My shoulders drop as the tension releases from my body. “Sure.”
“When you’re ready, can we spend some time together? Just us? Maybe go on a trip out on the boat. Anything you want.”
Well, fuck. Now the tears are definitely coming.
“Yeah, Dad. We can do that,” I choke out.
“Great. Well, I’ll go ahead and talk to Rosemary. Take care, son.”
I hang up the phone, sink back against the couch, and let the tears fall. And with each one, I open the floodgates that hold back my memories, the good and the bad. Memories of Ryder, memories of me and my Dad, memories of who I used to be before my guilt and my grief shut me down.
I lose track of time, only half aware of the sun moving across the sky, telling me that hours go by while I’m stuck in my head. An unexpected knock on my door pulls me back to reality.
When I open it to see Ethan, Reid, Jackson, and Finn all standing there, it feels like I’m facing a firing squad. Sure, we all got along and worked well together at the animal shelter fundraiser, but what the hell are they doing at my house?
“Ah, hi guys, everything okay?’ I ask, running a nervous hand through my hair.
“Yeah man, Paige told us where to find you. We thought we’d invite you to join us for a trail run,” Ethan answers, and it’s then I realize they’re all wearing athletic clothes. Finn has on a running vest with a water spout attached, and Reid is carrying a set of keys. “Basically, the girls started their book club, and eventually, we guys decided to have poker nights. But then we realized we all suck at poker, so this one —” Ethan jerks his thumb at Jackson “— decided we should start trail running. Every Monday afternoon we head out.”
“Don’t know what’s wrong with a fucking road,” Finn mutters, and I stifle my chuckle. He definitely doesn’t seem like a guy who’s at home in the mountains, but hey, what do I know.
“Let me get this straight. You’re here to invite me to go running.”
They all nod.
“Right now?”
It’s slower this time, but again, they nod.
“Totally out of the blue, on a Monday afternoon, you show up at my house, where you have never been before, to invite me to go running. Is that right?”
Now they’re all looking guilty.
“Who put you up to this?” I ask curiously.
“My sister,” Ethan mutters, not meeting my eyes.
“Look man, after you guys left before the concert the other night, Mila laid into us. Said you’re important to Paige and we need to get to know you. So, here we are. Wanting to get to know you…” Finn trails off. “And damn, that sounds like the most pansy ass thing I’ve ever said.”
This time I don’t hold back my laugh, and God, it feels good after the emotions that got stirred up from my conversation this morning with my dad.
“Give me a few minutes to change.”
Shockingly, the run turns out to be a good time. The guys set a good pace, and it was a technical enough trail that our minds were occupied with that, and they couldn’t bombard me with questions about Paige and I. In fact, the run cleared my head more than I thought it would.
Hanging out with the guys, out in nature, challenging my body, it was good. Exactly what I needed to work through my conversation with my dad, and the responsibilities I’ve been ignoring. I know I have to go back to work eventually, and I will. Once I get through Ryder’s anniversary.
When the guys extend the invitation to meet everyone at the bar later on, it’s an easy thing to agree to. As soon as I get home from the run, I shoot a text to Paige confirming she’ll be there as well, then I hop in the shower. As I soap up, my mind drifts to Paige. She’s made her way under my skin, into parts of me I didn’t know existed. She surprises me, intrigues me, and leaves me wanting more every time. She might seem like a quiet bookworm, but underneath the prim and proper speech patterns and the subdued clothing is a passionate woman who needed to be set free. And I’m more than willing to be the guy to help her do just that.
I’m the first to get to the bar, so I go ahead and order a few pitchers from Dean and take over a large table. Ethan and Summer are the next ones to show up, and Finn and Ashley arrive soon after. We’re all hanging out, having a beer, when Summer moves beside me.
“Not to be super pushy or anything, but have you given any thought to my offer? I would love to figure out the details for the upcoming summer season if we could plan something.”
Right. That.
Part of me wants desperately to take her offer and run with it. Make my dream come true and be done with the stifling responsibilities I’ve carried the last few years.
The truth is, it was easy to take on the story of wanting to start my own outdoor tour company back in the beginning, when I didn’t want Paige to know who I really was and what I was doing in town. I’d held on to that dream for so much of my life, sharing it with people felt natural.
