Page 19 of Anything for You
Wasn’t that the challenge for so many parts of life?
“I started to say I’m envious, but that’s such a hard, ugly term, and it doesn’t mean I want any of you to give me what you have. I want you to have it. And I wonder what it would be like if I did, too. If I even can.”
A sound came from the doorway, a muffled, almost agonized sound. We turned to see Kenny listening.
He rushed to me, hauling me into his arms as though he was the larger of the two of us.
“You can have whatever you want, okay?” He pulled back, his blue eyes so full of sincerity and urgency, my heart clutched. “You can find someone. I know it. And I can guarantee that person will be incredibly lucky to have you.”
He cupped my face and shook, giving me a hard look until I rolled my eyes and gave him an unwilling smile.
“Thanks.”
“Don’t thank me. It’s true. And I know that’s going to be a process for you. A lot is changing and thankfully not all of us move at lightning speed like me, but itisa lot if we think about where we were a few years ago.”
His eyes held the memories we all shared. The deployment gone wrong. Getting out of the military. Them carrying me through the darkest days of my life. Starting over here. Even the first year in Silverton when I still struggled fairly regularly. And for them? They’d struggled, too—adjusting to civilian life, making all the decisions we’d handed control over to the military for ourselves. Even being fully open to a relationship, at least for them.
I’d never been closed to it. I’d always just known it wasn’t an option. At least after the deployment that literally changed my brain and ability to function.
“I know. It’s a process.” I patted his shoulder, and he nodded as though satisfied.
“À demain, okay?” Luc asked, brows raised.
“Yeah. See you tomorrow.”
They left, each giving Bear his due as they walked out. From the front door, I glanced at the cabin next door, and my pulse did something weird I ignored. After Luc’s and Kenny’s cars were out of sight, I stood on the threshold of my home and wondered.
Would it be out of place for me to go check on Dove? Would she want that? Was it weird I was considering it given that we’d received happy news?
The questions slipped through my mind, but my feet were already moving toward her porch. I didn’t know her all that well and yet I knew with certainty we didn’t rely on pretense. After a knock on the door and no answer, I tried once more, and then left. Her car wasn’t there, but she occasionally parked in the small garage on the far side of the cabin, so I hadn’t wanted to assume.
She’d probably gone straight into town to talk with Jo and Elise or whoever else about the upcoming engagement and wedding. She had people. And… maybe she even had a person. She’d seemed so lonely, like she didn’t have a partner, but maybe I’d read it wrong.
I swallowed hard at the thought.
I’d hardly interacted with her, so how could I know? It would make sense someone as sweet and lovely as she was would have a partner. She couldn’t be married, and one might wonder why she was living out here with me—well, next to me—if she was in a serious relationship because if I had a woman like Dove, I’d do anything for her, including ask her to move in.
No matter. I’d see her again. I’d still make somethingtasty on Saturday, and maybe she’d drop another letter by. Not that I was waiting for one or anything.
“Bear,” I said, hand at my side. He trotted over and stayed in step with me.
We had things to do, and worrying about Dove Jensen’s feelings about our friends’ engagement wasn’t one of them.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Dove
My face hurt from smiling, and my feet killed me thanks to my choice of heels for the wedding.
Liz and Kenny’s wedding.Wow.When the man went for it, hewent for it.I loved it for both of them. The more I got to know Liz, the more I liked her. She belonged here with us in Silverton, and she belonged with Kenny.
Also, I hadn’t attended a wedding since Winnie’s last year, and oh, man. To no one’s surprise, I tended to be a crier at weddings. It was all just so beautiful. And of course, the best possible thing on earth was looking at the groom when everyone else looked at the bride.
Kenny had tears in his eyes, the sweet softy, and his face was basically an explosion of happiness. If a confetti cannon could be packaged into an expression, that was his face when he saw Liz at the end of the little white chapel’s aisle on her dad’s arm.
Their sweetness?Ugh. Their handwritten vows?Ugghgh.
That little ache in my chest I kept at bay so it wouldn’t turn into a full-on blackout chasm?
