While I Was Away(89)

Everyone toasted and cheered and clapped again, but it was slightly more forced this time. August didn't say anything at all, just chugged the rest of his beer and immediately opened another.

Poor Auggie.

A year ago, back when Adele had first started spending all her days at the hospital, August had been forced to go back to Pittsburgh. She hadn't begrudged him leaving – he had an important job, a contract to play hockey for the Penguins. He'd made plans to be back home full time, and she wouldn't let him break them just because her boyfriend – a man he barely knew – was in the hospital. So off he'd gone and she'd wished him well.

And barely six months later, he'd come right right back.

Just one month into his move back home, he'd torn his ACL during a scrimmage. A nasty injury, and though not necessarily a career-ender, it potentially was for a player of his age. Then things just went from bad to worse. His surgery didn't heal correctly and one day, during physical therapy, he'd taken a hard fall. He'd fractured his kneecap and shredded the ligament again.

His career was over.

Adele knew there was more to August than hockey, but she sometimes wondered if he knew that about himself. Since middle school, he'd zealously pursued his career with laser focus. He'd never explored himself outside the sport – he'd been a gifted player right out the gate, he hadn't needed to do anything else. Then as he'd gotten older, he'd put all his energy into staying in the game.

She stared at him across the table, at his big grin and his winking eye. She wondered how much pain he was hiding, and if he'd ever share it with anybody.

Don't keep it inside, August. I know better than anyone – let it out. Talk, and keep talking, and don't stop until you get to where you need to be.

“Penny for your thoughts.”

Charlie was seated next to her, and his voice startled her out of her woolgathering. She turned and smiled at him.

“Just wondering when Ocean took up oratorical speaking,” she laughed, and they both looked at her older brother. He was distracted for the moment, thankfully, talking to one of his friends from the force, but he still hadn't taken his seat – more toasting was imminent.

“Yeah, it's weird, right?” Charlie asked. “I mean, he's being so nice, which is ... weird.”

“Very weird,” she agreed.

They sat in companionable silence for a while. Funny, none of her brothers had ever really taken a shine to Charlie when she'd been dating him. After her accident – the second one – though, they'd been much more welcoming of him. He'd probably never be an honorary Reins brother or anything, but he was invited to the occasional poker night, and he set them up with VIP rooms in his clubs, and they'd leveled out into an easy sort of friendship.

It was nice. She liked it when all the people in her life got along.

“So what about you? How are you holding up?” Charlie finally spoke again.

Ever since that second car accident, Charlie had turned into something of a guardian angel. They spoke at least once a day, and saw each other a couple times a week. Not that she was complaining – Adele had always enjoyed his company, and she liked it even more now that he had Tabitha by his side. The two were the perfect couple, and she genuinely enjoyed spending time with them.

“I'm okay. It's just ... hard ... without him here. He'd love this,” she sighed, gesturing to the table full of laughing people around them.

“I know,” Charlie said, then he rubbed her back.

“It's ridiculous,” she chuckled. “I'm an adult. I shouldn't be moping over this.”

“Everyone is different, so feel however you want to feel.”

Adele smiled at him, then leaned in for a quick sideways hug.

“You're far too nice to me. I'm going to become a spoiled brat,” she warned him.

“And that would be different from normal you ... how?” he asked, and she dug her finger sharply into his side.

“Shut up and let's gossip about River's newest conquest.”

A tall, curvaceous brunette was sitting across from them, and August was trying his best to steal the model-esque woman from his brother. River, who was sitting at the other end of the table, didn't look too concerned. He was flirting with the female cop seated next to him,

“Tabby and I went to dinner with them a couple nights ago, she works in a book store,” Charlie said sotto voce.

“Ah. Well. Good for ... her,” Adele struggled to remember the girl's name.

Not that she really needed to remember it – a new girl would be in her place by the following week.

River had taken to Los Angeles like a duck to water, surprising them all. The California weather and lifestyle really seemed to agree with him. He'd always been a fit guy, but now he was in the best shape she'd ever seen him in, his body tone and his face slimmer. His soft violet eyes harmonized well with his newly tanned skin, and when he smiled now, it always reached his eyes.

So if dating everyone in the Los Angeles basin kept that look in his eyes, then so be it. He was going through them quickly, rotating through women every other week. Back in Pennsylvania, he'd been a sort of soft spoken and introverted guy, so it was a joy to see him laughing and talking and even flirting. Adele hoped he would stay that way for a long time.

“Maybe River will just let Auggie have her,” Charlie guessed. “He could use a pick-me-up.”