Angel was there, along with Justice, Patience’s husband, and a few others. Shelby had been a little surprised to get the call inviting her to a game, but she’d accepted once she’d confirmed that Aidan wasn’t coming. It was good to get out of the house. Mostly because everything reminded her of him.
They’d become such a part of each other’s lives that separating was difficult. She missed him, missed their conversations, their time together. She missed Charlie. But she knew she’d been right to break things off. She needed to be safe, to protect her heart. The only way to do that for sure was to stay away from him.
“How’s business?” Justice asked her.
The question surprised her. Usually there wasn’t much talking at the games. “Um, good. The new space is working out. We’re busy for lunch every day.”
“You’ll get tourist business for sure,” Gabriel added. “Plus the ladies in town will enjoy going out to tea. Noelle gets a huge tourist trade. You should talk to her about putting flyers in her store.”
“Thanks. I will.”
More cards were dealt. Angel folded. Kipling studied his cards, then did the same.
“Not my night,” he said easily as he picked up his beer.
“How’s Destiny doing?” Sam Ridge asked.
“Good. Still trying to accomplish more than she should. Between Tonya, Starr, the upcoming tour and getting through the day, she’s overwhelmed. I help when I can.”
“They do love to take on too much,” Justice said. “Patience acts so casual about having a baby, but it’s tough on her. She’s still getting up at four in the morning.”
He sounded both amazed and proud.
Shelby wanted to bang her head against the table. She really didn’t want to hear about how much they all loved their wives. It was depressing. Because at one time she’d thought she wanted that, too. Love. Someone in her life. But now she wasn’t sure.
The price was too high. She would have to give up too much. Maybe it was better to simply be alone. At least then she was safe.
Only she missed Aidan. She wanted to see him smile at her, hear the sound of his voice. Maybe get just one quick hug. He’d changed so much in the past few months. He’d always been great, but now he was even better. While she still felt the same. Stuck was the word that came to mind. Talk about ironic. He would sure get that joke. She should call him and—
No! She pulled her mind back to the game. She wasn’t going to give in and be weak. She would stay strong. Solitary. She’d tried becoming normal and it hadn’t worked out. She didn’t want to keep trying. She had her answer. Now she would move on.
“You scared when Patience went into labor?” Kipling asked Justice.
“Terrified. I’ve been through combat, been chased by a sniper. The only thing worse was when Lillie was taken.”
Shelby frowned. “What do you mean?”
Justice sipped his beer. “Long story. My father had faked his death and was on the run from the law. He found me and wanted to hurt me, so he took Lillie. We got her back.”
Shelby did her best to keep her jaw from dropping. “Seriously?”
His eyes were cold. “I would have killed him for doing it, but Ford got there first.”
Shelby could tell she was going to have to have a long talk with Madeline about some Fool’s Gold history. “I had no idea. I’m sorry.”
“Me, too. I never would have come back if I’d known Patience and Lillie were going to be in danger.”
“You don’t mean that,” Angel said easily. “You had to come back to find her.”