Page 44 of Liam
“Yeah, Logan and Grace are at Mom’s house with Carina.” A hint of a smile touched his lips. “They’re cooking up a storm, apparently.”
“Howisyour mom?”
A flicker of emotion passed over Flynn’s face. It was heavy. “Not great. Her memory gets worse every day. I’m looking into care facilities for her. Carina’s wonderful with her, though.”
Liam’s chest clenched for his friend. His mother had dementia. They were close, and Carina was both his partner and his mother’s nurse. Before Carina, Flynn’s mother was his entire family. “I’m sorry, man.”
“Thanks. I hate doing it, but it’s time. I’m lucky to have Carina for support. She’s been my rock.”
Yeah, the woman was strong. She’d come to town and worked her way into Flynn’s life, then his heart. Danger had followed her, however, and the first few months of her life here in Cradle Mountain hadn’t been easy.
Flynn frowned. “How’s Nylah after the run-in with that asshole this afternoon?”
His hands fisted on the desk. Asshole felt like too kind a word for the guy who’d tried to hurt her. “Physically, she’s okay. He shoved her against the wall, but she fought him off.”
Flynn nodded, something akin to admiration in his eyes. “Yeah, I heard that. She’s tough and obviously has some training behind her. I’m glad she knows how to handle herself.” Then he cocked his head. “How is she emotionally, though?”
That was a good damn question. “Aside from being angry at me, I don’t know. She asked forspace.” The word tasted like acid in his mouth.
There was a tick of silence before Flynn asked, “What did you do?”
Of course, his friend knew it was his damn fault. “I got angry at her for not turning around when she got a bad feeling about the asshole. Told her it wasn’t smart, then I agreed with Carlson when he told her to leave the heroics to us.”
Flynn’s cringe confirmed just how fucking stupid he was for saying what he did.
“I mean, you weren’t entirely wrong. She should have turned around. We’d prefer her safe rather than sorry. But if you said it in those words—”
“Well, I definitely said she wasn’t smart. I was angry and frustrated and scared, and I just kept thinking that if something had happened, and I’d been just down the street, unable to do anything…” His chest tangled into a fucking knot.
“I can understand that,” Flynn said quietly. “If Carina were in the same situation, I’d react on emotion too. But that’s because it’s our gut instinct to keep others safe first, especially the women in our lives. We forget that we can’t always make those decisions for them.”
“I know that.” Shit, of course he knew that.
Flynn crossed his arms over his chest. “Is this thing between you long term?”
“Yes.” The word was out before he even thought about it. “We may be new, but I know with every fiber of my being that she’s mine.”
Flynn nodded slowly. “Then be what she needs, not what you think youshouldbe. She’s here to get away from overprotective brothers, right?”
“Yeah.”
“So don’t push. Otherwise…”
“I’ll lose her.” Wasn’t it the same damn advice Callum had given him?
“Something to think about.” Flynn’s gaze shifted to the laptop screen, then back to Liam. “Want me to stay for a while? Look over those bios with you?”
“Nah. I’m done for the night. You enjoy the evening and whatever they’re cooking.”
His friend’s mouth stretched into a smile. “It’s enchilada night. It’s gonna be a good one. You’re welcome to join.”
He shook his head. He wasn’t in a socializing mood. “I’ll probably head home and have a quiet evening.”
Flynn nodded and tapped the doorframe before moving out of the office.
Liam listened as Flynn’s steps receded down the hallway and out the door. He looked back at the screen, so distracted he couldn’t read a single word. With a curse, he clicked out, shut down the laptop, and lifted his phone.
He wrote and rewrote the message at least a dozen times before settling on two words.
