I rack my brain, trying to figure out a way to explain. “I don’t seek people out. I tend to keep to myself. When I do make a friend or start dating someone, it’s inevitable that they mean a lot to me. Casual relationships aren’t really my bag. It’s all or nothing. So, if he hadn’t betrayed me, I definitely would’ve loved him. Just a matter of time.”

“Are you saying that if I keep showing up in your life, you’ll love me?” Warner smiles in a way that makes my heart clench and my lungs struggle for breath.

Yes. That’s the answer. No question. I might already be halfway there.

“I’m not looking to add to my love roster,” I warn him instead.

He doesn’t respond, but I get a sense he was hoping for another answer. Warner chews another bite of his sandwich, and I admire the way his jaw muscles tense with each movement. My fingers stay busy, hooking yarn, but I don’t need to watch my hands, which gives me continued permission to stare.

After a swallow of his drink, he speaks again. “The billboard drove you out of Denver?”

I grimace. “That, and the singing telegram they sent to his office.”

Warner chokes on something, and I feel bad that I keep almost killing him with my poorly timed comments.

As he coughs, I continue the humiliating story.

“My brothers are pretty talented when it comes to music. They play in a band together and everything. They composed an entire song about how Billy was a piece-of-shit cheater. Then, they paid a barbershop quartet to visit his office and serenade it to him.”

“That’s masterfully brutal.”

“Yeah. Objectively, it’s a good song. And the internet agreed. Someone in his office recorded it and posted it online. It went viral. Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me if you’d seen it.” Now, I’m descending into petulant muttering, and I don’t like being in this frame of mind, especially when thinking about my brothers. Normally, I love them to distraction. But, hell, they screwed up this time.

“I agree.”

“That you should’ve seen it?”

“No. Although I’m tempted to look it up.”

I grimace. “You can. I won’t hold it against you. The whole world has seen it at this point. What’s one more person?”

Warner watches me, his head tilted in a way that almost reminds me of Bruce.

“So, what do you agree with?” I push.

“That does sound like an incident.”

Silence falls between us. Then, I let out a reluctant chuckle. I guess I can admit the incident is funny as long as my brothers aren’t around to hear.

Warner props his elbows on the table, giving me every ounce of his amber-eyed stare. “I like it when you laugh.”

Oh no.

That’s it. Time to go.