Page 69 of Love to Hate You

She took a small step forward. “You don’t talk about him much.”

“There’s not much to say. I didn’t know him really well. I grew up in England and only saw once him a year.”

“How did he hurt you?”

“He made it clear that I was the least important person in his life.”

Her cheeks went red with rage. “He was wrong, and shame on him for making anyone, especially his son, feel like that.”

“Are you getting mad on my behalf, love?”

“Yes. Yes, I am.”

He liked it when she got spicy. Especially on his behalf. “That was a long time ago.”

“Maybe up here.” She pointed to his head, then his heart. “But not in here.”

Randy took that moment to stand on the railing right next to theDO NOT STAND ON THE HAND RAILINGsign and shout, “I love this woman.” Then he hopped down and kissed Autumn. A crowd formed around them and cheered them on.

Summer looked from Randy to Wes. “What if Randy’s never ready to step up at the company?”

Wes had been asking himself that question for months now. He loved his brother, but it was as if Randy was living in an alternate reality where having the last name Kingston meant he could sit in an office practicing his golf swing and still make things happen.

“Then I’ll do whatever it takes to find him a job he’d be good at,” he said. “Well, look at this, we’re next,” he said with a smile.

“Oh god.” She clasped his hand hard enough that he winced.

“I can take the blame and say I’m afraid of heights,” he offered.

She snorted. “I know you’re just saying that to make me feel better. But it’s not like anyone would believe that you’re afraid of heights.”

“I’m afraid of plenty.”

“Like what, apart from turning into your dad?” She said the last part with compassion.

He could lie to her and come up with something comical, like spiders or the white tops of candy corn, but they were about to get loaded on to the Ferris wheel and he needed to distract her. Plus, a part of him wanted to tell her the truth.

He climbed into the swinging seat and tugged her to him and said, “You, love. I’m scared of you.”

She was so thrown off by his admission that she plopped down in the seat next to him. The gate locked in front of them. It wasn’t until they started to move that she seemed to realize what was going on, and she squealed and then clung to him like a koala on a eucalyptus tree.

He put his arm around her and pulled her close so he could whisper, “Breathe. I’ve got you.”

She did and he tightened his arms. Damn, she felt good—vulnerable and relying on him to protect her. Wes was learning more and more just how much of a protector he was toward the people in his life. And even if they couldn’t be more than friends, he wanted her to be in his life—for good.

“Talk to me,” she said, her face buried in his armpit. “Distract me.”

“Like how I’ve been dying to tell you all day that I didn’t know about the early opening.”

She blinked up at him, looking at him through those dark lashes. “I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions.”

“Don’t be sorry. I’ve given you plenty of reasons to doubt me.”

“I was so mad when Cleo told me. I felt like a fool. Like you were being nice to me to distract me from what was going on back home. Like you played me.”

He took her hand in his and placed them in his lap. “I’d never play you. Maybe once upon a time I would have done anything to win, but I’d like to think I’ve changed.”

“So what did Harper say?” When he didn’t speak, she said. “That was me being nosy. You don’t have to answer that.”

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