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Me?
Of course you. But on the job front. Need to work that out too.
I wanted to ask why he couldn’t work that out here in Kitchi Falls. With me. I wanted to tell him I would help him figure it out. But Nate was so proud. And I knew from my father that pushing a man like him when he’d made a decision wasn’t typically a good play.
He needed time. And space.
OK. How long are you thinking?
I’m not sure. Having dinner with the whole family tonight.
Trying to push away the sinking feeling in my stomach, I took a deep breath, reminded myself this was just a temporary setback, and forged ahead.
Sounds like fun. Text me tonight?
Of course. See ya, Zoe girl.
Smiling as I watched the phone, as if something more would happen, I closed my eyes and tried to make sense of it all. Zoe girl. He cared for me. Wanted to be with me. Was willing to move here, open a restaurant here.
Yet, now he wasn’t. Because he was unsure about the business, like he said? Or was he unsure of moving here? Of us?
Opening my eyes, shaking away the cobwebs, I reminded myself I had a job to do. I had to take care of myself. Work. Gym. KC’s with the girls. The rest would all work out.
It had to.
I loved him. But I just wished I knew if he felt the same about me.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
nate
I stared at Zoe’s text.
She was at KC’s for Wednesday night trivia. This obsession with some guy named Damon and his brother was something I couldn’t understand. I’d really have to talk to Owen about the themes for his trivia nights. Surely that many people couldn’t still love a show about vampires that Zoe admitted was pretty old by now. Sports trivia I could see. Or maybe even pop culture. But this one stumped me.
I was the ONLY ONE in the bar who knew the actor who played Mason Lockwood was engaged to Lady Gaga IRL!
I should text her back.
I wanted to text her back.
But instead, my hand stilled. I thought about the conversation at dinner earlier tonight, my entire family trying to help me figure out what the hell I was supposed to do with my life. How fucking embarrassing that I didn’t know already. Mom still pressed for college. Dad thought I should have gone to the bank. My brothers mostly stayed out of it while my sister sent links to interest inventories like I was a senior in high school.
Did Zoe really need this shit?
I dropped the phone to my bed. The same bed I slept in growing up. My room looked exactly like it had when I left home for what was supposed to be the next phase of my life. And it was for eight years. I was damn good at my job too.
But that phase was over. Just like that. One day, I had a purpose. And now I was lying in my childhood bedroom as confused as ever. Maybe I should have reenlisted.
My phone buzzed.
Nate?
It was Lucas. Instead of texting him back, I called.
He answered on the second ring. “Hey, what’s up, buddy? Charlee told me about your meeting with the bank. How’d that go?”
Fuck, this was hard to admit.
