Page 60 of When You Were Mine

“No, you had the baby in one of those slings.” He motioned across his chest. “And a man came up and put his arm around you. I watched the whole thing. There’s no way that man was a guest. And I saw the way you were rubbing the top of the baby’s head. That kid was yours.”

“Idaho?” She glanced at the street in contemplation. “That would’ve been seven years after Vegas.”

The bright lights from the store exposed her rosy cheeks and red-tipped nose. Those lips that had given him so much pleasure looked ripe as fresh raspberries.

“Okay. That was Carly. My niece. There are six years between Amber’s daughters.”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.“The girl at the desk told me you were married. You looked like a family.” If only he’d gone over there and talked to her. If only he’d said hello.

“So, what, you came all the way to Idaho, saw me holding a baby, and gave up?”

“You’d moved on. You were happy, and I figured the best thing I could do was respect your new life.”

“That girl you talked to probably got minimum wage to check guests in. I doubt she even heard your question.” She drew in a breath. “Do you see how this trip down memory lane only makes things worse? I don’t want to know that you tried to find me. I don’t want to know how close we came to seeing each other. Because, ultimately, neither of us tried hard enough. And that’s what matters. Go back to the hotel, Trevor. We’ve said all we need to say.” She brushed past him and entered the store.

He followed. Of course he did. He didn’t want to hurt her, but they had to talk it through. There was no other way to get back to each other but through the pain.

Because one thing was absolutely clear. The high color in her cheeks, the sparks in her eyes, and the emotion in her tone told him she cared. If she truly didn’t give a shit about him, she’d be neutral. Flat.

Okay, but you have to calm down. Just be friendly.

Nothing more.

He entered the brightly lit store to find knit sweaters imprinted with the Icelandic flag, mugs and T-shirts with a Viking emblem, and tables stuffed with lava cheese and black volcanic salt. He joined Elzy in front of a bookcase crowded with slippers. They ranged in style from playful wool socks to high-end leather. He held up a pair for babies. “I’m going to get these.”

“Oh? Are you and Darby expecting?” She had a cool tone, like she was pretending not to care.

He burst out laughing. “Nope. They’re for my granddaughters. Cole, my son, adopted two little girls after his high school friend passed away. He married the co-guardian, and now, they have twins.”

She studied him for a moment, and he must’ve passed some kind of test because she let down her guard. “You’ll need to know their shoe sizes. Those are for newborns.” She picked up a pair of slipper socks with reindeer on top. “So cute.” She grabbed four pairs. But her gaze kept wandering to the suede slippers.

He slid a hand into the thick, shearling footbed. “These are nice.”

“I have a whole collection of slippers. I’m obsessed with them.”

“Yeah?”

“I wear heels most days, so the only thing I can think about when I get home is getting into my slippers and sweatpants.”

“Get them.”

“Believe me, I don’t need another pair.” When she moved on to a table of skincare products, he followed.

Other than the words vegan, herbal, and volcanic, he barely noticed anything.Because this is Elzy.And he was standing next to her in a store in Iceland.

It was surreal and, strangely, perfect.

For all the scents swirling around him, the only one that connected with his very core, that excited his molecules into a frenetic dance, was the one emanating from her. It was a mix of her shampoo, her rich perfume, and the essence of Jessica Elsworth.

My Elzy.

He wanted to wrap his arms around her and hold her close until their hearts beat in sync.

“My sisters will love this.” She held up a basket of bath products.

Maybe he didn’t deserve the privilege of asking about her life, but the only way to earn it was to be consistent. “How are they? Are they still in Riverton?”

Distracted from sniffing a bar of soap, she said, “Oh, no. They’ve all come to Calamity with me.”

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