Page 51 of Flare Up
When he stopped the Jeep and took it out of gear, she realized he’d driven to some kind of park. It was dark and cold, so they were alone.
“You don’t think I’m going to have sex with you in this Jeep, do you?”
He laughed. “I don’t think either of us are that flexible, though it might be fun to try sometime. Maybe with the top off when it’s not twenty degrees.” His thumb drew circles on her hand. “I just thought we could talk for a few minutes and it’s quiet here.”
“Okay.” He sounded more serious now, which made her nervous.
“I figured I should ask you about New Hampshire again now that you’ve had a little time—not naked in my bed—to think about it. I don’t know if it’ll be hard for you.”
“You promised me your mom wouldn’t put anything in my food. I’m going to hold you to that.”
He chuckled. “I’m not worried about you and my parents together. But it occurred to me if I was estranged from my family, it might be painful being around somebody else’s.”
“I’ve met your family, Grant. Several times.”
“Good point. I guess the situation hasn’t really changed, other than I know about it now.” He sighed. “I don’t want to push you, that’s all.”
“Not having a relationship with Alex anymore is painful. I’m not going to lie. But I’m not going to keep that from letting other people in anymore. Like Patty. Did you know she calls Cait and I you girls? It’s so cute.”
“Do you think he’ll ever get over it? Alex, I mean.”
“As in forgiving me? I...don’t know. Part of me hopes he will because he’s my brother. He’s pretty much all the family I have. But another part of me wonders if our relationship would ever be worth the effort again.”
“He is your brother.”
“And what does that mean, really? When you say the firefighters you work with are like your brothers, that means you trust them to have your back. No matter what, you can trust them to be there for you. In my case, it’s just a word that signifies we have the same biological parents.”
“Are you okay with that?”
She shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t really have a choice, since he won’t talk to me.”
“But if it was your choice?”
She didn’t want to talk about Alex anymore. Talking about Alex made her think about Ben, and she definitely didn’t want him in her head. He’d robbed her of enough time with Grant.
“Would you go back to Virginia?” he prodded when she didn’t answer.
“No.” That much, at least, she knew in her heart. She was never going to live in Virginia again. And it wasn’t just because of Grant, though he was certainly a huge factor. She liked Boston. It was even starting to feel like home, though it would take years to explore all of it. “I chose Boston and it was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life. I don’t see myself leaving, whether Alex ever decides to talk to me again or not.”
“I’m glad you want to stay,” he said, squeezing her hand. “I want you to stay, too.”
Chapter Fifteen
Right after they opened the doors wasn’t a busy time for Kincaid’s Pub, so Wren was able to get a table easily. She picked one close enough to the bar so Lydia would be able to stop by and chat easily, but not so close that Tommy and Fitz would be able to hear that chatting from their corner.
Cait showed up a few minutes later, slightly out of breath from a brisk walk in the cold air. “I had to park down the street because I have Gavin’s truck while my car’s in the shop and I need two spaces in a row to parallel park. I swear that thing is huge.”
“You sound like a woman who deserves a drink,” Lydia said, dropping a couple of menus on the table.
“You know, I think I’ll have a glass of wine with my lunch,” Cait said. “Do you drink red or white with cheeseburgers?”
“Let’s play it safe and get a rosé,” Wren suggested. She wasn’t a huge fan of wine, but she didn’t want one of Lydia’s cocktails in the middle of the day and she didn’t care for beer. Soda was an option, but what kind of friend would let Cait day drink alone?
When she’d gotten the text message from Cait suggesting lunch, she’d jumped at the chance. She didn’t need to be at the market until four tonight, since she’d be staying a little later than usual to help polish the floors, so she had time.
Lydia brought their wine and took their orders, but other customers were filtering in, so she couldn’t hang around.
“What’s going on in your life?” Cait asked. “Anything new and interesting?”
