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She laughed. “You make it sound so easy.”

“It will be,” I said. “And if it’s hard, I’ll be right by your side.” It was a mirror of what she’d said about my feelings around my dad last night. She knew I meant it.

She kissed me, winding her arms around my neck. “Now, what are you going to do to me?” she asked, her smile taunting me.

My cock stirred against her in response. Her eyebrow went up. “That all you got?”

“I’ve got more.” I bent my head down and nudged the sheet aside so she was exposed from the waist up.

Michelle gasped. When I took her nipple in my mouth she gasped more while arching her back. I swirled my tongue around, bringing her to a hard point.

“That’s better,” I said, doing the same to the other. Meanwhile my cock, slick at the tip, slid across her leg.

“How are you ready again?” she asked between breaths.

Last night we’d made love and slept and made love again in a cycle where I’m not sure which one happened more.

“It’s a new day,” I said. “Hell, it’s a new year.”

“Happy New Year,” Michelle said.

“Happy New Year, my love,” I said, coming back up to kiss her.

We spent the early hours of the morning like this, exploring each other’s bodies, me ignoring my phone after the first time when I checked to make sure it wasn’t important—it had just been Stella, who had a tendency to call me first thing in the morning. She could definitely wait.

Eventually, Michelle pushed away from me, her face holding all the regret I felt.

“I need to go check on Reese,” Michelle said. I could hear the guilt in her voice. “And call home to check on the girls.”

“Me too,” I said, though my kids were probably basking poolside, not having any use for their dad until they flew into Newark in a few days. “Eli’s promised to squeeze me in for a lunch meeting with him and his sister too, even though it’s a holiday.”

I still couldn’t get over seeing Eli here, though of course that’s why Michelle was here too. I’d been flabbergasted when I ran into Eli in the lobby yesterday afternoon.

“Thisis the hotel your parents own?”

The coincidence was too strange until I found out it wasn’t one—Eli had done lots of work for Charles Haverford back in Barkley Falls, and it was he who’d first piqued Charles’ interest in the property, who in turn had gotten Fred interested.

“He’s actually here right now,” Eli said of Charles. “Though my sister is pissed I suggested we might be up for selling the place.”

“Shit, half of Jewel Lakes seems to be here,” I’d said, only half-joking. Next I’d find out Stella was downstairs. Though of course, she lived in Michigan now. I always forgot.

I’d also forgotten, until just this moment, about the drunken pact I’d made with Eli. To never get involved in a relationship again. I would have laughed, instead, I just felt sorry for him. And for the guy I’d been back in that bar when we’d made it.

Now, when Michelle and I finally said goodbye, it was with as much angst as if we didn’t live in the same small town.

“Will,” she said, between kisses, “I need to stay with Reese tonight.”

“I understand,” I said. I did, even though the thought was awful, having her so close but so far away.

It wasn’t until she’d left and I’d taken a shower that I finally checked my phone, aware I’d ignored my own sister. But my heart nearly stopped when I saw there wasn’t just one missed call from Stella.

There were five.

Plus a series of texts.

STELLA:CALL ME.

STELLA:Will what the hell, please call.