Page 79 of Renewal After Dark

“And I’ve never regretted it, even if it gets a little quiet after the tourists go home and people hibernate for the winter.”

“Do you get lonely?”

“Not really. I’m with people all day, and I’ve got friends I see outside of work. It’s just, you know, you go home alone. That’s the only time of day that I wonder whether I did the right thing.”

“You did. You’d have yearned for everything you gave up here, because you’d lived long enough by then to know what you found here doesn’t come along every day.”

“Neither does a relationship that makes you happy.”

“True.” She looked over at him. “Were you happy with her?”

“Most of the time, other than that one major bone of contention.”

“When I was with Eric, I thought I was happy, even though I could tell he was holding back. I thought maybe he was protecting himself from getting hurt, but it turned out he was holding back because he had a wife and kids.”

He took a left turn into the driveway. “I’ll never understand why people get married if they don’t intend to be faithful.”

“I know. That’s why I’m sort of anti-marriage. I never want someone to feel like theyhaveto stay with me if they’d rather be somewhere else.”

As he put the truck in Park, he said, “Anyone would be lucky to get to stay with you. And Jax.”

Taken aback by the emphatic way he said that, McKenzie stared at him.

“Sorry to be so blunt, but it’s true. That guy was a fool and a dick to lead you on and then walk away when you got pregnant.”

“You’re very cute when you’re indignant.”

He scoffed. “I’m never cute.”

“Yeah, you are. Quite often, in fact.”

“Stop that. You should be running for your life away from me.”

“Why would you say that?”

“Because.”

“You’re going to have to do better than that.”

“You’re too young for me, for one thing.”

“I’m a fully grown adult with a mind of my own, and besides, age is just a number. You’re thirty-six, not sixty-six.”

“Sometimes I feel sixty-six.”

“But you’re not, so what else have you got?”

“You’re a beautiful woman who could have anyone you want.”

“Okay…”

“You could do much better than me. You’re probably looking at me differently because I helped you out during a tough time, but once you get back to reality?—”

“I’ll always look at you differently because no one has ever been kinder to me than you’ve been.”

He shrugged that off. “I just did what any decent person would do.”

“No, Duke. You went above and beyond to make sure Jax and I were taken care of during a difficult time. That makes you a unicorn of the highest order.”

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