Page 36 of Burning For You

That wanted to be close enough if she ever wanted to come back.

Even to just visit.

“I think most people feel that.”

“You never left.”

“Nope,” he said, munching on his dinner. “I didn’t feel the urge to. Clay, he’s been all over the place in the Navy. Blaze went a little further to med school, but still stayed in New York. He was out west. Gale, the same. Stayed in New York and so did Ford for school.”

“You’ve got strong ties in this area.”

“I do. When many like to run, I dig my feet in. This place is in my blood and always will be.”

She snorted. “You’re not the guy I remember.”

“Or maybe you just didn’t give yourself a chance to find out more.”

“Could be. And speaking of that. I’m sorry.”

He frowned and opened his tea, took a long drink, his head back, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed.

She needed to get a grip and picked up her drink to quench her thirst and get past the knot in her throat.

“What are you sorry for?”

“For the way I treated you years ago.”

“You’ll have to be more specific about that.”

Figures he’d put her on the spot.

“You were nice to me and I was rude back. After. You know.”

His hand came out and moved across the table. He was going to touch her. She knew it and she was going to let him.

“I’m really sorry for what happened to you. Before that, I was just having fun. Being me.”

“Not taking anything seriously. I know. Everyone said that.”

“Back then it was true.” He squeezed her hand, patted it once and then let go and went back to his dinner. “It’s not now. We all grow up. Even you. I mean, you accepted my offer to eat together and back then you would have just walked away without a word.”

She wanted to groan with how accurate those words were.

“I guess you’re right. Before that though, I think it was more about all the girls’ attention.”

“I’m not gonna lie. I was trying. Couldn’t seem to get yours though.”

She laughed, picked up her fork and put it in his mac and cheese. He grinned and stole one of her fries. “Did your ego get bent?”

He held his fingers up in a pinch then spread them as wide as they could go. “I got over it quickly enough.”

“You always did. But after, when I moved in with the Lancasters. You were trying to be nice. I just didn’t want nice. I didn’t want anything or anyone.”

“I can’t imagine what you were going through. I really can’t. Losing your parents. Being separated from your brother. That couldn’t have been easy.”

“No. But it’s not like Sean seemed to care. We weren’t that close.” And because Will noticed her there with her brother and called him a regular, she might as well add this part. “I had dinner with him at Fire Mission last week.”

“That’s who you were with?” he asked, the surprise showing on his face. “I hadn’t realized he was around here.”