Cruz stopped what he was doing and glanced over at him. “Sorry. I was hoping things would work out. She seemed really nice. And you guys were great together.”
“Come on. You know the reason we were doing all that. For Daisy, and so Kate could get her promotion.”
“Yeah, but you guys played your roles as girlfriend and boyfriend too well. I saw how you two looked at each other, and that wasn’t pretend. That was real.”
Dominic laughed, but it was mirthless. “Then you should have seen the sparks that were flying between her and her ex when I saw them together last week.”
Needing perspective, Dominic opened the cooler near his foot and grabbed two beers, handing one to Cruz. They went to the backyard, despite the frigid, icy cold, and sat on the stoop and he told Cruz about Michael and Kate.
Cruz took a long draw from his beer and mulled it all over when he was through. “One thing you haven’t told me in this long story of yours is how you feel about Kate.”
“I told you, she and her ex are as good as together by now.”
“Yeah, but that still doesn’t answer my question. How do you feel about Kate? Do you love her?”
&nb
sp; Dominic didn’t have to think very long, because he damn well knew the answer. “Without a doubt. She’s the only one for me.”
“And in all this time you’ve been spending time with her, have you ever told her how you feel?”
Dominic didn’t answer, only took a pull from his beer and stared out over the tree line ahead.
“I’m going to take that silence as your admission to not telling her how you felt. Any reason you didn’t?”
“You know, you’re as chatty and inquisitive as Benny. If I wanted to discuss my feelings, I wouldn’t have called you. Cut me a break here.”
“Hell if I will. You and I both know why you didn’t tell her. And that was totally unfair to Kate. She’s not Melinda. You’ve been afraid to tell Kate how you really feel because you didn’t want to risk her rejection. Or being hurt. Your ex really played a number on you, but that doesn’t mean Kate will.”
“Not intentionally. But eventually, she will come to her senses. Realize that I can’t give her the big fancy house and the fancy friends that she needs and wants.”
“Have you looked at this place? Don’t sell yourself short, bud. More importantly, don’t sell Kate short. Tell her how you really feel about her, no holds barred, and give her that chance to make a choice. You think Michael is the man she always wanted and maybe, before she met you, that was true. Just like before you met Kate you thought Melinda was who you wanted. But things change. And from the glow I saw in her eyes whenever she looked at you or touched you, I’d lay bets she loves you, too. You just need to make her see it.”
It hit him hard, hearing Cruz laying it out like that. Because he was right. He’d bowed out because he thought he was giving Kate what she wanted.
He needed to be honest with Kate. Tell her before it was too late.
Because until he heard the words from her mouth, heard her say she chose Michael or just outright denied him, he was never going to move on.
He owed her that chance.
He owed them both that chance. Because he loved that woman and could make her happier than a million Michaels, and he was not just going to tell her that, but prove it every single day.
Dominic started back inside the house and for the stairs.
“Are we done?” Cruz asked his back, his laughter echoing after Dominic.
Chapter Nineteen
The band Mrs. Vaughn had secured for Payton’s engagement party wasn’t too bad. They were attempting to play one of the Beatles’ love songs while the happy couple danced under the adoring attention of their family and friends. Kate held her glass of champagne, swirling the fluid under the lights.
Trying to pretend she was happy.
She was still sitting there, staring despondently into her glass, when Michael’s voice made her jump. “Hi, Kate.”
“Hi,” she said and barely looked up. But the shiner around his left eye immediately caught her attention. “What happened to your face?”
“Your boyfriend is what happened. Dominic?” he added at Kate’s confused look. “That day outside your office. I’m guessing he didn’t tell you.”