The casual intimacy of the comment made Bert’s chest ache. That was what he wanted with Mary.
The meeting wrapped up, and people dispersed to their various tasks. Bert returned to the armory to complete inventory on the ammunition stores, a tedious but necessary job that required focus and attention to detail. Exactly what he needed to keep his mind off Mary and the fact that she was having adventures in Canada while he was counting bullets in Montana.
By the time Bert finished for the day, the sun was setting, and most of the team had already left. But since there was no Mary to meet after work or share a dinner with or sit on the porch with, he wasn’t in a rush. He locked up the armory, secured the equipment room, and headed out to his truck.
He was almost to his vehicle when he heard female voices and laughter coming from the parking area to the side of the building. Curious, he changed direction and found a group of women clustered near Vivian’s van. Vivian, Lenore, Willow, Noel, Mia, and Justice. Sadie was just walking up to join them.
“Bert!” Vivian called out, waving him over. “Perfect timing. We were just talking about how Mary was enjoying her trip.”
“Ladies,” he said, smiling. “What’s going on?”
“Girls’ dinner,” Lenore explained. “We’re heading to that new pizza place in town. You should join us.”
“I don’t think I’m the target demographic for girls’ dinner,” Bert said, chuckling.
“Probably not,” Mia agreed with a grin. “Anything special to add about Mary’s trip?”
Bert gave them the same update he’d given everyone else, showing them the harbor photo and mentioning the Anne sites and fishing villages.
“That’s the standard report,” Justice observed, her sharp eyes seeing too much. “What I want to know is how you are doing without her?”
Chuckling, he shook his head. “I’m fine. She’s fine. Everything’s fine.”
“Liar,” Noel said, but her tone was gentle. “Landon told me you’ve been moping around like a lost puppy. Which, for the record, is adorable and also infuriating because you and Mary make such a lovely couple.”
“It’s not that simple—” Bert started.
“Yes, it is.” Mia interrupted, her tone brooking no argument. “You like her. She likes you. Life’s too short to waste time. So when are you going to get your head out of your ass and tell her how you feel?”
“Mia!” Vivian said, but she was laughing.
“What? Someone needs to say it.” Mia crossed her arms, looking at Bert with an expression that reminded him of his mother when she’d been about to deliver hard truths. “Look at the years Devlin and I wasted! Years we could have been together. Don’t make the same mistake.”
Bert felt ganged up on, cornered, and more than a little defensive. “You don’t understand?—”
“We understand perfectly,” Lenore said quietly. Her usual reserve had softened slightly, and there was real sympathy in her eyes. “Being vulnerable is terrifying. Putting your heart on the line when you’ve been hurt before? That takes courage. But the alternative is watching someone you love slip away because you were too afraid to try.”
The thought made Bert’s stomach twist painfully. No. Hell no. The idea of Mary with someone else was too physically painful to contemplate.
“I know you’re scared,” Vivian said, her tone kind. “But Mary’s worth the risk. And I think if you ask her, she’d tell you that you’re worth the risk too.”
Bert looked at the circle of women surrounding him, all of them looking at him with expressions of hope. They meant well. They cared about him and Mary both and wanted to see them happy.
“I appreciate the concern,” he said carefully. “But this is between Mary and me. We’re talking daily, and when she gets back, we’ll figure things out.”
“You’d better,” Mia said, but her expression had softened slightly.
“Thanks for your concern, ladies, but I need to get home,” he said. “And you need to enjoy your dinner.”
He was halfway to his SUV when he heard quick footsteps behind him.
“Bert, wait.”
He turned to find Lenore hurrying toward him.
“I know we came on strong back there,” she said quietly. “But I wanted to talk to you for a minute. Just me, not the whole gang.”
Bert waited, arms crossed but willing to listen. If anyone understood fear and taking chances, it was her.