Page 51 of Heart to Heart

Cade offered me a sympathetic smile. “I get that. Believe me, I do. I love you, Holly and I’m here to help. You can come to me any time and I promise I’ll try to stop being so pushy.”

I had to lighten the mood, so I did what I always do and made a joke. “I love you too but we both know you can’t stop being pushy. It’s in your nature, never gonna happen.”

He lifted his shoulders in a sheepish shrug. “That’s fair.”

I also doubled down and pushed back because I knew he was having a hard time too. “You know I’m here for you to talk to as well.”

He nodded with a suspicious grin etched across his features.

“So, Charlotte’s back in town, huh? Let’s get back to that. How are you?” Cade’s ex-wife was the very definition of the one who got away and since I was the definition of someone who needed to change the subject, I decided to turn the tables on his pushy butt.

A warning cloud spread across his features. “How about we talk about her right after we talk about you and why you’re crashing here instead of your new place. Or maybe you and Liam? Take your pick.”

I laughed because Cade and I would never stop pushing each other’s buttons; it was our favorite thing to do. This fact had been made abundantly clear over the years. Everyone in our family would swear we didn’t get along, but we did. “Whatever, maybe we should talk about Ash instead. Why are you still single, Asher?” We could also turn on a dime and tag-team our siblings. We were two sides of the same coin, which was probably why we butted heads sometimes.

Ash peered at me over his cards and shook his head like he couldn’t believe my traitorous ways.

“Yeah, man,” Cade piped in. “Whyareyou still single? You’ve been divorced longer than you were married. It’s time to get back out there.”

“Kids!” Dad’s warning shout traveled into the kitchen over the din of the game he was watching on TV. But like usual, we ignored him.

“Ooh, Cade! Maybe he should hire a nanny. I just finished reading this book about a single dad and a nanny that was pretty hot. I mean, you’re not a billionaire or a rancher, Ash, but you could still meet a nice lady that way. And bonus! She’ll get along with the kids.”

Ash shook his head, aiming a scowl across the table at me and Cade. “I—no. I’m not talking about this. I’d rather play in awkward silence while we wait for the meatloaf to cook.”

“Okie dokie.” I exchanged a sideways glance with Cade, who let out a snicker.

Ash laid down his cards, in reality and metaphorically. He was done with this conversation and about to end it. “I don’t want to try again yet and there’s nothing wrong with that. My focus is on Mark and Mara and being a good dad, as it should be. I swear, you two are the hot messes right now and yet somehow, I’m the butt of the joke. How is that?”

“You’re the oldest. Maybe that’s why.” I shrugged.

“Yep,” Cade agreed. “That’s it. You can take it.”

Ash snorted then stood up to check the meatloaf. He called out, “Food is done,” just as my phone pinged with a text.

“You know what? This is my last night here. I’m going home in the morning,” I declared, feeling a sudden surge of bravery. I was an adult, I had been taking care of myself for years, and I could do hard things, damn it.

“I wasn’t trying to chase you out, Holly. The kids won’t be back until the beginning of next week. You have time,” Ash said gently.

“Oh, I know that,” I reassured him. I want to do this, I have to. Plus, Liam just texted. He’s done for the day. He finished my work room and I want to unpack all the supplies that came in yesterday and get to work. I can do this.”

“Hell yes you can,” Cade agreed. “And all of us are just a phone call away.”

We talked through dinner. It didn’t escape my notice that they were building me up and encouraging me the entire time we spoke. By the time I got into bed, I was pumped up and ready for morning.

After waking up, I said bye to Ash, got into Lily’s car and left. I hadn’t even bothered to change clothes; I was still in my sleep shorts and tank from the night before. I’d shower, make coffee, do adulty things, then get busy unpacking my work room while I waited for Liam to show up for the day.

I pulled into my garage and entered from the internal door that led into the kitchen. Liam was sitting at the table. His face fell when he noticed what I was wearing. “I was here late. I came back after I loaded up the boxes of your supplies, they’re in the work room ready to go. I waited for you. I probably shouldn’t have stayed, but I couldn’t make myself leave. I guess I had to know the truth.”

“Thank you, um for doing that...” I breathed. The expression on his face tore at my heart.

What had he been thinking all night?

“I probably don’t have the right to be hurt that you didn’t come home. It’s not like we were actually dating each other yet, right?”

“I, uh, Liam, this is not what you think it is.”

“But I really don’t have the right tothinkanything, do I? We’re not even in a real relationship. I don’t have any type of claim on you, or your time, or where you spend the night. I have no right to even ask you where you were all night, do I?”

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