Page 37 of That Kiss

“Yes.”

“Wow,” she finally lifts her gaze toward mine, “I guess I don’t know you as well as I thought.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before. I didn’t anticipate her showing up at my house like this.”

She shrugs. “I don’t think you need to apologize for that. It’s not like we asked each other about our exes—especially about whatever we did with other people before we got closer.”

“She did stay at my house last night, but nothing happened. She was in the first-floor guest room.”

“Is she still here?”

“Yes.”

“Were your parents excited to see her, or were they happy it didn’t work out with you guys before?”

“Well, that’s kind of, um, the other part of this . . . you’re the only one who knows about her.”

“Wait, what?” She narrows her gaze at me. “You’re a twin. You mean you dated and got engaged—er, proposed to someone, and no one in your family knew about her—not even Ranger?” I shake my head in shame. “Why not?”

“I’m not entirely sure, if I’m honest. Part of it was just not wanting them involved. I love my family more than anything, but you know how they are . . . they always have to be involved in everyone’s business.”

She laughs. “Yeah, that hasn’t gone unnoticed, but it’s also kind of a Slade trademark.”

“Meddling at its finest. They really give legs to that stereotype about small-town gossips.” Her comment has us both chuckling again. It feels strange to be sitting here talking to her like this, like we really are two best friends filling each other in on our lives . . . meanwhile, it feels like the beginning of the end for some reason.

“So what’s the other part of why you didn’t tell them?”

“The other part was how they tease me about my past—my commitment issues and whatnot. I just didn’t want that clouding my judgment and getting in the way of my happiness with her.”

That guilt gnaws deeper when I say those words: my happiness with her. Like it’s a crime that I was happy with someone else. I glance over at Juney to see if her expression gives anything away, but it doesn’t. We could be sitting at the bar talking about the most recent Avalanche game, and she’d have the same expression on her face.

“So, it seems like Texas was your chance to start over—to be your own man and just forge your own path?” I nod. “I’d always wondered why you left, if there was a specific reason.” She looks at me and I can’t tell if I’m just delusional or if that questioning look on her face is laced with hope.

“I think there were several reasons why I felt the need to leave. Can’t say it was one thing in particular, but more a culmination of things.”

“What’s her name?”

“Camilla.”

“Pretty.” She smiles. “Since you felt I should know that she showed up, and since she’s the one who said no to the proposal . . . I take it she isn’t showing up here to reject you again?”

“No, she’s not.” I don’t need to elaborate for her to understand that means she wants to get back together.

“I can’t wait to meet her.”

Beer shoots out of my nose and mouth, and I furiously wipe my face with the back of my sleeve. “What? Why?”

“Well, we both know you’ve had a reputation for not being tameable, and we also both know I had a well-known crush on you pretty much my entire life, so yeah . . . I have to meet the woman who finally made Decker Slade want to settle down.” She leans toward me, bumping my shoulder.

She says it with a smile—one that almost reaches her eyes—but I know I see heartbreak behind it. I know I’m not crazy, but what I can’t understand is why she’s acting like none of this matters.

“Yeah,” I shake my head, confused. “She wants to get back together, but I—I told her I don’t know if I could, even if I wanted to. I was really hurt with the way things ended between us, and it took me a while to realize that. I told her I needed to think through things, to figure out how I feel.”

“I’m sure she understands that.”

“Yeah, she was completely understanding. She says she’s ready to move here, to live with me and prove her love to me and earn back my trust.”

“Oh, wow. So it’s serious and she wants to pick up where you left off.”

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