“Shit,” Mia said. “That sucks.”
“It’s okay. I mean I always thought it would be my shoulder or my elbow that took me out of the game, but…” Pike shrugged. “At least I’ve had a good run.”
Mia tucked her arm more tightly through his. “Don’t talk like that. Surgery doesn’t mean the end. Lots of athletes come back after surgery. And you’re tougher than all of those losers.”
Pike smiled. “Thanks, sis.”
“You’re welcome.” Mia slowed, pulling them both to a stop. “You think you might be up for dinner now? Everything’s out of the oven and the sooner we eat, the sooner we can leave.”
“We don’t have to rush on my account.” Pike turned, heading back toward the house, feeling calmer after only a few minutes in the woods. It wasn’t Montana, but it was definitely far more peaceful here than in his apartment in St. Louis. “I know Mom wants to catch up, and you love dessert.”
“I do love dessert, but I also love Tulsi,” Mia said, making Pike’s jaw clench.
As long as he was in this town, he couldn’t seem to get away from that name or all the thoughts and feelings it stirred up. He had to get out of Lonesome Point. The sooner, the better.
“While you were talking to Dad, I gave Tulsi a call to see how her meeting went,” Mia continued. “She was pretty messed up about it. I think she needs a shoulder to cry on.”
“Oh yeah?” Pike played dumb, trusting his hunch that Tulsi hadn’t told Mia about their chat this afternoon even as he fought the renewed urge to go beat the shit out of Chad Cutter.
“Yeah. Apparently Chad The Douchebag denied her request for funding and then, this afternoon, her dad told her he wouldn’t cut her any slack on the rent she owes him for the barn.” Mia cursed beneath her breath. “That man drives me crazy. I know you think Dad is bad, but he’s a saint compared to Mr. Hearst. I swear it’s like he wants to drag Tulsi down instead of giving her a hand up. Ever since Clem was born, Tulsi’s been able to do no right as far as that man’s concerned.”
“What? Why?” Pike asked, angry on Tulsi’s behalf. “She’s a great mother.”
“She was also an unmarriedteenmother,” Mia said, rolling her eyes. “You know how this town can be. It was a big deal around here when it happened. People gossiped and some of it was really mean. Tulsi’s dad was embarrassed and I don’t think he ever got over it. It’s amazing poor Tulsi remembers how to have any fun with her dad on her ass, acting like her entire life is one big mistake.”
“That’s a bunch of shit,” Pike growled.
“Tell me about it.” Mia sighed. “But old farts will be old farts. There’s no changing them.”
Pike shook his head and clenched his jaw, biting back all the things he wanted to say. He wanted to insist that Tulsi didn’t deserve to be treated that way. Better yet, he wanted to place a call to Mr. Hearst, call him a few choice words, and then head straight to Tulsi’s to do whatever he could to cheer her up. But then…he was part of the problem and not the shoulder she needed right now.
He’d taken things too far today. It didn’t matter that he and Tulsi had a painful personal history or that he was still hurting from the decisions she’d made. He knew better than to let hurt feelings do the talking.
Hurt feelings or your cock.
Pike winced. That, too. Tulsi wasn’t a one-night stand type of girl. He should have known better than to suggest something like that. And he should have listened to her, really listened, instead of going on the defensive. For years, he’d blamed her for what they’d lost, but three weeks must have seemed like an eternity to an eighteen-year-old waiting to hear from the man she loved, a man she’d only been in a relationship with for a few months. Yes, he’d been messed up by the worst fight he’d ever had with his dad—a fight that made their argument today look like a chuckle fest—but he should have let Tulsi help him through it instead of shutting her out.
But he’d never been good at letting people in. Letting people in led to letting people down, and he’d already had enough disappointed looks from his father to last him a lifetime. It was probably for the best that he and Tulsi had fallen apart when they did. In the long run, he wouldn’t have been good for her.
But at least you would have tried to make her happy. And if you were Clem’s father you would have stood by Tulsi and never let anyone make her feel small or ashamed.
The thought was enough to twist Pike’s guts into knots all over again. If he hadn’t shut Tulsi out, he would have been Clem’s father. And if hadn’t made Tulsi feel like what they had was over, she never would have slept with that counselor at her camp. Pike would have been her first and only. They’d been on the road to forever and would have stayed on track if he hadn’t screwed it up. This was his fault and he’d been an asshole not to realize it years ago.
“You ready to dine and dash?” Mia asked as they started up the porch steps.
Pike nodded. “Sure, but…Mia?”
“Yeah?” Mia stopped and turned back to look at him with her kind brown eyes, those eyes that had no idea he and her best friend had once broken each other’s hearts.
“Is there anything I can do to help Tulsi? Maybe fund her work for a few months or something, just until she can sort things out and get back on her feet?”
Mia’s expression softened in a way Pike knew he didn’t deserve. “You’re a sweetheart, but I don’t think so. Tulsi’s got a lot of pride. She wouldn’t want charity from a friend, especially not one she had a crush on for forever.”
Pike blinked, wondering if maybe Mia wasn’t as clueless as he thought, but then his sister added in an urgent voice—
“But don’tevertell her I told you that, okay? She would kill me dead and then die of embarrassment herself. And then Clementine would have to grow up without a mother or a cool Aunt Mia. And she needs me to teach her how to take over as the prankster of Lonesome Point when I retire.”
Pike laughed. “Like that’s going to happen anytime soon. Gram told me about those naked cowboy blow up dolls you put in her barn. She thinks you traumatized the horses.”