When We Are Enough (Valiant Hearts #1)

37. Patrick

Chapter 37

Patrick

I t’s the end of the day, the knots in my shoulders are tight, muscles weary, and I just want to go home to Emmy and take her out on the surprise date I have planned. I already picked up cookies and hot chocolate from the bakery after helping with some repairs along the boardwalk, which are now sitting at the station waiting for us, and I just want to see her, surprise her in a good way.

But I’m already running late for the Valiant Heart’s meeting, which is in full swing when I arrive at Antonio’s small house, so there’s no time to reschedule. The boys are here—Mike, Jake, Antonio—and I need to be here, too.

Ethan and Liam are conspicuously absent as I take a seat in the neat but modest living room, the air filled with the clink of beer bottles and the low murmur of conversation. I decline the beer Antonio offers me, and we dive straight into logistics for rebuilding the town.

There’s a lot to discuss—supplies, volunteer coordination, timelines. The energy in the room is a mix of exhaustion and determination to see this through to the end. We’ve been through quite a few disasters together, and while it never gets easier, knowing we’re doing this in Danny’s name helps.

There’s a knock and Antonio calls, “Come in!”

The door creaks open, and Mayor Roberts steps in. Her curly auburn hair is a little disheveled, and she looks as tired as I feel, but she makes a point of smiling, making eye contact with each of us.

“Good evening, boys. I wanted to drop by and thank you all for your hard work. I know it hasn’t been easy.”

Antonio stands to offer her a seat, but she waves him off. “I won’t stay long. Just wanted to touch base. We’re not getting much in the way of Federal assistance. Seems we’re low on the priority list compared to some of the bigger towns with worse damage. We have two months until the Founder’s Day Festival, and I’d hate to think we’ll have to cancel.”

Jake takes a sip of his beer and nods. “We’ll do our best, Mayor. We’ve got a solid plan to mobilize the volunteers so they can assist Patrick’s crew. Everyone’s motivated. We all know how important the Founder’s Day Festival is.”

She gives him a worn-out smile. “I know you’ll all do your best. Just make sure you get some rest, too. We can’t afford to have anyone burning out. How’s that sweet girl of yours?”

“Suzie is great, Mayor. Thanks for asking. She just turned twelve!”

The mayor shakes her head. “Time is such a thief. I remember when she was just a baby. Anyway, make sure you spend some time with your loved ones, boys. Take a load off tonight. I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

As she leaves, the room falls into a brief silence. We know the stakes: the Founder’s Day Festival is going to be more important than ever to stimulate the local economy, but it’s more than that. We’re a small, tight-knit community, and we love coming together and celebrating. It won’t feel like a proper Christmas without the Founder’s Day Festival in the weeks leading up to it.

A glance at my watch. “Sorry guys, I need to head home.”

Jake stands and walks me out, his expression making it clear I’m not going to like what he has to say, which instantly sets me on edge.

We reach my car, the dark, starry sky stretching out above, a cold wind shuffling the sodden fall leaves at my feet, and he breaks the silence, leaning in toward me.

“I’ve got to tell you something. Ethan and Liam—they’ve got this scheme going. Charging people to take them out on boats to see the wreckage of the homes on the barrier islands. Apparently they’re even talking about taking them freediving to see everything the storm submerged. Dot McLellan was telling some of the older ladies at the bakery and they were all shaking their heads. Your mom will flip out if she finds out.”

Frustration slams into me, tightening my chest like a vise. I’d heard the rumors, but getting confirmation from Jake, and realizing it’s even worse than I was expecting, is something else entirely.

“Are you serious?”

Jake nods. “Yeah. I told them the freediving in particular is a bad idea, that this is a small community and people talk, that Ruby is going to find out, but you know Ethan. And Liam—well, he’s just following along like he always does.”

I take a deep breath, trying to rein in my temper. Freediving in the wreckage of a hurricane? Of all the idiotic things they could do. The boat trips are bad enough, but how could Liam do that to mom? Especially with Dad’s birthday around the corner.

“Thanks for letting me know, Jake. I’ve got to go.”

“Sorry to be the one to tell you, buddy.”

“No, I appreciate it. I’ve been so busy, it’s been hard to make time to keep an eye on Liam with everything going on, and he’s either avoiding me or we’re never in the same place at the same time. Sad I still need to supervise him like he’s a kid. I just wish Ethan would keep the fuck away from him. ”

Jake just nods, his dark brown eyes and tanned skin shrouded by the evening, before clapping a hand on my shoulder.

“See you tomorrow, man.”

“Yeah, see you.”

Driving away from Antonio’s house, my thoughts are a storm of their own. Anger at Ethan and Liam, worry about the town’s rebuilding efforts, and a deep longing to see Emmy, to make things right with her after she saw me with Blake today.

I get home to find Granny Sloane asleep in her recliner, the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest a reassuring sight after such a long day. My mom and Nora are on the couch, watching TV, their faces illuminated by the flickering screen, and they both wave at me, engrossed in some reality TV show I’d rather not know about. Liam’s absence is glaring, and I try his cell again. Then Ethan. Both still switched off or out of range.

Jake’s words run through my mind. I really should try and track them down. Liam’s done a lot of dumb shit in his life, and this has to top it. But after Emmy saw me and Blake…

Standing in the darkened hallway, I continue my internal debate, finally giving in to the voice urging me to check in with Emmy first. If Liam is old enough to make decisions like dropping out of college, he can look after himself for now.

I need to reclaim some of my headspace for me. Well, me and Emmy. Heading to my room, quickly changing out of my work clothes and into something more comfortable and warm. I have consulting work to catch up on, but tonight it will have to wait.

The house is quiet, save for the soft murmurs of the TV, and I clip the leash onto Stormy’s collar before knocking lightly on Emmy’s closed door. She calls for me to come in and looks up from her book, her face lighting up when she sees me, even after what happened today.

“Want to take Stormy for a walk? I was hoping we could talk.”

Emmy nods, setting her book aside. “Sure, I’d love to.”

She tugs on a sweater, and we head to the living room. “We’re just going to take Stormy for a walk, be back soon.”

Nora gives us a strange look, her eyebrows raising slightly, but she doesn’t say anything. My mom just nods, looking a little relieved, maybe because she’s seeing me do something beside work late for a change.

As soon as we step outside, the cool night air slaps into us. The sky is clear for the first time since Karen hit, stars twinkling like scattered diamonds, and the air is rich with the scent of wet earth and sea salt. The exhaustion of the day melts away, replaced by a sense of being alive, really alive , just from being with Emmy.

We walk in silence for a while, Stormy trotting happily beside us. I steal a glance at Emmy, her blond hair catching the moonlight and keeping it, her face serene yet filled with that spark of energy she always seems to have.

“It’s so peaceful out here,” she says softly, breaking the quiet. “Even with all the damage still to be fixed, it’s nice to just walk and breathe in the fresh air.”

We lock eyes, and even though she didn’t say anything about seeing me with Blake, the question is there behind the green hazel of hers. We continue on, Stormy stopping to sniff every bit of debris and garbage still to be cleared away, while the sound of the waves crash in the distance.

After a few moments, I turn, catching her eye again. The best way to deal with this is to be direct. “Look, I want you to know there’s nothing going on with Blake, that girl I was having food with on the boardwalk.”

She stiffens immediately, her posture becoming rigid, her walls going up. “It’s fine, Patrick. We never agreed to be exclusive,” she says, but her voice is strained.

I stop walking, the world narrowing to just her. The streetscape seemed to shrink, its edges blurring and fading away until there was nothing left but Emmy and the truth we both need to hear. Reaching out, gently touching her arm. She looks up at me, her eyes guarded.

“Emmy, I am exclusive,” I say. “There’s no one else. Just you and work. I wouldn’t dream of looking sideways at another girl. There’s only you. There’s only been you since the minute you hit me with that damned frypan. Blake is a long-time friend of mine. She used to date my friend Danny before he… before he died.” My throat tightens on the words, like they always do.

“Okay.” She blinks, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly. She looks like she wants to say more, and her tongue darts out, wetting the plump of her lip before she swallows. “I won’t lie to you. It really hurt seeing you with her. More than I thought it would. I think it’s because it feels like we only get the scraps of time left over in your day, but it’s not your fault that I have trust issues after… everything.”

“Do you want to talk about it some more?”

“No.”

Her no feels like it should be a yes , like this is the chance we need to go deeper, to talk about what happened to her. I know she’s been pushing me away because it’s too painful, but that doesn’t mean she needs to keep it all bottled up.

“You can talk to me about your fiancé, what he did to you. I know you said it’s not a big deal, but it’s a pretty big fucking deal.”

“Just let this go.”

The wide of her eyes reflects the moonlight, and for a brief moment I can see right inside her, and I know her on a level that goes way deeper than any words we might exchange. Partly I’m frustrated, wanting to reach out and fix everything for her, but I also get it. I’m not ready to talk about Danny to anyone, even Emmy.

But that doesn’t mean we don’t recognize the brokenness inside each other. There’s a raw, unspoken connection between us, an understanding of the wounds we both carry. It’s both comforting and terrifying, knowing someone else sees the parts of me I’d rather keep hidden, and I’m sure Emmy feels the same way.

We clasp hands as we continue walking, despite the small chance someone might see us in the darkened, hurricane-damaged streets—I honestly can’t go another moment without touching her.

“Just so you know, I would never cheat on you.”

She glances sideways at me, the hurt she works so hard to hide bubbling just below the surface, and nods. I wish she’d open up to me. I hate that she refuses to talk about this. But at the same time, I get it.

I get her .