“He owes me not only a childhood without a father, but a life of watching my mother, the woman who has sacrificed everything for me, struggle. Yet, true to her nature, she did it with a smile on her face because shelovesme. I never wanted a perfect dad, Stetson. I just wanted one that loved me enough totry. So, pardon my French, but fuck him. It still confuses me how a man as good as you could ever call someone like that a friend. And best friend, at that.”
I always knew there was more to Nate than he let on. But I never questioned it, just accepted it as how he is—reserved, slightly moody, and a closed shell. Most men are like that these days. But hearing Cove’s side only solidifies what my gut tried to tell me all along.
Something was off. The phone calls came less and less. He never stopped by my parents’ for family dinner. Stopped celebrating my accomplishments like I did his. I attributed it to his being busy.
But we’re all fucking busy.
I clear my throat. “Nate and Abigail used to date back in the day.”
“Wait, what?” Cove chokes out.
Nothing surprises me about her response, so I nod. “We were in our thirties. Around the time we first met.Before Kyle, obviously. My pops and Nate’s father, your grandfather, who has since passed, were good friends. They worked in the same industry, and suddenly it wasn’t long before there wasn’t a holiday or event we did without the McIntosh family.”
Cove’s eyes go wide with both question and understanding. “That must have been not long after he left.”
“That would make sense, then. I remember noticing something off about Nate. Never could pinpoint it, but he’s always been…secretive in a way. I’d say the moment we became closer as friends was during the time he and Abbi dated. They loved each other boldly. In a way that was sickening at times, but somehow it felt normal for them.” I don’t miss the gulp at Cove’s throat, and I know this probably hurts her to hear, but I have to be honest.
“They dated for close to two years before Abbi got sick.”
“Sick?”
I nod slowly, replaying that uncertain time in my mind. “Everything shifted out of nowhere. Abbi had always been healthy, a marathon runner and everything. But she slowly started to become more tired than usual. To the point where she’d fall asleep at the table, unable to keep her eyes open. We didn’t think too far into it at first, but then Nate noticed her weight fluctuating more than normal. She’d drop fifteen pounds in a matter of weeks. None of us were trained in the medical field, so hell if we knew what it was, but the more symptoms that rose, the more concerned we were. Her skin began to go pale—ghostly white at times. She’d get these stomach pains that she described as a knife to her gut.”
“Oh my god, Stetson.”
“Nate was the one who advocated for her when my parents and I couldn’t think straight. Our only worry waskeeping Abbi safe and healthy. He called everyone he knew. Every board-certified doctor Texas had to offer, and scheduled consults, ordered bloodwork, screenings, X-rays, you name it. He loved and cared for her through all of it. Until dozens of tests later revealed she had Celiac Disease, an autoimmune disease, that in hindsight seems somewhat simple to treat, but when you’re blindsided with the pain of it, nothing is as easy as it seems.”
“Your family must have been so worried. God, especially not knowing.”
“Exactly. Thankfully, we know now how much worse her diagnosis could have been, but it’s a battle for her every day. A fight I hate that she has to live with, yet she takes it in stride through the good and bad flare-up days. Changing and restricting her diet helped the most, but Abbi’s always been a badass.”
Cove smiles softly. “She’s strong. I can see that.”
“The strongest. Never once did she let it stop her from living a full and promising life. Now, she’s the world’s best mother to my two favorite munchkins.”
“I love hearing how special they are to you.” Silence stretches between us before Cove speaks up again. “So, Nate and her never worked out. What happened?”
“No one really knows but them. Never felt like it was my business to know. Nate stood by her side through everything, which is a huge reason why I’ve always felt loyal to him. Nate’s automotive company grew more than he could manage alone, making him nearly unreachable at times. The busier he got, the more he pulled away, until we hardly ever saw him. Abbi is notoriously positive, always has been, seeing the best in people. I’m still unsure if she’s really processed his distance herself. They talk every now and then, but it’s nothing like it used to be. I think that’s why Kyle isn’t bothered by her need to protect him still. Heknows it’s nothing like the way he loves her. Somewhere in the years of distance, Nate met Misty, and Abbi met Kyle. The rest is history.”
“But they stayed close? I mean, I saw the way they hugged each other when we first got to the ranch. Nothing about that hug seemed like there was bad blood between them.”
“Closer than any of us ever expected. I think everyone just accepted it, knowing the bond they’ll always have together after everything. Kyle is as supportive as husbands come, and although I don’t feel like I’ve ever really known Misty well, she seems the same.”
“Well, I guess Nathaniel has at least one redeeming quality. I believe everything happens for a reason, and maybe the sole reason my father wasn’t around for me was so he could be there for your sister.”
“Cove,” I sigh, desperately hoping she’s okay and not masking her feelings for me. Abbi is safe. She’s healthy. Her disease is managed well. But those years Cove lost with Nate…she can’t get them back.
“No, I mean it, Stetson. Who knows if she would have ever figured out what was wrong. I’m grateful he was there to help her. I truly am. I’m not that coldhearted.”
“You could never be cold if you tried. But none of that takes away from the pain he caused you. None of it. And now that I know my sister is okay and married to a man who would sacrifice himself to save her, I’m perfectly content with losing a friend today. In fact, now that I think about it, he hasn’t been much of a friend to me these past few years.”
“As much as I hate him, I hate that for you even more. Good friends are hard to come by.”
Since meeting Cove on my jet in February, I’ve only ever seen her composure locked in like a tight rope,durable through the toughest of circumstances and even conversations. It’s one of the things I admired most about her, but I had no idea how deep my feelings for her would grow the more I saw the shell of her resilience crack enough to let me in.
There’s something invaluable about a woman who can stand firm in her independence while still graciously allowing a man to care for her.
Something I’ve sought to be a trait in my future wife.
