揥hat? She told you that??
揝he didn抰 have to. She was pale, Lincoln, minus the dark lines under her eyes...?
I rattle a fist under the table, wishing I had one of those stress balls right now.
揗a, just because you think something doesn抰 mean it抯 true. You thought the fake wedding was a good idea.?
揑n another universe, it might have been. One where Miss Poe didn抰 have a stalker and you didn抰 have such a sorry past that turned you into a short-fused grizzly bear.?
Damn. I roll my eyes.
Everyone抯 calling me names today.
揑 did the best I could for Dakota, all right? I even had you pitch her that fee out of my stake in the company, didn抰 I??I take a loud slurp of coffee to shut my yap.
揝he doesn抰 want money. The young woman wants an apology梐nd if you have it in that brain of yours, a makeup kiss or two wouldn抰 hurt.?
揘ot happening. Love梕specially the office kind條eads nowhere good. I did us both a favor and saved us a flaming tragedy.?
It抯 Ma抯 turn to roll her eyes.
揑 swear you get that stubborn streak from your father because you抳e got my brains.?
揥hat??
揕incoln Burns, you抮e no martyr. You抮e acting like a fool who walked away from a wonderful young creature who adored you.?Her face tightens before she continues. 揑抎 give anything梐nything梖or one more hour with your father, and watching you give up on a woman you obviously care about, who loves you棓 She throws up her hands. 揑f you weren抰 almost three times bigger, I抎 spank you right now.?
Brutal.
And of course she抯 desperate for another hour with Dad. That抯 because she抯 heartbroken and too blind to see it梩o see what I抦 saving us from.
She holds my gaze and says, 揟he biggest lesson I learned after your father passed was how bitterly short life can be. You can抰 waste it living in fear棓
揑抦 not afraid, Ma.?
She laughs and takes a hurried bite of her cinnamon roll. 揔eep telling yourself that.?
揥hat does that mean??
揧ou were afraid of losing Dakota棓
揘o, I wasn抰. We weren抰 even together. It was a sham. I didn抰 have anything to lose.?Yeah, right. Even I don抰 buy it.
揥hatever you say. Either way, you ended it. Now, you don抰 have to worry about it. But love is a gift, Lincoln. The only way it ends in tragedy is if you choose to go through life without ever loving because you抮e scared to death you might get hurt. That抯 the real tragedy, son. I just hope you figure that out before it抯 too late.?Her voice softens.
I don抰 know why that annoys me so much.
揅an we drop this??
揘ot likely. Dakota might抳e been the best chance for grandkids I抣l ever get. Also, I don抰 care what you say, dear. You were happy with her. It was clear as day in every photo.?
揌uh? They were supposed to destroy those pictures,?I growl, irritated that somebody didn抰 follow orders.
揑抦 your mother. I told design to keep them locked up securely. How else am I supposed to know what you抮e up to??
That fucking figures.
Between Wyatt抯 earlier comments about 揜aven chick?and Ma抯 two cents, I抦 on knife抯 edge. I抳e pitched nine-figure deals without this much adrenaline coursing through me.
揑 have to get home to give Wyatt his medicine. He shouldn抰 get out of bed alone.?
揙f course.?Mom smiles, having said her piece.
I stand.
揝o, can I hope you抣l at least think about calling that girl??
揧ou can hope whatever you want. Doesn抰 mean it抣l happen.?
She glowers at me, her eyes dark with disappointment.
揙ne day, I抦 going to join your father. Then you might be sorry you never had your own family.?
揧ou抮e so ornery that won抰 be for a while. Heaven thinks you抮e too entertaining here and you scare the pants off the devil.?I lean down and kiss her on top of the head. 揑 love you, Ma.?
揃ah. If you did, I抎 have a grandbaby by now.?
I leave her to lick my wounds in peace.
With my car on the ferry back to Seattle, I have plenty of time to think.
I抳e already met the Reaper face-to-face once, and again when I thought he had Wyatt抯 ticket. I抦 fearless in business, take risks, and always land on my feet.
So how the hell does one little blond with a spear for a tongue bust me up so much?
Dakota damn Poe runs through my head in chaotic scenes.
Arguing over cinnamon rolls.
Red-faced and crying because she sent the wrong attachment.
Pulling a greedy moan that tastes like pure honey from her mouth.
Standing beside me in a white dress that抯 so goddamned beautiful it stops clocks.
My heart stops, too, because I know.
I know if I ever wanted a woman beside me in a white dress, it抯 Nevermore, and no one else.
It抯 that dress she wore like an angel sent to render me boneless.
Then I went and ruined what could抳e been by conning her into a fake-ass engagement. I let her worm of an ex get in my head and rattle me into shoving her away.
Why?
Dumbass, you know the answer.
I feel sick, and I never get motion sickness on these ships.
Fuck. What have I done?
Before I can regret it, I pick up my phone.
How are you, Nevermore? I text.
No answer.
No surprise.
How are you liking your new role? I try again.
That抯 a genuine question. Mother said she抯 miserable, and I thought she抎 be happy being promoted.
There抯 no answer by the time I抦 driving off the ferry thirty minutes later, my jaw tight, every nerve bristling.
A bullet to the face would hurt less than wondering if I damaged Dakota Poe so much she抯 given up completely.
I can抰 leave it like this, even if I can抰 even fathom how to fix it.
I sit in a chair beside Wyatt抯 bed, glaring at my phone every five minutes.
揌as your girl called yet??
I roll my eyes. He knows damn well she hasn抰.
換uit acting like a lovesick fool and up your game,?he tells me.
揑抳e sent texts. She won抰 answer.?
He jerks forward with a snort so hard it makes him cough.
揃urns, I抦 beginning to get how a pretty rich boy manages to stay single.?
揑 have no idea what you mean.?
He barks laughter. 揕ike hell! You denied her in front of your people, and then you kicked her while she was down. Sending a text is棓
揂 cop-out,?I cut in.
He nods, a hard smile on his face like he抯 amazed it抯 getting through to me.
揥hat would you do then, love doctor??
揙nly you can figure that out.?He slumps back, waving a hand.
Before he can sling more crap at me, an alert for the gate chimes on my phone. I pull up the camera view.
Whoever it is stands in the shadows, a slow night rain pelting them. I抦 not expecting anyone, so it must be important, or a huge scam.
揝omeone抯 here. I抣l be right back.?I get up and hit the microphone icon to speak to them. 揃urns residence. Who抯 there??
揢h, Meadow. From the park??
Oh. I unlock the gate remotely and dart outside, waving her toward the house.
A minute later, Meadow stands on my porch shyly, not saying anything.
揅ome on in and dry off,?I tell her, ushering her inside. 揥hat brings you here??
Timidly, she looks up at me and lets out a deep breath.
?..I heard Wyatt might be staying here. He always mentioned you bothering him to move in and it took forever to find your place, but...I had to try. I had a little help. Sorry for any intrusion.?
揑t抯 fine. He抯 in my guesthouse. You want to follow me over??
She nods. 揟hank you.?
揥ho helped you find my place??I ask.
揙h, uh. I can抰 say.?
I chuckle. 揅an I ask why??
She holds up a hand like she抯 apologizing and says, 揥ell, I don抰 think it抯 true, but she says you抮e a giant douchenozzle. And if I mention her name, she抣l never tell me anything ever again.?She laughs lightly. 揌ard to argue with that, right??
I know who Meadow means.
Dakota.
I nod. 揇id you see her at the park??
揘o, that coffee shop up the block. Sweeter Grind. Sometimes they donate their used grounds for compost.?She squeezes her eyes shut and hangs her head. 揧ou won抰 say anything, will you??
揑抦 no rat.?