Page 35 of The Route to You

“I can do that.”

The server brought their food, and Kyle stared at the home fries on his plate like they might offer wisdom, his stomach churning.

Had he made the wrong call by telling Davy? He’d felt guilty about not telling her, of course, but now he’d roped her into the same trap he was in.

“So, what are you doing today?” Davy asked, spreading butter on a slice of toast.

“I’m driving Sloan to Bozeman.”

Her knife froze in midair. “You are not.”

“Davy—”

“No, don’t Davy me.” She set the knife down with a decisive clink . “Can you just stop and call someone? Like Isla? Or Aiden? Tomas? Your sisters. Your parents— anyone that cares about you and will give you good advice?”

Kyle opened his mouth.

Davy held up a finger. “I’m serious. You’re grieving. You’re not thinking straight.”

“All I’m doing is driving her to her place and dropping her off. Then I’m out.”

“Why are you the one taking her, though? She can get her ass on a plane and fly home.”

He grimaced. “She can’t. She doesn’t have any ID. And she refuses to go back for it.”

“And you don’t think that’s strange?”

“I do think that’s strange, but that’s exactly why I don’t think I’m in a position to question it. If she feels that strongly about not going back to get even her wallet, it’s a good indicator of how desperate she is not to be found right now.”

“Kyle. I’m saying this with all the love in my heart. Don’t be an idiot.”

“Thanks.”

“I’m serious. Didn’t it occur to you that Sloan might be taking advantage of you? She’s got to know you’re one of the good ones.”

Kyle’s mouth twitched. “I love that you said that like it’s a diagnosable condition.”

“I’m serious. The last thing I want is to see you get hurt. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t even be here.” She squeezed her eyes shut. “Gahhhhhhhh. How am I going to tell Evan that I brought Sloan’s ex-boyfriend as my date to the wedding?”

“First of all,” Kyle said, digging his fork into his Western omelet, “you don’t. And second, you had no way of knowing. It’s just a freak coincidence.”

“You don’t even believe in coincidence.”

“Sure I do.” He popped a bite into his mouth, the warm flavor of butter and eggs more comforting than he’d imagined it would be. “Sometimes things just happen.”

“I don’t think I believ—” Davy paused as her phone rang. “It’s my dad.”

She lifted the phone to her ear. “Hello?”

Kyle chewed another bite, trying to feel better about any of this. Maybe this was what Sloan had meant by people not understanding. She’d said very little about her relationship with Evan, if he were honest, and he wasn’t going to pretend he had any great insight into the broken heart of a woman who’d been cheated on.

Elle would, though. Elle had broken up with a man she’d been engaged to because he’d cheated on her. If Kyle remembered correctly, Elle had found out only a few weeks before the wedding. She’d know better than anyone what Sloan was going through.

Maybe I should call my sister about this. She also knows Sloan.

For that matter, Liddy’s husband, Callum, also had experienced a fiancée cheating.

Damn. Maybe Davy’s advice isn’t the worst on the planet.