Chapter 57

fifty-seven

PAUL

"Don't keep me in suspense," Jonathon said around a mouthful of toasted sandwich. "What did he say?"

I sat beside my new friend. "He wants to take Amy to school with me tomorrow."

"That's sweet. Does Amy know he'll be there?"

"She asked Liam about it on Christmas Day, but she doesn't know he's coming."

"How do you feel about it?"

I pushed my sandwich around my plate. "I don't know. He's a great guy. More than great."

"Are we talking man-of-your-dreams kind of perfect or a great person for someone else?"

Just thinking about Liam dating another man gave me heartburn. "He's more in the man-of-your-dreams category."

Jonathon's eyebrows rose. "So why are you living in Sunrise Bay while he's in Boulder?"

"This is the best place for us. I can build my business into something special and Amy can have a normal childhood."

"And Liam didn't understand why you wanted to stay?"

This was the part that had been giving me sleepless nights. "He did. He said he could commute to Boulder from here."

"That's good, isn't it?"

"I didn't want him to move here. Living together is a big deal and he might not be ready for it."

Jonathon took another bite of his sandwich. "Isn't that Liam's decision to make?"

I sat silently on the kitchen stool.

"Is this about Liam or the fiancé who dumped you?"

"My fiancé left because he didn't want children."

"Leaving you to pick up the pieces after your parents and sister had just died isn't exactly Prince Charming material."

I wasn't going to defend my ex-fiancé's decision. He had his reasons for leaving, and in hindsight, it had been a blessing in disguise. With Amy at my side, we'd muddled through our grief and found a new way of living. I doubted I would have done so much if my fiancé had been there to support us.

"I'm not looking for Prince Charming. I wasn't looking for anyone before I met Liam."

Jonathon pushed my plate closer. "Eat. Now that you've found Liam, what are you going to do?"

"I've already done more than enough." I sighed. "I'm surprised he came to see me."

"Anyone with half a brain could see how much he cares about you. Why don't you invite him to dinner? Amy would enjoy seeing him again. "

I bit my bottom lip. "I can't. He doesn't want to be more than friends."

"That's because you pushed him away." Jonathon finished the last piece of his sandwich. "I'm not the best person to give advice, but it seems to me that you still care about him. A man like Liam doesn't come along often. You might want to pull him close and see what happens."

I had a reasonably good idea of what would happen, but I didn't know if I was ready for it.

Jonathon shook his head. "I get it. You're not a risk-taker. But, just once, try something different. It might work." He slid off the stool and hugged me. "I need to take over from Kathleen so she can have lunch. I'll be back as soon as I can."

I leaned my elbows on the counter and thought about what Jonathon had said. Whatever I decided to do, I had to make sure it was what I really wanted.

Because, this time, there were more than two hearts on the line.