Page 42 of The Seascape Between Us

“Yeah, well, I’m sure his father filling his head with shit about me didn’t help.”

“No, it wouldn’t have. Who knew Oliver McKenzie could be such a dick?”

In the years that I’d brought him his groceries, ran errands for him, he’d always seemed so friendly, almost glad to see me. I had no idea how little he thought of me. I shrugged. “He just didn’twant his son being held back by someone who couldn’t get their shit together.”

From my peripheral, I saw Brody glance my way again, and I kept my gaze forward.

“You always had your shit together,” Brody said. “He was just an asshole.”

“How would you know? You didn’t know me back then.” Brody didn’t know I was in the same place I’d been seventeen years ago, the same place I’d probably be in another seventeen years. If my situation changed at all, it would only be because of Grey helping with the hotel.

“Ryan told me,” Brody said. “Christ, you were only eighteen, running that hotel and taking care of your stepmom. Not many kids that age could manage a business and still care for a sick parent.”

I jerked a shoulder. The time I’d spent caring for Ramona while managing the hotel had been brief. She had to go into a long-term care home. From there, she started to deteriorate so quickly that I’d had to find somewhere that had around-the-clock care. It had been expensive, but I never could have lived with myself if I hadn’t been able to find a place where I knew she would be well looked after.

“Do you think that’s why he bought into the hotel?” Brody asked. “Guilt?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I didn’t really know why he did it at the time. I assumed it was for the community.” The hotel brought a lot of business to Oceanwind Square in the summer months. At the time, I’d been too desperate to ask too many questions. After having to put so much money into Ramona’s care, I had taken on debt and couldn’t afford so many of the big fixes around the hotel. I wouldn’t have survived another off-season without his help.

“What does all that mean for you and Mackenzie Junior?” Brody asked.

I shrugged again. “Friends with benefits, like I said.”

“He’s good with that?”

“He is now.”

“What does that mean?”

“When he first found the letter, he thought we should just pick up where we left off. That’s crazy, of course. I mean, it’s been almost twenty years since we were together, and even back then, it had just been a couple of months—a summer, really. We’re completely different people at completely different places in our lives.”

Brody stopped running, and I stopped with him. For a few moments, neither of us spoke, each of us catching our breath. Finally, I asked, “What’s wrong? Why are you stopping? Do you want to head back?”

Brody stepped back and leaned against the rail. “You remember when I was first seeing Jett, and when I was acting like an idiot, you had no problem telling me.”

Apprehension unfurled inside me. “I remember. Are you about to tell meI’macting like an idiot?”

He smirked. “You also told me I deserved to be happy.”

“You did. You do. Ryan would have wanted that for you.”

“I know. I believe you, but now, I’m going to return the favor.Youalso deserve to be happy.”

“Thanks?” Did he mean I deserved to be happy with Grey? Or did he think I needed to move on to be happy? Honestly, both possibilities were terrifying.

“Do you think you could be happy with Grey if you tried again?” Brody asked, his dark eyes bored into me as if you could see inside me.

Of course, I could. Even the time Grey and I spent together over the last few days had left me happier than I’d felt in years.The real question was, though, could Grey be happy with me? I didn’t see how he could be, and I knew that if I let myself feel something for him, care about him, love him again, and it didn’t work out, it would break me.

After all, I’d lost Grey once before already. I knew how it felt, and I didn’t think I could survive it a second time.

Chapter Seventeen

Grey

Isat behind Daniel’s desk, laptop open in front of me, and fought the urge to snap it closed again. Jeez, was I behind. Not that I was entirely surprised. Between spending the last two days at the house with Daniel and so much of my focus going into the hotel, work for my own business was starting to mount.

This morning, still in bed and half asleep, I’d heard his phone buzz from the nightstand. Then he’d leaned over and murmured softly that he was going for a run with Brody.

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