Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 76232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
“For what it’s worth,” she said after a long minute of silence, “I’ve always thought you two were meant for each other.”
“Me too,” Kennedy said slowly, a little surprised at how easy the admission was. “But looking at her now . . .”
Kennedy winced as the song turned to a slow, drippy ballad, and Kate tugged Lara’s cousin onto the dance floor. Watching her laugh with another man had been hard enough. Seeing another man’s arms around her was a whole other kind of agony.
“I know. Which is why we need a new plan,” Sabrina said, standing as Matt headed toward their table to retrieve his wife for a dance.
“What are you thinking?” Kennedy asked tentatively. Normally he didn’t particularly relish advice on his personal life—or at all—but Sabrina had made a lucrative career out of fixing other people’s problems. If he was going to listen to anyone, it’d be her.
“I’m thinking maybe we were wrong about her needing space.”
“And?”
Sabrina studied her friend on the dance floor before glancing back at Kennedy. “She’s a little broken right now, but deep down, Kate still wants someone who’s not afraid to go all in—someone willing to put it all on the line. For her.”
“I know.” He said it quietly.
Sabrina put her hand on his shoulder. “Be that guy.”
“What is your problem?” Kate snapped at him as he pulled her away from the reception. “Blake and I were dancing.”
“Dancing is a stretch for what that was,” Kennedy grumbled. “His hands were about six inches too low for dancing, and the only movement I saw was you rubbing against him.”
“Oh, nice,” she said, trying to tug her wrist free from his grip. “Playing the part of the jealous boyfriend? Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously, Kate,” he said, spinning back toward her just in time to see surprise register on her face. “Tell me, what exactly was your plan here tonight? What was the goal? To dump me without actually having to say a word or look me in the eye?”
She blinked quickly, but not before he saw the flash of guilt. She knew she’d behaved badly, and it mollified him. Slightly.
His chest still ached.
“I’ve been rude to you,” she acknowledged, crossing her arms. “And I’m sorry, truly. But I can’t dump you, Kennedy. We’re not dating.”
There it was. Proof that his give her space plan had been solid in theory but fucked in practice. He’d given her too much space, too much wiggle room, and he was losing her. Damn it.
“Kate.” He stepped toward her, ignoring the fact that sand was getting all up in his shoes, and blocking out the sound of the reception, the bonfire in the distance, even the drunken college kids who had just gone racing past them. “I know today was hard on you.”
She stepped back, her eyes suspiciously bright. “Don’t be ridiculous. I love weddings. I’m thrilled for Ian and Lara.”
“I know you are. I also know it was hard for you to see Mr. McKenzie walk Lara down the aisle.”
She swallowed and looked toward the water, and he saw her eyes were shining.
He dragged a hand over his face. There was nothing worse than knowing she was hurting and he couldn’t help, but he was hurting, too.
“I’m not trying to pressure you, Kate. I don’t want to rush—”
“Then don’t,” she said at a near shout. “I’ve been clear with you, Kennedy. I don’t know how to be clearer. I don’t want . . . this.” She gestured between them.
“You used to,” he said, hating how desperate he sounded. “You told me that night on the boat that you used to.”
“Past tense, Kennedy.”
“Bullshit,” he said, anger kicking in around the pain. “You can’t look me in the eye and tell me these past months have meant nothing to you, that we haven’t come damn far. I’ve seen the way you look at me, Kate, and I know damn well you’ve seen the way I look at you. You can’t tell me you don’t feel what I feel every time our eyes meet, every time we touch. You’re hurting right now, and I get that. You need more time, and I can do that, but you’ve got to give me something, Kate. Tell me to wait, and I’ll wait as long as you need. I’ll wait forever, but don’t end this.”
Kate’s eyes were bright with tears, and for a heart-stopping moment of hope, he thought she’d tell him what he wanted to hear—what he needed to hear, more desperately than he’d ever needed anything.
Instead, she backed away, and his hopes crashed down around him. Wordlessly, she shook her head.
He swallowed. “So, what, the past few weeks have just been you fooling around?”
“You knew that it was.” Her voice pleaded with him to understand. “What do you want from me?”
He stepped closer. “I want access to the old Kate, the one who believed in love at first sight, who would never settle for ‘fooling around.’”