Page 95 of Catch and Release

“Look, I won’t say we aren’t hurt,” Tucker said as Shawn’s eyes lifted from the spot he was looking at on the table. “We are. And you should’ve communicated with us. It’s not like you to not tackle things head on. But…”

“I’ve been telling him we needed to just show up at your place for months,” Hanna said. “Grams would never stand for it if she knew you basically ghosted us. We could’ve tried harder. We knew something was going on.”

“Yeah, Grams misses you,” Shawn replied. “So do I.”

“We love you, Shawny,” Tucker said. “You’ve been with me for my whole life. It’ll take more than that to get rid of me.”

What did Shawn do to deserve friends like these—so quick to forgive?

“I fucked up, guys. Big time. And I know I need to earn back your trust. It won’t happen again.”

“It’s alright, man,” Tucker responded.

“We get it, bud,” Hanna added. “Like Tuck said, we love you.”

Shawn breathed a sigh of relief.

“Well, now that I know you’re ready to date, maybe I could set you up with one of my friends,” Hanna said. “They’ve all been crushing on you for years.”

Shawn grimaced and shook his head, and Hanna gave him a knowing look.

“I see,” Hanna said. “So there’s a girl.”

Shawn felt his cheeks grow hot, then he covered his mouth with his hand to hide the smile that stretched over his face whenever he thought about Willa.

“Wow, you really like her!” Hanna said, elbowing her husband. “Are you seeing this? He’s blushing!”

Tucker smirked. “Oh, I see it.”

“Tell us everything!” Hanna said, clapping her hands in excitement.

Shawn shook his head, unsure where to even begin.

“She’s not going to give this up,” Tucker said, leaning back in his chair. “Trust me. Just give in now.”

“You owe us, Shawn,” Hanna chimed in.

“What happened to ‘All is forgiven?’”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” she responded, waving her hand in irritation. “All is forgiven with this one stipulation. Tell us about your girl.”

His girl.

If only.

Shawn eyed them both warily before deciding to give in. Maybe they could give him some advice.

“Her name is Willa,” he said softly. “She moved into her grandparents’ house a couple of months ago. It’s right down the beach from Grams’ place. She’s… God, she’s fucking perfect. Gorgeous and kind and funny. And she knows how to fish. Like, really knows. Puts me in my place all the goddamn time. Tells me what’s what. She walks with Grams every morning and helps her stretch. We fish together off her wharf most nights. She’s a yoga instructor, and I went to one of her classes and it was actually pretty awesome.”

Hanna was beaming, and Tucker was studying him.

“I’m sensing a ‘but’ coming,” his best friend said.

“But… she’s skittish,” Shawn said, running his fingers through his hair. “Men have let her down before. Her last boyfriend… well, he really fucked with her. And so I agreed to a friends-with-benefits arrangement with her because it was the only way I could have her. And now…”

“You fell in love with her,” Hanna said matter-of-factly.

Shawn nodded, jittery that he was finally saying it out loud. “I’m so fucking in love with her. But she’s made it clear she wants to keep things casual. Sometimes I think maybe… maybe she caught feelings, too, but she’s just too damn scared. And I get it. Who am I to push her into a relationship when every relationship she’s been in has ended so badly that she’s basically sworn off all men?”

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