Page 59 of Come to Me

Logan and Tate arrived earlier, and Logan was helping Michaela set up the games, while Tate was busy distributing pinwheels to guests.

Mitch and Sydney arrived with their son Brian. Mitch and Brian were in the water first thing with Mitch tossing the giggling toddler in the air. Sydney sat in a chair along the beach watching her family with love.

She looked back, catching Patrick’s attention from where he stood on the deck. She waved him down. “Come sit with me.”

Patrick joined her on the beach, bringing her a pinwheel from Tate and a glass of lemonade.

"Glad to see you're getting into the spirit of things.” Her tone suggested she was aware of his situation with Michaela. Of course she would. It was her idea he live a little.

Before he could respond, Lexie, Drake, and their twin boys and young daughter joined them.

“Can we swim, mommy?” One of the boys asked.

“Let’s get sunscreen on you?—”

“Daddy already did that,” the other boy whined.

“Did he?” Lexie looked up at Drake. “You’re always one step ahead.”

He winked. Patrick felt a pang of envy.

“We have refreshments,” Michaela called from the deck. Behind her Chelsea and Jagger with their daughter and Kaden who was Jagger’s nephew…no, Patrick remembered. Kaden was GW’s son, who was Jaggers grandfather. That made Kaden Jagger’s uncle. Was that right?

“Looks like the fun has started with out us,” Jagger said carrying his daughter down the steps.

“Can I go swim with Ollie and David?” Kaden asked of Lexie and Drake’s twins.

“Sunscreen first,” Chelsea called.

“I should invest in sunscreen,” Patrick murmured.

“You could invest in this place,” Sydney rubbed her belly where her and Mitch’s second child grew.

“They wouldn’t take my money.”

She shrugged. “It would give you something to do besides what you don’t want to do.”

If only, he thought.

Sydney gave him a disappointed look. “Why do you insist on sacrificing your happiness? I know you like her. I’ve never seen you look so relaxed and happy.”

Sighing, Patrick ran a hand through his hair. “I do like her. A lot, actually.”

Her eyes widened, clearly not expecting his confession. “So, what’s the problem?”

He glanced over to where Michaela was laughing as she helped guests with cornhole and soccer golf. The ache in his chest was almost more than he could bear. "Her life is here and mine is in New York. I can't ask her to give that up."

Sydney placed a comforting hand on his arm, her expression understanding. "But Patrick, you don’t have to go back to New York."

He shook his head. "I do. My parents need me to take over the company. And then there's Julia..." His voice trailed off, the guilt digging in deep as it always did. She had no one except him.

"And what about you?” Sydney’s voice was sharp. He couldn’t blame her. Julia nearly ruined her life. She had no sympathy for her former friend. "You can't keep sacrificing your own happiness for her. Or for your parents, for that matter."

Patrick opened his mouth to protest, but Sydney raised a hand, silencing him. "Listen to me, Patrick. You deserve to be happy. And if that happiness is here, with Micki, then you need to embrace it. Trust me, I know what I’m talking about here. You have to grab onto love and happiness while you can."

"I... I don't know if I'm in love with her.” The words were hallow. The yearning in his soul told him he was head over heels in love with Michaela.

Sydney smiled knowingly. "I think you do, deep down. And I think you're afraid to admit it, because it would mean choosing a different path."

---