“Natalie, come home with me tonight.”
“I can’t.” My hands shake. If I go to his house, the home which was supposed to be ours, where we would have raised our children, I won’t survive. It’s too much.
“Stay here with me.”
“I don’t understand.” I blink. Where would we stay? This is not a hotel. I shiver. A part of me would love to take him up on his offer.
“There’s an apartment Travis and his wife use for an office. He’ll let you stay here tonight until you can talk to Lillian. Don’t go back to your dad’s place. He’s done enough damage to you.”
“Okay.” I don’t want to ever step foot in his house again, but I can’t go to Trey’s home. It would feel wrong. I don’t need another place where I don’t belong. “Are you sure he’s okay with it? I can get a hotel.”
“He’s good with it. I’ve stayed here before. You can sleep on the bed, and I’ll sleep on the sofa.”
“With another woman?” The question shouldn’t bother me, but it does. What woman has he made love to in this very building? Shit. The words fucking sting.
“What?” His forehead wrinkles as if he’s trying to figure out what I asked.
“Have you stayed here with another woman?”
“No. I’ve never stayed here with another woman.” He swallows. “I’m not going to lie and say I’ve been celibate for twelve years, but I’ve not slept my way through the phone book either. And, none of them were important to me. You’re the only person that I’ve brought home to my family.”
My heart stumbles in my chest. Can we start over? God, it’s been forever since I’ve gone on a date. I can’t deal with this. I ignore his words and pick a less volatile topic. “How are your sisters?”
“Great. Leah has two children. A girl and a boy. She married her boss.”
“Yeah?” That sounds like Leah. “And Nic?” I loved Nic. She was the cutest little girl. A flash of regret rolls through my body. If we had a little girl, would she have looked like Nicole?
“Nic is fine. She’s an ER nurse.”
“Really? Wow.” I shake my head. “That is crazy.”
“We all grew up.” He licks his lips. “How about
you?”
“What about me?”
“Did you ever get married?”
“No.” I shake my head and twirl the drink in my fingers. “I dated a few guys, but they never lived up to you.”
“Yeah?” He crosses his arms over his chest and grins. “I always knew I was good.”
Damn him. I roll my eyes. Mr. Cocky, in all his glory. “Don’t be so full of yourself. I was living with my grandma in a small town of two hundred people, and most of them were over the age of fifty.”
He’s as gorgeous as ever. Well, more so. Now, he’s all man – muscles, beard, piercing hazel eyes, and strong cheekbones. My gaze travels across his chest and down to his hands. Even his hands are beautiful. It would be nice to forget the past and start over. Pretend it never happened.
“Thank God.” Trey clutches his chest. “If you would have moved to a city, I wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“Likely true.” It surprises me how much fun it is to talk to Trey again. Now that everything is out in the open. Do I remember how to flirt? “For whatever reason, guys and tractors don’t do it for me.”
“How about guys with Harley’s?”
“You have a bike?”
“Yep. You want to go for a ride and make out?” He waggles his eyebrows.
Is he serious? My heart skips a beat, and my nipples tighten. How do you have sex on a motorcycle? Is that even possible? Wouldn’t it fall over? God, I don’t want to break him. His arm is still hurt. “Maybe another day.”