Page 2 of Burly and Honorable

“I don’t know,” I admit, my voice breaking on the last word. “But it’s what Keenan wanted, and…I need to do this. For him.”

Jordan nods and folds the letter, standing and sliding it carefully into his pocket before stepping back. “We’ll figure out the details,” he says, nodding toward the woodpile at the edge of the clearing. “Why don’t you get settled inside? The guest room is all yours. I have to finish up chopping this wood.”

I watch as Jordan walks to the pile and grabs his axe. He swings it in a clean arc, splitting a log with a decisive crack that echoes through the clearing. The muscles in his arms flex with each swing, and his precise movements are almost hypnotic.

Jordan gets into a rhythm as he chops the wood. He removes his shirt and wipes it across his forehead, and a blaze of desire tightens inside me. I shake my head, confused. That’s the second time it’s happened since I got here. Jordan is…was…Keenan’s best friend. How can I be imagining what it would be like to be held in his arms?

I head inside, smiling at the familiarity of Jordan’s home.

The guest room hasn’t changed since the last time Keenan and I were here. The same quilt covers the bed, and the same steamer trunk sits at the foot of the bed. I set the urn carefully on the nightstand, my fingers lingering on its smooth surface.

As I sit on the edge of the bed, staring out the window, my thoughts drift back to Jordan.

When he hugged me earlier—when his arms wrapped around me and I felt his warmth—it wasn’t just comfort I felt.

It was something deeper. Something I shouldn’t feel.

Desire.

I press my hands to my face, willing the thoughts away. This isn’t the time. It’s not fair to Keenan or Jordan. How can I even consider another man when I’m still torn up over losing my Keenan?

The weight of the day is almost too much to bear. Tomorrow, we’ll start scattering Keenan’s ashes. But right now, all I can think about is Jordan.

CHAPTER 2

JORDAN

Ayear. Keenan’s been gone a year, and I told myself I’d buried this—buried him. But seeing Hanna here, reading this letter, it’s all rushing back. The ache in my chest tightens as I read the instructions again. I can hear his voice speaking the words like he’s here with us.I want the people I love most to take me to the places I love most.How could I say no to a request like that? There’s no way I could say no to Hanna, anyway.

We’ve finished dinner. Or rather, I ate, and Hanna mostly pushed her food around. She shifts in her chair, and I lift my eyes to meet hers. She’s watching me, her hands curled around a mug of tea. There’s something in her expression—hesitation, maybe? Or guilt?

“He put a lot of thought into this,” I say, more to myself than her.

She nods slowly. “Keenan was always a planner.”

I nod, swallowing the lump that rises in my throat. “Yeah. He was.”

Hanna sits stiffly across from me. Her knuckles are pale against the ceramic, and I wonder if the tea is helping or if she’s holding the mug as a way to keep her hands busy.

She nods at the fireplace mantel. “Keenan always talked about that day,” she says, her eyes fixed on a photo of the three of us. “It’s nice to see you still have it on display.”

I loved that day, too.

I clear my throat, pushing my emotions down. “This picture is important to me. My two favorite people in the world.”

The photo is of the three of us, the day we met. Keenan’s arm is slung around my shoulders, his grin wide and filled with pure happiness. Hanna is laughing at something, and Keenan is looking at her. I wasn’t the only one who fell in love that day.

She nods. “It was so random. If I hadn’t gotten lost, we would never have met. I can’t even imagine what my life would have been like otherwise. Keenan always said it was fate that made me get lost and find you two.”

Something in my chest twists as her mouth twitches into a faint smile. I remember that day so clearly. How she turned and smiled, and even before she said anything, I instantly fell in love with her. One moment, I was hiking and shooting the shit with my best friend, and the next, an angel appeared before my eyes, and I knew I’d never meet another woman like her. She’s the most beautiful person I’ve ever known.

I lean back in my chair, forcing myself to hold her gaze. Her bright blue eyes always seem to see straight into my soul. Does she understand how much I’ve carried a torch for her?

“I remember that day,” I say, keeping my tone light even as my grip tightens on the edge of the table. “Keenan asked you out after we finished the hike.”

Her laugh is soft, almost self-conscious, catching me off guard.

“I think he was worried you might beat him to it,” she says, the corners of her mouth lifting into something almost playful.

---