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No.
No, no, no.
I couldn’t do that.
That was, quite possibly, the worst thing I could ever think of doing.
Griffin might have been a nice guy, but he was all wrong for me. Not just because I’d promised myself I was going to focus on rebuilding my life, but also because he’d come right out and made it clear that he’d be the worst thing for me.
He’d said it himself.
He was a daredevil.
Or I guess that’s what his mother called him.
But based on that and the fact that he was out snowboarding, I had all the evidence I needed. Getting involved with Griffin, even allowing myself to have a friendly lunch with him, was a bad idea. One I’d likely live to regret.
And I already had enough regrets to last me a lifetime. I didn’t need any more of them.
Since I didn’t want to come right out and be rude to him, I decided to take another approach. “Don’t you have a camper?”
“I do,” he confirmed.
My eyes narrowed slightly. “Well, doesn’t it have a kitchen inside?”
Griffin nodded. “It does.”
Now, it was my turn to assess him. I tipped my head to the side as my eyes searched his face and attempted to find answers to the questions in my mind. When I didn’t find any, I came right out with it.
“If you have access to that, to a home-cooked meal, why would you ever want to eat food from the lodge?” I questioned him.
He cocked an eyebrow. “Can I give you the truth?”
I thought that was the strangest response he could have given me to the question I’d asked, but since I was intrigued, I gave him a nod. “Of course.”
A rush of air left his lungs as his lips twitched. I did not need to see him do that, because seeing him amused made him look devilishly handsome. He had dropped his gaze to the ground momentarily before he lifted his eyes to meet mine. Then he revealed, “It’s not the lodge food that I want. But I was willing to eat that if it meant I’d be able to sit across from you for a little bit.”
My lips parted in shock. “What?”
“I thought it’d be nice to be able to sit down for a while and talk to you,” he reasoned. “I mean, you’re cold right now, and we’re both going to be here for a few days, so what would be the harm in getting to know one another?”
He made it seem so simple.
Maybe for him, it was.
Not for me. Never for me.
I couldn’t do this, and I hated that I was going to have to decline. Part of me wished I’d done something about the concerns I’d had with what Travis had been doing much sooner. If only I’d have acted accordingly and done something about finding another job before everything went to shit, then I might not have been feeling so cautious and afraid now.
Though, I guess if I’d done that, the likelihood was that I never would have met Griffin, so it wouldn’t have mattered anyway.
Hating every second of it, I shook my head. “I’m sorry. I appreciate your kindness, and I’m truly flattered that you want to spend some time getting to know me, but I don’t think it’s a wise idea.”
The hope and happiness that had been written all over his expression vanished, and disappointment took its place.
Despite how he felt about it, Griffin offered a nod and said, “I understand. You can’t fault a guy for trying, right?”
At least he refused to be a jerk. Appreciating that, my chin jerked down slightly, and I offered a smile. “You’re right.”
