“She was your mom’s mom, right? Different last name?”
“Yeah.” I actually haven’t thought of thatbefore. My aunt was the executor of the estate and the name Rivers would not have been on any of the paperwork.
He nods to himself, still facing away from me. I look down to notice Sutton is scratching the top of Felix’s head absentmindedly.
“Slade was the one that handled all the property searches and then the paperwork. I was only brought in once he had picked out the place and finalized designs. By then, it was a done deal and I was just watching the construction and working on the menu before finally running it.”
He drops his head and from this angle, I see the corner of his lips lift into something between a grimace and a weak smile when Felix rests his head on his thigh. In this moment, I don’t mind that Felix likes him this much because he needs Felix more than I do and bless my dog for knowing that.
I look back at him, but I don’t interrupt while he continues.
“I tried to think back on how I never figured it out. You probably know this, but most of our customers are tourists or transplants, so it makes sense none of them would have brought it up. We only have a few regulars and none are really old locals.”
“No one from town ever told you?” I ask, still trying to wrap my head around this.
“No.” He finally turns back and looks at me. “And you’re right. I’m not here as much as I would like to be. I don’t pick up on things in town I probably should.”
Would like to be?I’ve always assumed he leaves because he wants to be somewhere else. I’ve never considered that maybe he has to leave.
He shrugs and continues. “And I guess my only real friends here are TJ and Tanner. TJ’s not from here, so he wouldn’t have known, and Tanner isn’t much for words, so Idon’t know. I just can’t believe I never picked up on it. I’m sorry.”
Looking at him now, missing pieces start to fall into place and so many of our interactions over the years start to make sense now. Worse though, a sinking feeling starts to creep into the back of my head. Maybe this is partly my fault. “I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry too. I just assumed you knew. I?—”
His eyes go wide and he shakes his head. “No. You don’t have anything to apologize for. It’s my fault. I might not have known to begin with, but I definitely should have figured it out.”
Not knowing what to do with this confession and sudden realization, I go quiet and lean back onto the counter, resting my head in my palms. What the hell do I do with that? I’ve spent years resenting someone because… what? I thought he did something he didn’t? What the hell does that make me in this scenario?
I groan into my palms before facing him. He’s still sitting there, watching me curiously. His soft, blue eyes peer into my soul and suddenly I question everything about him I assumed over the last two years.
“I’m sor?—”
“No. I said don’t apologize. I do have one question though.”
I nod. “Sure. Anything.” That feels like the least I can do right now.
“Why did you never tell me?”
That is the question I wish I had a good answer for. Unfortunately, I do not.
I can barely look him in the eye on a good day because I was either pissed at him or remembering that night. Today, we can throw embarrassment onto the pile of emotions he stirs up in me.
So instead of being a grown ass woman and looking him inthe eye, like he just did with me, I hide my face and mumble into my palms.
“I figured there was no point. I assumed you knew and anyways, what was there to do about it. So I did what any emotionally mature twenty-seven year old would do and ghosted you. After awhile, I just thought you’d moved on.”
He snorts a laugh. I peak out of my palms and glare at him. He tosses me a playful wink, which actually does help lighten the mood.
Damnit. Now I can’t even be mad at him over it because I don’t think I have reason to anymore. “Does that make me a horrible person? That I just assumed you didn’t want to talk to me anymore?”
He shakes his head side to side. “Nope, but it does make you a very incorrect person.”
I quirk a brow at him and he gives me that sheepish smile that melted my heart once and threatens to again.
“Very incorrect because I’ll never want that. I’ll always want to talk to you because you’re still my favorite person in town.”
“Not your favorite woman?” I think back to the night we met. It’s actually never dawned me on that maybe he has a girlfriend or something wherever he goes all the time.
He chuckles. “It’s a tie between you and Agnes. It took a while, but I did eventually see her down by the creek. She’s pretty hot for a moose.”