Page 45 of Unsteady in Love

“Did Luke know you cried all the time?”

“Oh, hell no.” She laughed, shaking her head. “Well, not until Mason told him. Luke only knew of a few times when I was at my weakest. Now, I don’t let that man out of my sight, so no more crying for me,” she joked.

“And where is Mr. Sandström?”

Alex sat up from her lounge chair with a smile. The next thing I knew, I had a view of the ocean with a sun-kissed Viking throwing a black-haired, equally tanned boy into the water. “He went down to play with Mason when you called. You should have come here instead of heading home. We’d be happy to have you.”

“I didn’t even think about it. I was on autopilot after Holden asked me to leave. I know I’m being stupid about this, but I thought once he finally let me see him, we’d be together. Does Luke have some weird male pride thing?”

Deep down, I understood Holden wanting to do everything on his own. He wanted me to see him as the strong man he was and not the one stuck in a hospital bed. It still didn’t hurt any less being apart from him.

Alex tilted her head to the side as she thought about it. “Not really. He’s more chivalrous. He opens doors for me, carries stuff for me, and whether he’s there or not, he likes to pay for things. That’s his pride. He’s pretty mellow.”

“Holden used to do that. I don’t even know what he’s like anymore in that sense. I only know the man on the other end of email and Skype.”

Alex smiled assuredly. “You will, just give it time. I know you’ll hate to hear it, but maybe this time apart will be good for him. He can get his head screwed on right before he comes home.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

“What?”

“That he won’t come home. What if he starts thinking crazy thoughts and decides he’s better off without me and disappears again?

“Oh, honey, maybe you should talk to him about your fears. I think that will alleviate a lot of your problems.” How had I never realized how wise she was? If it weren’t for Alex, I’d be a mess.

“Probably, but I hate to put more pressure on him to make me feel better when it should be the other way around. I mean for Christ’s sake, the man lost part of his leg, and I’m worried he’s going to leave me in the dust.” Embarrassed, I looked down at my hands to pick at my nail.

“Hey,” she called, and when I looked back at the screen, I was met with her soft smile. “You can’t help how you feel, and the only way to feel better about it is to talk to Holden. I have an idea. Why don’t you talk to him about how you’re feeling, and then ask if you could come visit him on your way here?”

“You don’t give up.” I laughed.

“Wouldn’t it make you feel better to see him again?” she asked with a knowing look.

“It would,” I agreed. “I’ll talk to him tonight when he calls.”

“And then you’ll come visit?”

“You act as if you’re moving there. Is there something I should know?” I asked, alarmed. As my only friend, I would be devastated if she moved away.

Alex threw her head back as she laughed. “You’re bored out of your mind, and there’s no reason for you not to visit. You have plenty of money now. Use it!”

“We’ll see. It kind of feels wrong to be hanging out on the beach while Holden is working his ass off to learn how to walk again.”

“When you put it like that, it doesn’t sound so great. Seriously though, talk to him.About everything. You’ll feel better.”

“I will,” I agreed and promised myself I would talk to him tonight.

“Okay, call or text me to tell me when you’re coming. I’ll show you around, and we’ll soak up the sun for a few days.”

“Hey, Prue, how’s it going?” Luke asked from the sidelines.

“I’m doing okay. How about you?”

Luke’s face appeared from the top of the screen as he hung over it. “I’m doing great. Hanging out with my family today while I’m off work.”

Swoon.

I loved that he considered Mason and Alex his family.

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