Page 151 of The Apple Tree

“No.”

He laughed. “Why?”

“Because …”

“Because you love Eve? But that makes no sense if you’re leaving her. You might as well give Josh one woman who loves him.”

“Melinda doesn’t love him.”

“I bet Eve does.”

I didn’t reply.

“Kyle, you’ve said it so many times. That boy thinks Eve hung the moon just for him. Don’t lie to him. Let him see that she loves him but also that she needs both of you to take care of her, too.”

“I don’t know,” I said. “Do you give an eighteen-year-old with an alcohol addiction an instant family? Take her away from the only home she’s ever known? Hope that she finds a job? Hope that she continues to love me and my son the way I love her? Would I be setting her up to fail? If so, that would feel really fucking unforgivable.”

Adam slowly hummed. “When you put it like that, I start to reconsider my recommendation. What happened to us? We usedto seize every moment and deal with the consequences after the fallout. Are we … old?”

I laughed. “Not old. More mature. We, well,Ihave real responsibilities.”

“I take offense to that.”

“Take all the offense you want. I stand by my comment.” I grinned, and it felt good to joke with my friend because the gravity of my emotions surrounding Eve had been suffocating.

After the laughter died, Adam blew out a long breath. “You’re going to take a hit on buying a house and turning around and selling it so quickly.”

“I might keep it and rent it out for now.”

“Then you won’t have a down payment for another house unless you drain your savings.”

He didn’t know my savings was already partially drained from Eve’s rehab.

“Josh and I don’t need a lot of space. We’ll rent something small for a few years. I’ll sell my fishing boat and a few other things.”

“So that’s it, huh?”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“You sound pretty set on your plans. No Eve? Just you and Josh?”

I stared in the direction of her house, but through the dark mixed with flurries, all I could see was a single light that had to be coming from her bedroom window.

“I thought Melinda and I were on the same page. For nine months, she made me think we were on the verge of living the dream. I was so wrong. So I don’t trust my judgment anymore.”

“That doesn’t mean you should stop taking chances.”

“It’s not just me,” I murmured. “I’m risking Josh’s heart too.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

KENNY LOGGINS, “MEET ME HALFWAY”

Eve

I returned to work.

Dad told everyone at church that I’d been on a mission trip in Guatemala.

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