Page 14 of A Family Affair: The Ring
“I do have my moments.”Cash grabbed a slider, tore into it.
“I never thought this place would buy into anything with avocado in it.”
Cash shook his head, reached for a wing, dipped it in hot sauce.“How about the whole hummus thing?It’s one of my favorites.”
“Ah, so you’re a hummus and avocado guy?”Will’s lips twitched.“Do you drink appletinis too?”
“Shut up.And just so you know, I understand what you’re doing.”
The guy wasn’t playing right now, but that didn’t mean Will had to own up to anything, especially about Melanie.“You do?Because I was just trying to decide if I should bring finger sandwiches and punch to the next card game.”
“The next card game?”Cash raised a brow, his lips pulled into a flat line making it impossible to tell if he were serious or teasing.“Keep talking like that and there won’tbea next time.”
Will took in the harsh lines on either side of his mouth, the narrowed gaze, the tense jaw.If he attached that to the man’s words, assessed and analyzed, then a person would conclude that—
“You are so damn easy.”Cash let out a howl, eyes sparkling.“Toodamn easy.No wonder you can’t figure out what to do,” he mumbled under his breath.“You’re too busy creating your spreadsheets so you can study them.”Another howl and then “Human relationships do not require spreadsheets or heavy analysis.”He balled a hand into a fist, placed it over his heart.“It’s all about feeling and going with your gut.You either feel it or you don’t.It’s either there or it isn’t.”Pause and a soft “And it’s not there with Delaney.”
“Thanks for the analysis.”Deep down, Will knew he was right.Itwasn’t there...it had never been there, and casual compatibility was not a reason to plan a future with someone.
His friend’s next words scorched his brain.“Not like it was with Melanie.”
“And what’s your point?”He didn’t wait for Cash to respond because he already knew where this was heading.“Are you going to drown me with advice like give her another chance?Try again?There’s nobody like her and there never will be?Every other woman is a fake compared to her?”Will tried to shut down his emotions, but they spewed out like a gusher.“You’re lost without her, and you haven’t been the same since you split up?Or how about the real heart breaker?It’salwaysbeen her?”He sucked in a deep breath, blew it out and finished with “It will never be anyone elsebuther no matter how much you deny it?”
Five seconds ticked by, then ten before Cash placed his half-eaten chicken wing on his plate, eyed Will.“I was just going to ask if you liked her new haircut.”
9
Iheard Melanie Russell’s back in town.
I see she waited until poor Esther died to swoop in and raid the house.
Poor Esther indeed.She did not deserve this.
Nobody deserves to have their family desert them.
Left town and never looked back.
Talk about wrong.
Worse than wrong.
Did they think sending Esther a plane ticket once or twice a year erased everything?
As if it could...
And Melanie?Hah.She’s as bad as her mother.
Poor Will.
That boy got blindsided and it almost destroyed him.
She crushed his heart, stole his dreams, and left town for good.
Don’t forget the engagement ring she gave back.
So cold.
I thought he’d never trust a woman again, but I think Delaney might be the one.
