Page 100 of Someone You Deserve

Astrid smiles at her. “Then you deserve all of your happiness.” I watch her stand, smoothing her shirt down before she announces, “Excuse me. I’m going to the restroom.”

The three of us watch her walk away and then Dolores stands from her chair. “I’m going to go check on things.” She pats Donald’s arm and walks away, leaving the two of us alone.

“It’s complicated, huh?” He echoes my words from earlier with a grin on his lips.

“You have no idea.”

“Lay it on me.” He leans back in his chair and rests his arm along the back of it.

I don’t know this man, but hell—the advice from a man that’s been married for longer than I’ve been alive might just be worth something. “She was married before…to my best friend. He died four years ago.”

Understanding flashes across Donald’s face. “Ah. Yes...that is complicated.”

“Told ya. And they had two kids together. They were high school sweethearts and I’ve been in their lives for so long that it feels like…”

“Betraying him,” he finishes for me.

I nod. “He used to brag to me all the time about their marriage. I was envious…”

Donald scratches his chin through his thick, gray beard. “You know, my father asked me something when I was debating what I wanted to do about Dolores. We were teenagers when we met, too, but I knew she was it for me. I didn’t want to wait to start my life with her, but I was worried about what people might think.”

“Yeah, I understand that too, more than you know.”

Donald taps his fingers on the table. “But my father said, ask yourself this: if you were in a room full of every person you’ve ever met in your entire life, who would you look for first? If the answer is her, then you know what to do.”

For a moment, I picture walking into a room full of every person I’ve ever met—friends, family, people that live in our town. But the only face I’d want to see is Astrid’s.

“It doesn’t matter if she was his first. What matters is that she’s the one you were supposed to find now.” Donald smirks at me once again. “And that means that she never really belonged with him forever in the first place.” Donald stands and I watch him move, his body unfolding as he lengthens his spine.

“Thank you, Donald—for your hospitality and your advice.”

“My pleasure, Penn. Good luck. Any woman that’s worth fighting for won’t make it easy, just remember that too.” With a wink, he walks off to check on another table and within minutes, Astrid returns.

“You okay?” I ask her, noticing her cheeks are flushed.

“Yes. The heat in that bathroom was unreal.” Fanning her face with her hands, she blows out a breath.

“You ready to start heading back?”

“Yeah. I’m beat and full.” Her hand rubs circles around her stomach.

“Well, I hope you’re not too full.” I stand and offer her my hand. “We still have to fit in dessert.”

Taking my hand, she stands from her seat, reaching behind her to grab her jacket from the back of the chair. “Is that an inuendo, or do you actually expect us to eat more tonight?”

“It’s both, Astrid. Just always assume it’s both.”

***

When we walk into the cabin, I head straight for the wood burning stove and load a few more logs in to keep the heat going. Astrid was quiet during the entire ride home, and I knew the conversation with Dolores and Donald must have gotten to her.

I find Astrid standing in the kitchen, filling up a glass of water from the fridge. I wait for her to finish drinking until I come up behind her and grab her hand.

“What the…”

“Come with me.”

Leading her into our bedroom, I head straight for the bathroom and make her stand in front of the mirror over the counter with me behind her.

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