised “Friday Fun Night.” Xavier chuckled. It was kind of corny, but it seemed to be working to pull in a crowd.
Caleb rolled his eyes. “We’ll be fine. I thought we’d never get here with you driving at granny speed. Did you forget where the gas pedal is?”
Xavier looked over at Caleb. “The roads are slick. I’m not trying to end up in a ditch. But next time feel free to drive, since you haven’t gotten behind the wheel much since we’ve been here.”
“I for one appreciate the fact that you’re a safe driver. Did you know that fatal accidents in Alaska have decreased by twenty percent in the last few years?” Landon asked.
“Of course we didn’t know that,” Caleb responded as they exited the car and headed toward the tavern. “Landon, I mean this as a compliment. Your mind is a national treasure.”
Landon grinned. “Thanks for saying so. What a cool compliment,” Landon said, holding out his hand so his brother could high-five him.
“If you meet any ladies tonight, I wouldn’t drop all that knowledge on them. Keep it light,” Caleb advised. He slapped Landon on the shoulder. “Know what I’m saying?”
“I think he gets it,” Xavier said, quickly seeing the crestfallen expression on Landon’s face. He didn’t need to be constantly reminded that he didn’t have skills with women. “You pretty much hit him over the head with a sledgehammer.”
“Sorry,” Caleb muttered, not sounding sorry at all. “I was trying to be helpful.”
“It’s okay,” Landon said. “I’m not like the two of you. Women don’t gravitate toward me.” He shrugged. “I don’t have that special Stone magnetism.”
“That’s a load of crap!” Xavier said. “You just haven’t met the one yet. That special person who’s going to appreciate everything you bring to the table.”
He’d heard his youngest brother described as a hot nerd by women. For some reason, Landon didn’t understand his appeal. Caleb, on the other hand, reveled in his.
Caleb nodded. “What Xavier said. You’re the coolest smart guy I know.”
“Aww, you love me. You really love me,” Landon teased, leaning against Caleb, who pushed him away.
“Personal space, bro,” Caleb muttered. “I’m not the touchy-feely type.”
“That’s not what I heard,” Landon said, causing Xavier to crack up while Caleb rolled his eyes.
Once they were inside the building, Xavier left his brothers behind and focused on locating True. The tavern was packed, which was making it difficult to spot her.
All of a sudden, he saw her, causing his heart to lurch inside his chest. She was dressed in a denim jumpsuit that hugged all her curves. He stopped in his tracks for a moment to admire her without her noticing him. She was the most stunning woman he’d ever seen, and that was saying something. His profession had put him in the orbit of countless beautiful women—but True was in a league of her own. Her beauty was matched by her personality and heart. A rare woman indeed.
“You came!” True called out as soon as she spotted him making his way through the crowd toward her. Her voice oozed excitement that couldn’t be faked, and she was lit up like pure sunshine. She was just as into him as he was into her, he realized. This was the first time Xavier had gotten this type of confirmation from True. Up to this point, he was only hoping her feelings mirrored his own.
