Page 110 of Snowed In With the Mountain Man
JJ dipped his head, trying to chuckle and failing. He knew they meant well. This was their not-so-subtle way of getting him to talk. And he supposed it was working. “She didn’t do anything wrong. I just… I don’t like how we ended things, that’s all.”
I don’t like that we ended things. Period.
There was a gaping hole in his chest every time he thought of a future without Dahlia in it. “The problem is that… she made a good point about something. And I don’t know if she’s right.”
Silence followed this. Not surprisingly. They all knew he’d been married, but that was all they knew. They didn’t know how he’d made a commitment for the wrong reasons. Her parting shot still stung, but he wasn’t hurt, just… worried she was right.
Was he trying to rush things just because she’d been leaving?
No. He didn’t think so.
He frowned down at his burger that he left half finished as his appetite fled.
He tried to imagine a different scenario. One in which she’d already agreed to live in Aspire. He’d have asked her to the wedding.
Then he would have asked her out again. And again.
One date would flow into another, and before he knew it, she’d be his girlfriend… and maybe a while after that, she just might be his fiancée… and then his wife.
He blinked, the idea surprising him. Did he really want to get married again someday?
To the right woman? Why not?
Was Dahlia the right woman?
A soft smile bloomed inside him.
It was a no-brainer. He could imagine a life with Dahlia. And trying to imagine a life without her wasn’t just painful, it was impossible.
He shifted in his seat, all too aware of his friends’ stares.
“Look, JJ,” Nash started. “I don’t know what Dahlia said, but I wouldn’t let it torture you. I’ll admit, I’m starting to come around to liking her more after this last stay. I think Emma was right all along. Dahlia’s got a good heart and a lot of love, especially for Rose. She just has a different way of showing it.”
JJ stared down at the table, his gut churning with emotion. “You don’t know the half of it.”
There was a long silence.
“Yeah, we sorta figured that,” Kit murmured.
JJ arched a brow.
Kit shrugged. “Lizzy and Emma are convinced that she’s just as heartbroken as you are, from what Rose has told them about their phone conversations.”
“Is she…” He cleared his throat. “Is she okay?”
Kit nodded, uncharacteristically serious. “Physically? Yes. But Rose is worried about her.”
“Did she… say anything?” He winced and shot a chuckling Boone a glare. He sounded lame, needy, desperate even. And he knew it.
“She’s been as tight-lipped as you.” Nash shook his head. “Rose has been talking a lot about vibes and how Dahlia seems to be sending off a bunch of negative ones. She’s been snippier than usual, but not so bossy. It’s really worrying the girls.”
“Maybe that’s why they’re such a good match,” Cody murmured.
The others chuckled.
“That’s right,” Boone said, nudging JJ’s elbow. “She’s the strong and silent type, just like you.”
JJ shot Boone another withering glare. He liked Nash’s young cousin, but right now he was not in the mood for his easygoing laughter.
