Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

AVERY

I shove my bag into the trunk of my car, certain of one thing.

I’m never coming back here again.

Hell, I should have left yesterday, but my stupid optimism kept me at the cabin, hopeful that Nicholas would appear and beg my forgiveness.

No such luck.

The only things I’m leaving with are a bruised ego, a battered heart, a new ghost buddy, and memories of the greatest sex of my life.

Sex that I will never have again.

God, I wish I’d never met Nicholas.

But that’s not true either.

For the first time in my life, I led with my whole heart. After the way Nicholas smashed it, I can’t recommend said activity to anybody else.

A black pickup truck pulls up beside me, but I pay it no mind. Likely the new arrivals to the cabin. Here’s hoping they have better luck than me.

“Hey,” a male voice says. “Where do you think you’re going?”

A barrage of emotions shoots through me as I pivot and stare up into Nicholas’s face. “Home.”

“Do you have to?”

God, it’s painful to look at his handsome face, knowing how easily he turned my heart on … right before walking away.

“Why? Do you have something else to say to me?”

He pulls a piece of wood from his backseat and my voice catches in my throat. “Is that?—”

“Walter’s walking stick. Found it on the ridge earlier today. Now, I’m not saying I believe in ghosts, but something led you to my door that night.”

I shrug and close my trunk. “Bad luck, I suppose.”

“The best luck, actually.” He clears his throat and takes a deep breath before closing the distance between us. “I’m so sorry.”

I wave my hand, determined to play the evening off as no big deal. Must hold it together until I’m in my car. Then I can cry. “Don’t be. You were being honest.”

“No, I wasn’t. I was an asshole. You made me feel so much, Avery, and I didn’t think I deserved that happiness. Not after what happened to Courtney and her dad.”

“I did a little digging. Found a few articles on the crash. A reckless driver killed them, Nicholas. You were not to blame.”

He rakes a hand through his hair, as the emotions roll through him. “Courtney and I were fighting over something stupid, and I left on my motorcycle. Needed to get out for a while. Well, a storm blew in, and she got scared for me. So, she called Walter, and they went out looking for me. I’m the reason they were on that road.”

My heart aches for him, the pain evident on his face as he recalls the worst night of his life. With a gentle sigh, I give his arm a reassuring squeeze. “You’ll probably think I’m crazy, but Walter talked about you.”

“He did? Do I want to know what he said?”

“Yes. He told me it was an accident and there was nothing anyone could have done to change the outcome. He said you and Courtney loved each other very much.”

Nicholas nods, his eyes bright with tears.

I’m not sure if I should disclose everything Walter told me, but I sense Nicholas needs to hear these words. “Walter said it would kill your wife all over again to know how unhappy you are, because she’d want you to live. After all, that’s what you want for someone you love.”

“God, I want to believe that,” he whispers, his voice brimming with emotion. “How is it possible that you met him?”

“I don’t know, except maybe that’s why I was lost in the woods so far from my cabin. Maybe Walter knew you needed to forgive yourself, but he couldn’t reach you. That’s where I came in.”

“To save me.”

“No.” I shake my head. “To pass along information. He wants you to be happy. Hell, so do I, although I’m still angry at you for how you treated me. But you’ve beaten yourself up enough, Nicholas. It’s time to stop.”

He inches closer, grasping my hands. “I was happy that night with you. Do you think you might give me a second chance? I know I messed up, but you’re the first time since they passed that I’ve seen a life beyond that cabin, and I don’t want to let that go.”

Do I want to give him another shot? Of course I do, but my wounds are fresh, and I know he still has a lot of healing ahead.

Better to play it safe this time.

“I have to get going before it gets dark.”

“Come stay with me. Stay as long as you want.”

God, he’s killing me right now.

“I can’t,” I murmur, willing back the tears.

Nicholas drops his hands by his side and averts his gaze. “I understand. For what it’s worth, you were incredible.”

“So were you.”

“At least I surpassed really good,” he says, forcing a grin.

I wipe my eyes, knowing I need to leave now no matter how it hurts. “Best ever.”

He holds out his hand and I grasp it, his calloused skin warm against mine. Then he brings my fingers to his lips, dusting a soft kiss across the digits. “If you ever decide to come back, you know where I’ll be—with plenty of soup, whiskey and card games waiting for you.”

I pull my hand back and settle into the driver’s seat.

In thirty seconds, I’ll be gone from this mountain. Gone from Nicholas.

Screw playing safe.

I scribble my number on a piece of paper and hand it to him through the lowered car window. “Here, if you ever need to talk, call me. If you need me, I’m here. You rescued me once, so I’m happy to return the favor.”

He nods and tucks the paper in his pocket, throwing up his hand as I back out from the parking space.

Do I think he’ll call? No, but I’m an optimist and I’m choosing hope.

My phone rings and I grab it, turning on the hands free. “This is Avery.”

“I’m calling in that rescue mission, because watching you leave was the worst thing in the world.”

There’s no chance of holding back the tears after hearing Nicholas’s words.

I pull over and chuckle. “I haven’t even made it to the end of the drive yet.”

A soft knock sounds at my window. With a grin, I open it. Nicholas leans in, gliding a finger along my cheek. “It’s still too far away.”

“Since this is a rescue mission, what can I do for you?”

“Have dinner with me. There’s this great Italian place in town. I’d like to show you around.”

“Hmm. That’s a good offer.”

“I’ll sweeten the deal.” He replies, his eyes sparking with mischief.

“How?”

“First, we’ll have dinner. Then, we’ll curl up by the fireplace and watch as many rom-coms as you want. The cheesier, the better. Oh, and all the foot massages you can handle.”

“Tempting.” I bite my lip, trying to hide my smile, but he catches it anyway.

“Tempting enough to say yes?”

I pretend to consider his offer, drumming my fingers on the steering wheel. “Well, the foot massages definitely help. But I have one condition.”

“Name it,” he says, leaning in a little closer, his breath warming the space between us.

I hold his gaze, letting him see the vulnerability there, the hope. “No more running when things get tough. If I’m going to stick around, I need to know you’re not going to shut me out.”

He winces at my words, but then his expression softens. “I can’t promise I won’t mess up, but I promise I’ll try. I don’t want to be that guy anymore, Avery.”

A lump forms in my throat, knowing intrinsically that he speaks the truth. “Okay. I’ll take a chance on dinner. And the rom-coms.”

“Come on. Let’s go home, drop your car, and then we’ll take my truck to dinner.”

“Unless we find something else to do while we’re there,” I tease.

“Anything you want, Avery. I mean that.”

His smile lights up his chiseled features. For the first time, I believe that maybe, just maybe, we can both find what we’re looking for.

Maybe we already have.

The End