Page 34 of Embracing Trust

I swallow hard and give her hand another squeeze. I’ve been a factor in her pain.

We ride on in silence.

“I have an idea. How about we stop off for ice cream?” I glance her way and a slight smile appears on her beautiful face, like the sun warming me on a cold morning.

She looks at me. “I still like ice cream,” she says as she crinkles her nose.

I drive us to Dairy Delights on the way to her house. She gets her usual chocolate chip ice cream in a waffle cone, and I go for the chocolate shake. I haven’t been here since I got back, and it feels good to approach the familiar little walk-up shop. When the teenage girl with ponytail slides open the window, the cool air-conditioning along with the sweet scent of vanilla, waffle cones, and hot dogs hits my face, I realize just how much I’ve missed my former life—before I got messed up in Afghanistan. Being here with Julia reminds me of all the summers I’ve spent here in this place I’ve always called home.

We sit on the concrete picnic tables and enjoy our ice cream.

“So.” I take a bite of my thick milkshake. “Have you talked to Merilee since the wedding?”

“Of course.” Julia grins and wipes a drop of ice cream off her nose.

“Mark has been acting pretty strange since that night.”

“Strange?” She laughs. “That guy is hopeless.”

“Why?”

“Are you kidding? Merilee has been attracted to him forever. I don’t think he evenknowsit.”

“Oh, he knows it. Trust me,” I assure her.

She shakes her head and rolls her eyes. “I’m not so sure about that, but I do know he loves to tease her. I wish she could find someone.”

I agree. “Mark is a good person. I think he just won’t commit.”

Julia says something under her breath that I can’t quite make out.

“What?” I ask.

“Man whore,” she says with a snicker.

I can relate to how Julia feels about this. Mark can be a jerk. When we’re together, he’s talked about Merilee. Maybe he has too much of a wild side.

After the ice cream, I drive her home and although I want nothing more than to invite myself inside, I don’t. She yawns a few times on the drive and her eyes show signs of exhaustion. I want to take her in my arms and comfort her. Comfort her for everything—not only her bad evening with her date but also everything I’ve put her through.

I’m exiting the interstate and her cell phone rings with an incoming call. She looks at the screen and rolls her eyes. “It’s him.”

“Yes?”

What a way to answer the phone. No hello for that jerk.

“I left.”

Did he seriously just ask her where she went? This guy is a regular Captain Obvious.

She laughs, but her laugh has an edge like a blade. “Actually, I stepped outside and saw you were engaged in adeepconversation with someone else, so I decided toblowout of there.”

Oh shit. Don’t mess with her.

“Not what I think? Interesting, because I’m pretty sure I know what I saw.” She puts her free hand on her hip.

Of course, it didn’t mean anything. Asshole.

“I’m sure this won’t be too big of ablowto your ego that I don’t date men who cheat.”

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