Chapter 17
I t had been three days since Kelly left, and Miles felt like his world was falling apart.
He couldn’t focus and was feeling run down.
The staff was feeling better and coming back to work just as the second half began feeling sick.
Miles tried his hardest to avoid contact with people, but he thought it was catching up to him.
Or perhaps he was just devastated about Kelly leaving.
Jackson and Ethan walked into the kitchen while laughing over something. Miles had been expecting them to come in for lunch, so he was currently preparing their favorite burgers.
“Hey, man,” Jackson said, leaning up against the counter.
Miles nodded in response and flipped the burger before looking over. “Food is almost ready.”
“How are you doing?” Ethan asked.
Miles could feel his brothers’ eyes on him as he prepped their food.
The problem with working with your siblings was they were always around each other and could easily read one another.
This was unfamiliar territory for him as it had been so long since he had cared for someone, but he knew they could tell he was off.
With the looks his family kept throwing at him, his feelings must have been plastered across his face.
He hadn’t been able to help the smile that always came to his face when Kelly was around.
And now that she was gone, he was back to his serious self.
“I’m doing all right.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his brothers exchange a look. Miles took the burgers off the grill and put them on the buns along with all the toppings they liked. Then he slid one plate down the counter to Ethan.
“I’m fine, guys. Really.”
Then he slid Jackson’s, but gave it too much force and it slid right off the counter. The plate shattered on the floor, and the burger scattered everywhere. The three brothers stared at it before Jackson and Ethan’s gaze turned to Miles.
“Yeah, you seem fine,” Jackson said.
Miles groaned and dropped his head. “Fuck,” he muttered. He sat down at the counter and dropped his head into his hands.
“Dude, go get her,” Ethan said.
Miles looked up. “I can’t just drop everything and go. I have a kid.”
“And Emma would be ecstatic to have a sleepover at one of her uncles’ houses or at her grandparents’. You know that,” Ethan said.
Miles sighed. “I feel like I can’t do that.”
“So take her with you,” Jackson said. “Emma would love to fly on a plane for the first time and go on a quick vacation. Especially if she gets to see Kelly.”
Miles scrubbed his face. “Is this crazy? Falling for a woman I barely know.”
“Dude, you’re preaching to the choir. Did you forget I barely knew Lily? Jackson doesn’t count since he’s known Mia forever, but Noah barely knew Jessa. Maybe Kelly is your one. And considering none of us has ever seen you like a woman quite like this, I think it’s worth pursuing,” Ethan said.
Jackson nodded in agreement. “Don’t make yourself always wonder what could have been.”
His mind whirled with the possibilities. He had never felt this way, and he didn’t think he ever would again. Could he really just let it pass him by?
“You’re right,” Miles said. He stood up. “I’m going to go get her.” Then his eyes moved to the food on the floor and the broken plate. “But first I’ll make you a new burger.”
Jackson shook his head and reached for Ethan’s. “We can split this one and share.”
Ethan slapped Jackson’s hand away. “Get the fuck off my burger.”
Jackson held his hand as if it had hurt. “Damn. So testy.”
Miles chuckled. “I’ll make you another. Why don’t you guys clean up that mess while I do this?”
Ethan picked up his burger and took a big bite. “Jackson can. My food will get cold otherwise.”
“Prick,” Jackson grumbled.
Miles got back to his house and helped Emma pack a bag to stay over at Jackson and Mia’s place.
His family was already clued in on what was happening and all offered to take turns watching her.
The only flight out of Wintervale was leaving soon, so he rushed to get himself packed before driving over to Jackson’s place and leaving Emma with him.
“Go get her, Daddy!” Emma yelled.
Miles smiled and blew a kiss to her before sliding back into his car and driving the short distance to the airport.
The Wintervale airport was small, and it was easy to get through quickly since there were few flights that went in and out of it, but he didn’t relax until he was seated on the plane.
He had considered telling Kelly he was coming, but he wanted it to be a surprise.
While sitting on the plane, he contemplated what he would say.
He could beg her to come back, but he didn’t want her to feel guilted into it.
It had to be a decision she wanted to make.
He could see about moving down to Colorado.
But no, he couldn’t uproot Emma like that.
He ran his hand through his hair approximately one hundred times before the plane landed, and he knew it had to be a wild mess.
He took a rideshare into Storyville, giving the driver Kelly’s address that he had pulled from her paystub after they cut her a check for the work she did for the wedding.
As they drove through the town, he could see many similarities to Wintervale.
While the towns were vastly different, it appeared to have the warmth of Wintervale, where everyone knew each other and greeted each other on the streets.
As far as he could tell, the biggest draw in the area was the hot springs resort.
They pulled up to a small yellow house, and Miles got out, his palms sweating already. He tipped the driver and grabbed his bag before walking up to the front door and knocking.
Here goes nothing.
But it wasn’t Kelly who answered. Or Ava. It was a man.
“Oh, uh.” Miles looked at the house number and scratched his head. “I don’t know if I have the right house. Does Kelly live here?”
He tilted his head and looked Miles up and down. “She does. Are you Miles?”
“I am.”
“I’m Cole, Kelly’s brother.” He held a hand out. Their hands clasped, and the guy gave him a brief but firm shake.
“Oh, that’s right. You’re her twin.”
Cole nodded. “I hate to break it to you, man, but she isn’t here.”
Miles looked around the dark street, disappointment crawling through him. “Do you know when she’ll be back?”
“No. I mean, she left. She loaded up her car and is driving to Montana.”
The air left Miles. That was the last thing he expected. She was driving to Montana… for him? Cole motioned for Miles to come inside the house and shut the door behind him.
“So you’re the guy my sister fell for, huh?” Cole said.
Miles was too stunned to speak, so he merely nodded his head. A moment later, Ava entered the room but stopped short. Her eyes widened.
“What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be in Montana!”
“So I heard,” Miles said softly, dropping onto the couch in the living room. “When did she leave?”
“Early this morning. Like five a.m. She should be there any minute,” Ava said.
He picked up his phone and pulled up flights out of Storyville and back to Montana. The next one wouldn’t leave until the morning. He pressed his palms to his eyes briefly and sighed. “Well, this didn’t quite go as planned.”
“But the gesture was nice,” Ava said.
Miles gave her a weak smile and scrubbed a hand over his jaw before standing up. “Well, I’m going to see if I can get a hotel and try to fly out in the morning.”
“No. You can stay in Kelly’s room,” Ava said. Then she looked over at Cole, who nodded.
“Yeah. Stay in Kelly’s room. Her furniture is all still there, so there’s a bed already made up,” Cole said.
“Thank you. I appreciate it,” Miles said.
Ava tipped her head toward the hallway. “Come with me. I’ll show you where it is.”
Miles followed her to a small room with a double bed and dresser.
There was little in the room aside from the furniture, and he smiled knowing she had loaded her car up and left for Montana.
Once Ava left the room, Miles laid back on the bed.
Kelly’s scent washed over him, and he let out a sigh before calling her.