Page 112 of Finding Forever

He reached toward her and she stepped back. Dave’s hand dropped to his side, and Beth hated the hurt that flickered across his face.

“Come inside, Dave.”

He followed her into the living room.

Beth sat at one end of the sofa and folded her hands tightly in her lap. For a moment, Dave remained standing. Usually, he would have sat beside her. Today, after studying her face, he lowered himself into the armchair opposite.

The distance between them felt enormous.

Dave leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs. “Tell me what happened.”

Beth stared at her hands. She’d practiced this conversation while she waited for him. She’d found sensible words. Careful words. None of them were there anymore. “Rosalind came over this morning.”

Dave waited.

“She brought some things we’d left at the restaurant after the wedding.” Beth rubbed her thumb across her palm. “We had coffee. We talked.”

“About what?”

“Jessie.”

Something changed in Dave’s expression, but he didn’t interrupt.

Beth took a shaky breath. “She said something I haven’t been able to stop thinking about.”

“What did she say?”

Beth took a deep breath. “That she couldn’t imagine loving anyone after Peter. She said if something happened to him, she’d feel as though loving someone else was betraying him.”

Dave was silent.

“She wasn’t talking about me,” Beth added quickly. “She wasn’t judging me. She didn’t even realize what she was saying until she saw how upset I was.”

“But she did upset you.”

Beth looked at him. “Yes.”

“Because of Jessie?”

Her throat tightened. “Because of you.”

Pain flashed across Dave’s face.

Beth shook her head. “I don’t mean that the way it sounded.”

“Then tell me what you mean.”

She looked toward the window. “Yesterday was one of the happiest days I’ve had in years. Kayla was married. She looked beautiful. Everyone I love was there.” Beth hesitated, then made herself meet his eyes. “And you were there.”

Dave didn’t move.

“I kept looking for you,” she admitted. “All day. Every time something happened, I wanted to know where you were. I wanted to see your face. I wanted to share it with you.”

“Beth—”

“Please let me finish.”

Dave pressed his lips together and nodded.