“It’s not too late.” She smiled. “Not if you tell him how you feel.”
“How did you know?”
“You aren’t as slick as you think you are. I knew that was going to happen when I agreed with the whole fake-out scheme. It’s why I was so happy. I’m not The Bae Maker for no reason. I’m actually good at my job.” She burrowed into her seat. “You and Preston are the perfect match. And on that note, I need to close my eyes.”
I spent the entire flight thinking about Preston. Every layover, every bathroom break, every meal had been filled with thoughts of him and how he made me feel. Treasured. Respected.Loved? I didn’t know if it was love, but it felt damn close to it. Which made it worse, becauseheshould’ve been sitting next to me. He should’ve been my plus one on this trip.
By the time we made it to the yacht, I still couldn’t get him off my mind. Even when Tristan showed up with a smile on his face. Even when Uncle Jax, his family, and the entire Reid family had surprised us. Nothing mattered because I couldn’t stop replaying my last conversation with Preston in my head. My mind kept flashing to the haunted look in his eyes when I’d told him thegoodnews.
I fucked up. And I only had myself to blame. I was too much of a coward to admit that I’d fallen hard for him.
My family noticed right away that something was wrong. Not because I had thesadface, but because I had thestankface. They gave me all the space I needed because of it. I wasn’t in the mood for food, for the sea breeze, or for family time. I spent the first two days phoning it in, only showing up for dinner and one of the excursions. Other than that, I stayed to myself. Until my father pulled me aside after breakfast one morning.
Dad motioned to a lounger on the middle deck. “Have a seat, baby girl.”
I plopped down and stared up at the blue sky. I didn’t bother taking off my sunglasses. “What’s up, Dad?”
“This isn’t going to work, baby girl. I need you to talk to me. You’ve been sulking since we got here, and frankly, I’m concerned.”
“I’m okay.”
“You’re not.”
Once again, tears threatened to fall. “How did you and Mom make it for forty years?”
He smiled. “God first. Then, trust, forgiveness, compassion, and friendship. We realized early on that our marriage wouldn’t survive if we didn’t communicate. We made time for one another, setting aside at least an hour each day to talk about anything. No holds barred.”
“Maybe it’s just not in me to have something lasting like that.”
“You’re right. It’s not in you.”
I pulled my glasses off then. “What?”
“It’s notinyou, it’s work. It’s pushing yourself aside to see him. Your mother and I have been intentional with each other. She’s my priority. I had to realize my job wasn’t guaranteed, my kids would grow up and move out, my health might fade. But your mother would still be here with me. So, I don’t walk in the house without greeting the one person who will support me forever. I don’t leave without kissing the woman who has given me so much. I make sure we spend time alone, still conversing about our day, still taking walks, still traveling to new places.”
As my father talked, I could imagine doing all those things with Preston—the traveling, the walks, the alone time, the kisses. “That’s beautiful,” I whispered.
“And possible for you. But you have to step up to bat to have a crack at hitting it out of the park.”
I smiled. “I think you’re taking this softball thing too far, Dad.”
He laughed. “Hey, sports are a metaphor for life. I’ve been telling you that since you could walk.” My father had wrapped life lessons in every sport. Even fencing. Sometimes things happened with no explanation and no matter how much you planned, your approach may backfire. “Like I told you before, life is about balance, Dallas. Despite your accomplishments, you haven’t learned that yet.”
“I thought I was getting better.”
He lifted a brow. “If you were doing better, you would’ve asked Preston out because youlikedhim, not because you wanted to run for office.”
Ouch.
“Everything is always business for you,” he continued. “Life is about so much more than that. Your mother and I want all of you to experience the type of love we have for each other.”
“It felt different to me,” I admitted. “Being with him. I loved it.”
“You lovedit? Or you lovehim?”
“I probably love him.”
He chuckled. “You’re so stubborn. I don’t know where you got that from.”
