“Easier said than done,” I replied.
“Of course. Always. But there’s only one way through this.”
“I know.”
“Or, you could just leave it alone and give her time and stew in it and keep asking me—who doesn’t know and who’s never had a serious relationship—about it.”
My shoulders shook with laughter. After a beat, I leveled my gaze with his again. “Okay.”
“You could ask someone who actually has a clue—maybe Haven or Jude,” Lincoln said lightly.
“I know. They’re so damn happy though. I don’t want to be a downer.”
“Hey man, theyarehappy, but life also isn’t perfect. There is no perfect.”
“Come on. Give me a little glimmer of hope here.” I held my thumb and forefinger close together. “Maybe just that much?”
My brother’s smile was warm. His eyes, for a moment, looked older. Not in a tired way, just in a way that reminded me he had seen more than his share. We all had.
“Just give it some time,” he said. “Or try to talk to her. That’s all I’ve got for you.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
ADELE
Goats, hay, and pesky feelings
I pressed my fingers together, spinning a piece of hay in a circle between them.
Kendall stepped out of the stall, tipping her head to the side as she eyed me. “Wow. You look stressed out. Are you sure you’re up for this today?” Her concerned gaze skated over my face.
“Oh, of course! I want to help,” I replied quickly.
“Then, what is going on?”
She’d asked me to stop by the rescue program today—Tommy had started cross-country running after school, so she needed help here and there moving hay and feeding the animals. She’d even offered to pay me. I not only didn’t mind helping out, but I enjoyed spending time with Kendall.
“Why not?” she’d pressed when I’d shaken my head at her offer to pay.
“Because I refuse.”
She’d rolled her eyes. Now we were done moving the hay, and she was eyeing me with mild concern, tightening her ponytail where her brown curls tumbled wild.
“I’m worried about me and about Cole,” I admitted.
Her brows arched high. “Is he okay?”
“Oh, he’s fine,” I rushed to clarify. “It’s, uh, me and him.”
“Okay, but what’s going on? You two seem like you’re in a good space.”
I wrinkled my nose, before leaning back against the barn wall. “I think we are. I just don’t know if I’m ready for this.”
“What do you mean? There is no ‘ready,’ by the way.”
“What do you mean?” I pressed.
“Look,” Kendall began, brushing hay off her jeans and sitting beside me on the hay bale. “I’m happy with Jude. Totally in love. We’re committed. We’re married. But still, stuff comes up and life isn’t easy. And it took me a while to figure this out, but I think that’s the trick—accepting that it’s not just the relationship. It’s all of life.” She gestured her hands in a wide circle, as if encompassing the whole world. “Most of the time, you’re not going to feel ready. You’ll keep stumbling along anyway. I’m not saying I know what should happen between you and Cole. But Idoknow the way he looks at you, and I know the way you look at him.”
