Page 59 of The Inn Dilemma

Chris looks between the two of us, and I can’t tell if he’s unhappy with what he sees or not. He’s always been overprotective with me and the guys I brought around. How would he feel if he knew the conversation Holt and I had on the way here?

“That’s so sweet,” Maya says.

My eyes shift to Chris again, who wears a completely unreadable expression as he stares at his best friend. Holt meets his gaze, and Chris motions with his head toward the exit, which Holt answers with a nod of his own. They’ve always been able to communicate without words. Both of them head to the exit, leaving me vulnerable at the table with my brother’s wife and their group of biker friends.

“So, what exactly is going on with you and Holt?” Thor asks with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

Before I have a chance to say anything, a waitress comes over and asks if we want to order any food. This may be a bar, but everyone orders non-alcoholic drinks.

The girls all order first, and then the guys add theirs. The waitress’s eyes linger on Des a few seconds too long. Maya places her hand over Des’s and he weaves their fingers together. The waitress looks displeased but leaves us without another word.

“Where are Chris and Holt?” Maya asks.

Roxy shrugs. “Beats me. Hopefully Chris likes what I ordered for him.”

Thor drops his hands on the table and looks at Des. “You wanna go check on them?”

Des nods his approval, and the two head for the exit.

Me and the three girls at the table look around at each other awkwardly.

“So, have any of you read anything good recently?” I ask.

All three girls’ faces light up. Clover talks about Evie Chandler, who is apparently Chantelle, another girl in the biker group and one of the authors she edits for. Maya jumps in and tells me about her most recent five-star read,The Wildby M.J. Padgett. And Roxy sighs over West, the hero ofWhen Forever Comes.Which isn’t surprising since both she and the heroine of the story fall in love with billionaires. I tell them about the book I just finished,A Drop in Forever,a magical realism romance with the coziest of vibes. Another girl shows up, Tallulah, who immediately jumps in and gushes overMidnight Rider, the first book of an urban fantasy series by Stormie Black.

Books were apparently the perfect icebreaker for this group of women. It doesn’t take long for our conversations to turn into laughter and stories about how they met their guys. It makes me slightly jealous but also hopeful that these people can become my friends too.

Chapter Twenty

Holt

“Be straight with me. What’s going on with you and Nova?” Chris asks after we step outside.

I feel guilty leaving Nova alone with my friends, knowing they will probably ask her a million questions.The quicker I answer Chris, the faster I can save Nova from my friends’ prying inquiries.

“We’re friends,” I say.

Chris’s expression tells me he doesn’t believe me.

“It’s true. We’re friends. She’s on a dating sabbatical, and the last thing I want to do is push her into a relationship she’s not ready for.”

His eyebrows shoot up and his glasses drift down his nose. He pushes them back into place. “Are you saying you’d be interested in pursuing something romantic with her if she was ready?”

“Definitely.”

Chris nods thoughtfully. “That’s an idea I’ll need to get used to, if I’m being honest.” I expect him to have more to say about Nova and me, but he changes the subject. “How are you? With everything, I mean?”

My nostrils flare and I blow out a breath. “Better.” I nod, my answer coming out honestly. Chris knows I’ve been struggling with where to go from here. Being a SEAL has been my dream since I was a kid and something I trained for until I went into the program at eighteen. My identity was wrapped up in it. When it was ripped away from me after I lost my eye, I knew it would be an uphill battle. Chris is the only person I’ve confided in about it.

“Good.” He puts his hand on my shoulder. “You know I’m here for you. No matter what.”

“I know.” I get the sudden urge to share my idea with Chris. The program for at-risk boys, the program I would have needed to stay on the straight and narrow if it wasn’t for Uncle Walt. “I have an idea about what’s ahead. It’s something I’ve been praying about for a while.”

I’m silent for a beat, and Chris gives me a look that tells me to go on. I go into my plans for the non-profit I’ve been praying over.

“I’ll be your first investor. You know we’re always looking for new philanthropies to donate to.”

“Appreciate that,” I manage over the thickness in my throat.

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