Page 7 of Waiting for You (Balsam Cliffs #3)

Jogging down the stairs to the cove at the inn, I turn around the corner of the cliffs and see my brothers sitting with the bonfire already started.

I throw myself into one of the empty chairs. “Hey, fuckers.”

The cooler is pushed in my direction from Cooper and within seconds a beer is pulled out and placed into my hand. “About time you show up.”

“Sorry that some of us have a business to run.” I lean back, tossing the beer back too.

“Or you’re trying to avoid a certain someone that was staying at the inn.” Liam tests me, staring at me as he gauges my reaction.

“Was? She went back to Portland then?”

“No. She rented my studio cabin. Moved in today actually.” Wyatt informs me.

I toss back the second half of my beer and grab a new one from the cooler. Liam watches my every move like a hawk. “I see you’re thrilled to have Eve here for the long term.”

“She’ll be back in Portland with Neil soon enough.”

“Ahh, there’s the jealousy.” Wyatt tips his beer toward me like that’s exactly what he was expecting me to say. I walked right into it too.

“Why, Hunt, is there something you need to share with us?” Liam pushes further. Clearly my brothers have been discussing me.

“Nope. Not a damn thing.”

Cooper chimes in, “But you are jealous.”

“You guys want to hear my theory?” My eyes snap to Wyatt, narrowing once I get his attention, warning him to not continue.

He doesn’t take it. He goes through his asinine spiel, all of my brothers fully engrossed in what he has to say like it’s not the seventh time they’ve heard it, only difference is this time I’m here with all of them instead of just Wyatt or them behind my back in the secret group chat I know they have.

“You know this is real fun, but let’s talk about Coop.

He’s the one walking around here without a job, and he hasn’t even made a move to accept a new gig.

He’s usually crawling out of his skin being in one spot so long.

” I try to pivot the attention onto my youngest brother.

Not wanting them to continue their too close for comfort theory on how I feel about Eve.

“Nope. You’re not putting me on the spot.

I’ve got a job. No troubles over here.” Coop holds his hands up in defense.

“I’m starting my own blog, all about travel and photography for the budding photo journalists.

Might even create some journalistic books of the photos I never sold to that scumbag.

So you’re the only one with life troubles, big brother. Not me.”

I roll my eyes at him. “I don’t have any troubles. You guys have theories and that’s all it is.”

“Bullshit. You know I’m—” Wyatt stops talking, staring behind me.

“Hey Rome,” Liam greets the newcomer. This night just keeps throwing the punches.

“Hey, brought you guys a new batch.” He takes the seat on an old stump next to me, holding up the beers. “It’s pumpkin.”

“Aww man, you brought us chick beer? Come on. Bring that to the girls.” Wyatt complains.

“Where are the girls? You boys got a free night?” I ask Rome and Liam. Usually Vi and Ems are out here with the snacks.

“They had to go to Evelyn’s. Margaret called in reinforcements after she stopped at the bakery today and ordered almost one of everything she has. There’s something going on with her but she won’t talk to me about it. I’m hoping she at least tells the girls.”

“What the hell do you think is going on? You think that asshole is hurting her? Cheating on her?” I sit up straighter, leaning on my knees toward Rome.

A silence falls over the group, they’re all staring at me.

“You’re talking to me ?” Rome points to his own chest and directs the seemingly ridiculous question in my direction.

“And you’re worried about Evelyn?” Wyatt adds. “I knew I was fucking right.”

“Wait, why the fuck are you worried about my sister? And what were you right about?” Rome’s eyes bounce between me and Wyatt.

Wyatt speaks first. “He loves Evelyn, but he won’t admit it.”

“You love my sister?”

“Like you have any fucking room to talk.” I toss my beer bottle into the fire, pushing the chair out of my way.

Rome stands at full height. “Do. You. Love. My. Sister?”

I don’t answer. I just stand with him blocking my way out. My chest heaves as I clench my fists.

“Fuck. This makes so much fucking sense. How did I not see it? It was you all along wasn’t it?”

God damn it. I know exactly where he’s going.

Rome’s calling me. A week before I’m supposed to leave to go back to Maine and marry his sister. He never calls me. Always waits for me to call him.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Who the fuck from your fucking unit is sending letters and calling my sister?”

Wow. Not what I was expecting. My heart is beating in my chest, because he’s talking about me and my letters. “What do you mean?”

I should just admit it’s me. But he’s so pissed.

“Some guy named Hernandez. You know what, I’m booking a flight.

I’ll be there tomorrow. This guy doesn’t get to fucking write this shit to my sister.

Man, you should read those fucking letters.

They read like the script of a damn porno.

He’s fucking touched her. He’s touched my sister!

Those weekends she was looking at colleges she must have been with him.

” He screams at me over the phone. “I’m going to fucking kill him. ”

“Rome, I—”

Shouts come from the hallways of the barracks. “Keaton! Get out here now.”

“I gotta go. I’ll call you back later.”

I hang up before he can respond. My chest is heaving as I try to find my breath. This is not ideal, not how I wanted him to find out about me and Evelyn. I knew I should have told him sooner. I was just so worried about how he’d react that every time I got on the phone I lost my nerve.

The worst thing about that whole phone call was the next one I had to make just a few hours later to Mom and Pops.

That was the day I found out that I was deploying in just a few short days.

I wouldn’t make it to marry Evelyn. And I wouldn’t see her again until she was in college, and by then hated me with every fiber of her being.

Before I can see it coming, Rome lands a punch right on my cheek. “Fuck you! You haven’t spoken to me in months, and refused to be my best fucking man in my wedding to your sister and the whole fucking time you did it before me, and you broke her fucking heart?”

He pulls his arm back to get another punch in, but my brothers stop him.

I don’t wait around for them to get Rome under control. I stalk away from him, and them, to keep myself under control.

Fuck this is not how I wanted all this to go down. I didn’t want anyone to fucking know what happened. This was my secret to keep.

Slamming the door closed to my truck, I let out all my frustration with myself. “Fuck!” I hit the steering wheel, shocked it didn’t break.

Frustration with myself for not coming clean. Frustration that I treated her like shit. Frustration that I have to watch her with Neil. Frustration that I have to watch Rome live out the life I wanted. The one I could have had if I just grew the fuck up.

I hit my dashboard one more time before starting up the truck and leaving to go home to my cottage in solitude.

This is why I avoid Evelyn Thomas.

After an entire night of tossing and turning, I need the largest coffee Emerald Roasters can give me.

Even though it’s Saturday, I’ve got a few job sites to visit as we prepare for the inspector to come out on Monday.

The cold weather is here at night and it’s only a matter of time before we can’t work anymore.

Slow season is the worst, working on indoor renovations instead of being outdoors with my crews, lugging materials in the snow, and having the clients around you within a ten foot radius all day.

Half my crew leaves to go find work in the south where the season doesn’t end and they can make more money.

I’m lucky that most of them come back in the spring for me.

I park my truck in the only available spot, and it just happens to be next to a familiar vehicle. I glance out my window, and boxes take up the back window.

I scoff. Of course she’s already leaving. That didn’t take long.

Shutting off the truck, I grab my wallet and head inside.

Wouldn’t luck have it that the woman I spent all night tossing and turning about is right in front of me in line. And it’s a particularly long line today. Excellent. Just what I needed.

Standing silently behind her, giving her a cordial greeting, or leaving are all options that would be better than what I want to do.

I want to reach out for her, tell her that leaving her and not owning up with Rome was the biggest mistake of my life.

That losing her was the worst day of my life.

That I only mask my hurt with anger so that she can continue with her life and not look back at me.

It’s easier to have her hate me. It’s easier to pretend I hate her.

She steps off to the side to wait for her order as I step up.

Franklin greets me with a smirk as his eyes bounce between me and Evelyn. “Well, what a nice mornin’ getting to see my two favorite Keaton & Thomas family members.”

“You say that to all of us, Frank.” Evelyn smiles at his cheesy joke.

“Can I get the largest black iced you have?” I ask, not wanting the pleasantries.

“Sure thing. That kind of day today, huh?” He takes my payment and I just nod in response.

Moving over to wait next to Evelyn, I press my lips into a tight line, fighting the urge to either say something to spar with her, or sell myself out.

“You know you don’t have to be an asshole to everyone. Being an asshole to me is sufficient, but Franklin didn’t do anything to you. Neither did I as a matter of fact.” She whispers over her shoulder without actually looking back at me.

“Judging by the amount of stuff in your car, I’d say it didn’t take you long to run back to Neil, huh?” I spit back.

“What?” She whips around, facing me this time.

“You got everyone’s hopes up, I mean not mine of course, but everyone else. Now you’re just running back to Portland to be with Neil. Be the perfect little housewife.”

She points at me with her finger jabbing into my chest. “You don’t know one fucking thing about me, Hunt. You lost that right the day you left me standing by myself on our wedding day outside the courthouse.”

Taking her coffee, she runs out of there and straight to her car. I can’t help but turn and watch her run away from me. Franklin calls my name to grab my own coffee. I don’t move. He calls me again.

I take a deep breath, closing my eyes, readying myself to apologize to Franklin.

“I’m sorry I was short today, Frank.” I take my cup from his hand.

“Nothin’ about it, son. Been there, done that. I’ve pissed off Esther a time or two to the point it was a sparring match. But don’t spend too long sparring, or those feelings will start to become true.” He winks.

“The feelings already are true. I made sure of it.”

I walk away, not letting him give me any more advice. Because the day I broke her heart is just as fresh on my mind as that conversation.

Since finding out that I’m getting deployed I’ve only heard horror stories from the guys.

Guys that have seen wives get widowed, and have to be there to pick up the pieces for their friends who didn’t make it home.

Guys whose girls sent Dear John letters in the worst moments of their lives.

And all these stories have done is solidify that I shouldn’t take Evelyn’s future away from her.

She’s going off to college, and she deserves the carefree future she’s been planning.

Not one saddled to me and all this baggage that a deployment will bring.

But I can’t tell her to her face that I don’t want to marry her. It’s already fucking killing me and she’d know I was lying right away. Gunnar had to be the one to tell Mom and Pops that we were deploying. I couldn’t even do that.

God, I’m such a fucking coward.

So instead of calling her and telling her like I should, I avoid her calls and now I’m writing her a letter. It should arrive the day before our wedding, and two days after I’m shipped out.

Writing that letter broke me. Breaking her heart, broke me. And I’ve never recovered from it.