right with Jeremy for a long time. I broke up with him this morning.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s a good thing.” She wiggled her thin shoulders. “I feel like I’ve been wearing my high school backpack crammed with textbooks for a whole year. Now that burden is gone. I’d gotten caught up in the glamour of living in New York, married to a high power lawyer and eventually becoming one myself. It was what I thought I wanted.” She relaxed back against the seat. “Until I realized it wasn’t what I wanted at all. It was success, but not the kind I was looking for. None of it was me.” She looked over at me. “Just so you don’t panic or freak out thinking I did it because of you. I didn’t.”
I nodded. “Good to know.”
“Not that you didn’t have a little part in it all, but really, I’ve been wanting out for a long time, long before I saw you again.”
“Right. Got it.”
Her small fist struck my shoulder.
“Ouch. Not sure I deserved that.”
“Yes, you did. You and your little succinct, ridiculously tactful replies.”
“I’m trying to be a good listener.”
“That’s very nice, but a little feedback would be appreciated. Did I do the right thing? Am I crazy and two-faced and flaky? Oh my gosh, I’m flaky. I never wanted to be flaky, and now I am. I’m a damn croissant.”
I couldn’t hold back a smile.
“And you’re laughing?”
I shook my head. “It’s not a laugh unless there’s sound.”
“Not true, what about when you laugh so hard and your breath is gone so nothing comes out anymore? And do you know the first thing that butthead did was to ask me for the damn ring back. I’m glad to be rid of it.” She stared down at the white band of skin around her finger. “It never suited me.”
“I agree.”
“So you don’t think I’m the type of girl who should wear diamonds?”
“See. I knew I’d say the wrong thing. Should have stuck to my earlier plan.”
“No, no you’re right.” She grew quiet.
“Trinket, I didn’t even have to meet the guy or know about him asking for his ring back to know he didn’t deserve you. That’s because I can’t imagine any guy out there good enough to deserve you.”
Kenna shifted slightly sideways in her seat. “Caden Stratton, you are still a first class sweet-talker. No wonder every girl in town had your name doodled on the margin of their spiral notebook.”
“That’s not sweet talk, Trinket. That’s straight talk.”
She waved off my comment. Kenna never took well to compliments. It was one of the many things that made her stand out from other people.
I raised a brow at her. “Every girl?”
“Well, not all of them. But a good portion. Trust me, I had lots of pretend friends, girls who hung out with me just because they thought it would give them a chance to meet you . . . or Grady. The score leaned heavily on your side, but he had his share of admirers too. I don’t know why he never ended up with a steady girlfriend in high school.”
Another stretch of silence followed. We listened to the music and watched as the city scenery faded and the long stretch of Pacific Ocean rolled into view.
“Cade, do you think he was happy?” She looked over at me. “Do you think Grady was happy? We talked once a month, and sometimes he sounded sad, like he was lonely or wanting to be doing something different with his life. Or maybe I was just projecting my own misgivings onto him. Not that it makes much difference now.” Her voice broke. “But I hope he was happy.”
“I know he was feeling kind of alone in Wisconsin. He was dating a woman for awhile—”
“Heather, the kindergarten teacher. He told me about her, but he broke it off after a few months. He never told me why.”
“I think Grady and I both set the bar pretty high when it came to finding the one.”
She smiled. “That’s sweet. Because of your moms?”
A laugh shot from my mouth. “Have you met my mom? I mean, I love the woman, but holy hell, I couldn’t live the rest of my life with someone like her. And Sally—” I stopped, not needing to say one negative thing about the woman who’d just lost her only son. I looked over at Kenna. She had absolutely no idea. “Let’s just say Grady and I had very similar taste in women. Now, I