Ford’s forearms flexed as he gripped the bar. “I’m here for the next few months. I just want to help.”

Kenna scoffed. “Day late and a dollar short.”

“Brown Eyes…”

Her head snapped in Crosby’s direction. “Stay out of this, surfer boy, you don’t know a damn thing about what’s going on.”

He held up his hands in defeat.

Ford pushed away from the bar, straightening to his full height. “You don’t know a damn thing either, Kenna.”

She rose from her stool. “I know more than you. You know why? I was here. I went to the hospital every day. To those god-awful physical therapy appointments when she got out. To the funeral. And where were you?”

“Kenna…” I didn’t know how to finish that sentence. All I knew was that she had to stop. I didn’t want her to bare my scars for all to see.

Kenna shook her head and picked up her drink. “Sorry, Bell. I’m gonna go sit with the kids.”

I nodded and watched her move through the crowd. When she scooted into the booth, I looked back to Crosby, and then my eyes traveled to Ford as if they couldn’t stay away any longer. There was so much pain in his eyes. “I’m sorry. She’s protective.”

Ford’s jaw worked. “Understandable.”

“She shouldn’t have said anything.”

Ford opened his mouth to speak, but Crosby spoke up first. “God, I love when her fire sneaks out.”

His statement startled a laugh out of me. “You know, one of these days, you’re going to push her too far, and I’m not going to do a damn thing to save you.”

Crosby glanced over at Kenna. “Someone’s gotta startle a little life into her.”

I turned back to Ford, and he looked so damn lost it had my heart cracking a little bit more. But I didn’t want my heart to crack for him. He was the one who had left without a word. He hadn’t earned this emotion, my heart breaking for his pain. I straightened my spine. “I’m going to work the floor for a bit. You got back of bar?”

He started at my voice but nodded roughly. I took off without another word, striding between tables, looking for any excuse for escape.

A hand snaked out and gripped my wrist. I whipped around and ready to elbow whoever it was in the gut. “Whoa, there! It’s just me.”

I grimaced at Hunter. He’d been calling nonstop for the past two days. I hadn’t called him back. I wasn’t ready for the conversation we needed to have. We’d become close in the years since the accident, and he was one of the people I trusted most, but he’d fractured that bond in a way that wasn’t easy to repair. “What are you doing here?”