Page 67 of The Seascape Between Us

“I need to know what your intentions are with him,” she said. “Before I help you with anything, I need to know that you’re sticking around.”

The memory of him walking away frommeat the hotel, the sight ofhisback as he sailed out of the room without sparing me another glance, weighed heavily on me. The possibility of losinghim again after finally finding our way back to each other was just too much.

“I’m here for him for as long as he’ll let me be,” I told her.

In all my years of dating, no one had ever asked me about my intentions about anyone before, even when Daniel and I were together the first time. Yet, here I was, explaining my feelings to a virtual stranger; and this wasn’t even the first time today.

Brody had called me on the drive to June’s and asked me almost the same thing. When Brody’s number appeared on my screen, I answered using the hands-free option, hoping it was Daniel. Maybe his phone had died, and that’s why he hadn’t returned my text and why he was calling from his friend’s phone. But it had been Brody.

“Daniel’s at my place,” he’d said, in lieu of a greeting.

“I thought he might be.” I kept my tone even, not sure where the conversation was going.

“So, the hotel took a shit kicking?”

“It wasn’t great,” I admitted. “Is he okay?”

“Yeah, he’s just being a stubborn ass.”

Some of the anxiety humming beneath my skin faded, and I let out the breath that had lodged in my throat

“Here’s the thing, Mackenzie. I need to know if you’re in this. Are you just with him while you’re fixing up the hotel, and then when it’s done, you’re back to Portland, and he’s here, and that’s it? Or are you with him for good? Because he loves you. He’s always loved you.”

My eyes welled up, and my throat tightened. I had to clear it before I could speak again. “I’m in this for the long haul. I love him too, and I’ve always loved him.”

“Good,” Brody replied. “Like I said, he’s in stubborn-ass mode right now. Pulling back when he feels like he doesn’t have control is a thing he does.”

I huffed out a laugh. “I’ve noticed.”

“I’ll talk to him,” Brody said. “Tell him to stop being a stubborn ass.”

“Good luck with that.” I smiled then, glad to have him on my side.

And here I was having almost the same conversation with June less than an hour later.

“I just want to take care of him, make things easier,” I told her.

June smirked. “He needs to be needed.”

I started to argue, but she held up her hand, cutting me off. “Believe me, I get how frustrating it is. I’ve known him since he and his mother turned up at the hotel, the bruises on Anna’s face just fading and his skinny arm in a cast.”

My stomach clenched. I’d known his father was a bastard, but not all the details. I wondered if the man was still alive, and if he was, I wanted to find him and scrub him from the face of the planet.

“I think Anna always thought he’d come after them, but he never did. It was a long time though, before she stopped looking over her shoulder and even longer before Daniel stopped flinching any time someone raised their voice. He’s never had it easy, and I want that for him, what you’re offering, but he needs to feel like he’s a part of it.”

“It’shishotel,” I assured her. “It always was. I want to give him his hotel and make everything right for him.”

Her smile stretched wide, and she pushed open her door. “Well then, you best come inside. Can I get you something cold to drink?”

“Since you have power, I’d give anything for a cup of coffee.”

She laughed, and I followed her into her blessedly cool house.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Daniel

“So, what’s the plan then?” Brody asked, flopping next to me on the sofa.

---