“It’s because he thinks of them as Caleb’s friends, not his. But they’re his friends, too. Everyone has said that.”
“You might be wading into shark-infested waters here, Ella. Gavin is weird when it comes to stuff that involved Caleb. I suspect it’s been part of his coping mechanism to distance himself from things he associates with Caleb.”
“By doing that, he’s also distancing himself from people who care about him. I hate that for him. I hate that he’s been living half a life for all these years. I want to remind him of things he used to enjoy. If he can’t do those things with Caleb anymore, he can still do them with me and you and all his other friends.”
“It might be too hard for him,” Hunter said softly.
“The first time. Maybe the second and third time. But eventually he’ll start to associate new memories with old friends.”
“Are you prepared for him to be unhappy that you’ve done such a thing?”
Her stomach knotted at the thought of making Gavin unhappy. That was the last thing she wanted to do. “I hope he’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
“You’re playing with emotional dynamite.”
“Maybe so, but you know what he told me last night?”
Hunter cringed. “Is it PG-13?”
“Yes,” she said with a laugh. “He said it’s been years since he laughed or smiled as much as he has with me in the last few days. I want to give him more to smile about. That’s all this is.”
“And if you get a few days in the tropics with the guy you love . . .”
“Bonus.”
Hunter shook his head, his disapproval still obvious, but he clicked away on his computer and then looked up at her. “I sent you an e-mail with Dylan’s address.”
“Thank you.”
“Your heart’s in the right place with this, Ella. Don’t think I can’t see that. But just be prepared for it to not be as easy as you think it’s going to be.”
“Nothing with Gavin has been easy, except for the way I feel about him. Loving him is the easiest thing I’ve ever done.”
“I know that feeling, but I also know Gavin, and he’s different since Caleb died.”
“Of course he is. We all are.”
“No one more so than Gavin. The grief runs deep. All the way to his bone marrow.”
“Grief isn’t the only emotion he’s capable of feeling. I’m determined to prove that to him.”
“Just make sure it’s not at your own expense.”
“I’m getting tired of everyone warning me off the man I love.”
“I know that feeling, too. Everyone thought I was crazy for getting involved with Megan, especially when she’d been so crazy about Will for so long. Didn’t matter. I get it. But none of us wants to see you sucked into the rabbit hole Gavin’s been in for years now. In fact, I can almost promise you that I’ll throw myself in front of that if I see it happening.”
“I don’t want you throwing yourself in front of anything, Hunter. I’m asking you and everyone to respect my judgment and my privacy. I know we’re up in each other’s business all the time, but I won’t welcome interference in this case.”
“Ella—”
“Gavin has a right to be happy, especially after everything he’s been through. I’m going to make him happy.”
“Okay.”
“Okay? That’s it? You’re actually going to stand down?”
“If that’s what you want.”
“It is. Don’t worry about me. I’m a lot tougher than I look.”
“I will worry about you because that’s my job as your big brother.”
Ella rolled her eyes at him. “Focus your big-brother bullshit on Charley and leave me alone.”
“It’s easier to focus on you. You’re not as mean as she is.”
“Wimp.”
“Damn straight.”
Ella walked out laughing and encountered her dad returning from somewhere with Ringo and George in hot pursuit.
“Just the girl I wanted to see,” Lincoln said. “Step into my office.”