One Hot Summer - Page 176

I don’t have any answers. No good ones. It’s a parent’s worst nightmare, for their child to be in trouble.

“Just be there for her,” I suggest.

“I can do that,” she whispers.

I stand up and pull off the waders I was wearing to fly fish. “Give me two minutes to change and pack. We’ll get a boat over to Sitka and I’ll drive you right over to the airport. There’s a two o’clock flight on Alaska Airlines.

Go on-line and buy yourself a ticket. I’ll handle the rest.”

She looks up at me with watery eyes. “Thank you.”

Less than an hour later, we’re pulling into the airport parking lot, and that’s right around the time I realize that for the past hour and change, I’ve been in crisis mode, but now? Right now? This woman is about to leave Sitka and get on a plane to Seattle. I’m worried for her friend, of course, but my head’s in a tailspin too. I care about her and I haven’t told her so.

I needed more time, and fate gave me…less.

I park close to the terminal, cut the engine and sit with my hands on the steering wheel. I want to say something. I need to say something, but shit! Her best friend’s in trouble and she’s leaving, and it’s not the right time to tell her how I feel. The problem is, this might be my last chance. I don’t know what the fuck to do.

“Luke.” Her voice is calm now. She’s on her way home and once she arrives at SeaTac, she’ll arrange for an Uber to take her straight to the hospital. She’s done all she can for her friend at this point, and tears are useless. “Luke, thanks for everything.”

“I’m—I’m sorry it ends like this,” I say honestly, looking at her. “For us.”

Her hair is up in a messy bun, and I wish I could take it down and run my hands through it one last time before she goes. Her eyes are bright from crying and they search mine like she has something to say.

“We said no strings,” she finally whispers. She wets her lips, flicking a glance at mine and then back up again. “Right?”

“That was our agreement,” I say, feeling miserable.

“Will you say goodbye to the kids for me?”

“Sure,” I say.

I think this is her way of telling me that our short, sweet relationship ends here. Because if there were strings attached—if she had the sort of budding feelings for me that I have for her—she’d ask for my phone number, wouldn’t she? She’d tell me that she’ll call me tomorrow with news about her friend. She’d ask me to come see her in Seattle, or tell me she wanted to come back to Sitka.

“You’re sure you don’t mind sending the rest of my stuff?” she asks.

“No. It’s no problem. I have your address.”

Not your email. Not your phone number. Just a slip of paper with your street address, nothing more.

She nods at me, her eyes searching my face. “I… I had more fun here than I thought I would.” She clears her throat when I don’t answer. “I can, um, send you a copy of the article…if you want.”

“Sure,” I say. “That would be great.”

“You know what?” She cocks her head to the side and smiles at me, but it’s a sad smile. “I’m glad Bonnie placed that ad.”

“Me too.” I miss you already, I think. I don’t want this to be over! But a wiser, smoother voice warns me: It’s not the right time, Luke. It’s just not the right time. Instead I ask: “Can I walk you to the terminal?”

She shakes her head. “No. I hate long goodbyes.”

“So this is it.”

“Yeah. This is it. I think it’s for the best.”

It’s not for the best, something inside of me cries.

Stay, I want to say, but she can’t stay. Her friend needs her and I’m not that selfish, no matter how much I like her.

Ask me to visit! But I can’t force her to want what I want, and I can’t invite myself into the life she has at home. She has to do that without me forcing her to.

Tags: Heidi McLaughlin Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net
readsnovelonline.net Copyright 2016 - 2024