“And Ryder needed a little push to get his life in order. They complement each other. Just like Wyatt and I do. And you and Tucker do too.”
I made a face. “Just because you have your happily ever after, doesn’t mean we all get one or that Tucker is mine.”
“I don’t know about that,” Sinclair said. “When I saw you two here a few weeks ago, you two looked quite compatible.” She waggled her brows.
“Sex isn’t love.”
“It can be,” Trina said. “And you look like a woman that knows it.”
She was right. As fun and erotic as Tucker had been, there’d been something more to it that made it more fulfilling.
“Listen, take it from someone who knows. You have to get out of your own damn way and let love in. Who cares that he’s younger? What other people think is their own damn business. And honestly, people probably think about you a
lot less than you think. So fuck it. If you love him and he loves you, that doesn’t come around all the time. You’d be an idiot to let it pass you by.” Trina finished her speech by downing the rest of her juice.
“You were doing so well, for a minute,” Sinclair said.
“What? I didn’t say anything mean.” Trina looked at her in confusion.
“You called her an idiot.”
“No, I didn’t. I said if she let love pass her by then she’d be an idiot. I think you told me that once.”
Sinclair ginned. “Oh, then it’s genius.”
I managed a small laugh. “I appreciate your trying to cheer me up. Even if I wanted to make up with him, I’m sure he’s done with me. Once bitten twice shy and all that.”
“You never know until you try.” Sinclair gave me a squeeze and then stood. “We’ll leave you to ponder your love life. Can I count on you with these signs and fliers?”
“Yes, of course. I’m sorry I haven’t been helpful lately.”
“You’ve been preoccupied. But you can’t hide forever.” Sinclair walked to the door with Trina behind her.
“Don’t be an idiot,” Trina said as they left.
31
Tucker
It turned out that a person could live with a hole in their chest. I settled back into my old routine of living and working. I continued to help Sinclair but apparently Holly had dropped out. A part of me felt bad for her because I suspected she was embarrassed by what happened at Meredith’s and was hiding out. I would have helped with that, but she didn’t want me around. I’m sure she thought I was the cause of her troubles, and admittedly, she was right. Which was why I’d gone to see Meredith. But when I didn’t hear any gossip about Meredith getting involved in the library project again, I realized my appeal to her didn’t work.
Was it because Meredith wasn’t swayed or were other forces at work? Stark had gone out of his way to bring Holly’s ex back, was he still manipulating things behind the scenes. With nothing better to do and still wanting to make things right for the project and Holly, I drove out to Stark’s place.
Similar to Meredith’s home, Stark’s place was huge on a vast piece of property near the river. I’d heard it had been built by a man who started a brewery, but had since moved it somewhere else, leaving the estate to be snapped up by Simon Stark.
Considering Stark’s ego and the level of dislike of him, I was surprised at how easy it was to get onto the property and to the front door. I imagined him having a fortress like some mafia type with goons everywhere. He did have goons, but they weren’t everywhere. One answered the door and took me to Stark’s office.
Stark looked up at me in surprise but smiled like he’d won a victory. He stood. “Mr. Marshall, have you reconsidered my offer?”
“No. That will never happen,” I said. “I’m here to tell you to stop fucking with the library project.”
He sighed with slight annoyance, like I was a gnat needed to be brushed away. He walked over to a little bar and poured a drink. “You would like one?”
I shook my head.
He sipped his drink then sat in one of the leather chairs near the large window. “My goal isn’t to stop the library project.”
I frowned. “Then why bring Holly’s ex back? Why go through all the trouble to humiliate and discredit her?”