21. Elias
Chapter Twenty-One
ELIAS
It wasn’t enough to lose myself in the rush of need for Cammi with such fierceness that I had to pull off on the side of the highway and take her in my truck like a teenage boy who didn’t have anywhere private to go. Even after that, I needed her right beside me with her fingers laced through mine where my hand rested on her thigh for the rest of the drive home.
Once again, I texted Flynn and told him I’d meet him at the plane hangar in the morning because I sure as hell wasn’t driving home to sleep without Cammi.
* * *
Another evening
“Don’t even,” Gabriel said, narrowing his eyes at Flynn across the table.
Flynn’s lips kicked up at one corner. “Don’t even, what?”
“Win this fucking game,” Gabriel muttered. “I haven’t gotten a good hand yet tonight.”
We were in the kitchen at the resort, playing cards. Tonight, the game of choice was rummy. We’d fallen into this pattern of getting together late once or twice a week after the guests were all in their rooms.
Diego arced his gaze around the table before laying a winning hand down.
Flynn chuckled. “Here’s what I had. Not likely to win. But you know what they say.”
“I know what you’re gonna tell me,” Gabriel interjected. “It’s not the hand you’re dealt, but how you play it.”
“You’re too impatient,” I offered.
“You don’t win that often,” Gabriel countered.
“True, probably because I don’t really care.” I set my cards down and drained my bottle of beer. Looking to Flynn, I added, “I’m really liking our new relationship with Diamond Creek Brewery.”
“Aren’t we all?” Diego offered from across the table.
Flynn cocked his head to the side as he gathered the cards and began shuffling. “That’s all Daphne’s doing. I never had time to nurture those business connections. Plus, we get a discount because once a month she helps them with their menu planning for free.”
“I think she loves doing that stuff,” Diego chimed in.
“Oh, hell yeah, she does,” Flynn agreed. “I swear, it’s a good thing she loves me the way I am. I’m sure she’d prefer a guy who would seduce her with food conversation. Man, she can talk food for hours.”
We all laughed. “I don’t think you need to worry on that account,” I offered.
Flynn’s gaze sobered as he dealt the cards. “No, I don’t think I do, which still blows my mind almost every day.”
Diego caught my eyes. “You’re on your way, man.”
“On my way to what?” I gathered up my cards, quickly sorting them.
“To being as whipped as Flynn,” Tucker offered with a roll of his eyes.
My heart twisted in my chest the moment I thought of Cammi. I knew my friends might be right, but I wasn’t ready to have a group chat about it. I shrugged lightly instead. “Maybe, maybe not.” When I lifted my eyes again, I remembered why having old friends was challenging occasionally. Every guy at this table knew what happened in the last relationship I’d let go anywhere. The friend who’d ruined it wasn’t here with us—Greg.
We’d all been tight in the Air Force. We had other friends we kept in touch with but this crew here was like family. There’s a reason we all ended up landing here with Flynn. Greg probably would’ve landed here too. Except maybe not because I probably would’ve found out he was fucking my girlfriend on the side, the very girlfriend I’d contemplated asking to marry me. I hadn’t taken that step, but it was out there. And, lo and behold, she was screwing around with one of my best friends on the side. That kind of betrayal stings and cuts both ways— deep . Even worse, Greg had screwed over another one of our friends too.
I never said it out loud, but after that, I figured I wasn’t going to ever trust anybody enough like that. That was the crazy thing about Cammi, I trusted her completely.
Diego held my eyes for a few beats, but he said nothing further. My friends, because they were that fucking solid, didn’t speak aloud the ghost that dashed through our conversation.
We played for a while more and then Flynn went to bed because Daphne was there waiting. Tucker and Gabriel decided to head into town, while Diego and I walked back to the staff house.
We were standing in the kitchen, and I was draining a glass of water when Diego asked, “You let that shit go yet?”
I knew what he meant, but because I could be a stubborn fool, I asked, “What shit?”
“Greg and Sandra.”
I set the water glass down and crossed over to flop onto the couch. Although four guys lived here, we kept it pretty clean. Diego was a bit of a mother hen, always tidying things up. He was also a damn good cook and would cook for us here if we missed dinner over at the resort. He followed me, sitting down at an angle across from me on the giant sectional couch, which was seriously comfortable, by the way.
Because he was a good guy and the best kind of friend, he turned on the news. I knew he wasn’t going to drop the topic, but he would give me the gift of some background noise.
“I think so,” I finally said. “It burns. Greg was my friend. If he’d survived, I could’ve given him hell and then moved on. We probably wouldn’t have stayed close, but I just fucking hate how it all played out. He’s dead, and I still fucking miss him sometimes. But he fucked me over behind my back with my girl. I’m actually more upset with him than her, or I was. With her, I let that go. It is what it is. Cheating is the oldest betrayal in the book.”
Diego had switched the channel to some singing reality show. I was temporarily distracted. “Dude, that singer definitely won’t be winning.”
“Agreed. Yeah, cheating happens to plenty of people. But, it’s not always with a good friend. I just wanna know if you’re going to give Cammi a real shot.”
I silently groaned. Diego was that friend, the one I usually turned to when I needed a good sounding board. The flip side to that was he had opinions, fucking opinions, about emotional shit. He was seriously tight with his family. When he fell, because it was a foregone conclusion he would fall, I sure hoped that girl was ready because this man was fierce.
“I’m gonna try. Is that good enough for you?”
He chuckled. “I think you already have. I just don’t want you to let your baggage get in the way.”
“Anybody ever tell you that you took the wrong career path?”
“What should I be doing?” he countered.
“You should’ve been a therapist. You’re always all up in my business, and not just mine.”
He threw his head back with a laugh. “I think I’d be too blunt for that. It’s only people I love I give a little hell to when it’s necessary.”
“I am forever grateful you’re my friend, man.” I meant it even if he drove me crazy on occasion.
He thumped his fist over his heart. “Same. I know you got my back.”
“Speaking of falling for someone, you know it’s going to be rough when you do. Because your turn will come, it’s only a matter of time.”
Diego’s gaze sobered. “I know. I’ve been in love before, so I know how hard it can bite.”
I wanted to press, but I was honestly tired. “I know damn straight this guy ain’t winning,” I said, shifting away from that heavy topic to the next singer on the show.
“Sure thing. Wanna bet five bucks?”
“Deal. I vote on whoever follows this guy.”
“You’re not even gonna wait to listen?” Diego countered.
“Nope. Speaking of five bucks, Faith told me you owe her,” I said, suddenly remembering my call with her.
Diego chuckled. “Oh, right. She called looking for you, and we bet on the game. I’ll give you extra if you win this bet.”
Turned out I actually won that five dollars, and Diego gave me the five more he owed Faith. Of course, I bought Diego’s coffee the next morning when Cammi refused to charge me for mine, so I didn’t keep it for long.
I paid for mine with a kiss and left her blushing as Diego chuckled, and we headed out for another delivery flight.