“I did for a long time. The first year was a nightmare. I missed him so much. Every day I questioned whether I’d done the right thing leaving him in LA.”

“Why did you leave?”

“He didn’t have any time for me. He was always working, and I felt like a distraction rather than a girlfriend. My mom was hassling me about whether he was ever going to marry me. After a while, I got tired of telling her we were getting married and then having it never happen.”

“Did you guys ever talk about getting married?”

“Occasionally, but it never went anywhere, so I decided to leave. Part of me thought he’d come after me,” she said with a bitter laugh. “But he didn’t. That told me a lot about where I stood with him. The next time he came home, before Mac’s wedding, I was already seeing Cal. Of course, once he heard I had someone else, Grant was all about trying to get me back, but it was too late.”

“Were you still in love with him?”

She shook her head. “It took me a long time to realize that died long before I left him. I used to think Grant couldn’t love anyone as much as he loves his career, but then he met Stephanie. They seem really good together.”

He dropped her hand and bent to pick up a rock that he sent skimming over the waves. “Does that bother you? That he has with her what he never had with you?”

“Not really. We weren’t meant to be. I accepted that years ago. I’m sure he knows that by now, too.” She glanced at him. “Your brother never told you any of this?”

“My brothers and I have long-standing, unwritten rules on not grilling each other about our girlfriends. We have all we can do to handle our mom’s questions. We don’t pile on.”

“Why am I not surprised?”

“What can I say? We McCarthy boys stick together.”

“I’m concerned about causing a rift between you and Grant with this deal of ours. I’d hate that.”

“Maybe I’ll talk to him about it.”

“Really? You’d do that?”

“If it would make you more comfortable with it, then yeah, I’d do it.”

“What would you tell him?”

“That we’re hanging out, having some fun, helping each other through a rough time. Something like that.”

“How do you think he’ll react?”

“Truthfully, I think it’ll be the least of his concerns. He’s got something else weighing on him.”

Abby wasn’t sure how she felt about the idea of Grant not caring—at all—that his brother was seeing her. “You know, girls have a secret girlfriend code.”

“Which is?”

“No dating my exes.”

“Guys aren’t usually as territorial, especially years after they’ve moved on with someone else.”