Page 46 of Meet Me in Ivy Falls

‘What do you say, boss?’ Manny asked. ‘Can I leave a little early?’

I held back a laugh. I’d never been his boss, but he liked to say it around the new guys so they’d know I was the one in charge of the site.

‘Will your work be done by then?’ I teased.

‘Of course!’ He mock saluted me and Tessa giggled.

‘Then I order you to leave at three to go get your daughter.’

He winked at Tessa before he practically danced out the door. For a big guy, he could really move.

‘Dad said he might come by too.’ Tessa pulled at a loose bit of wallpaper to avoid my stare.

‘He’s actually going to leave the office early? Alert the media. It might be a miracle.’

‘Come on, Tor. He’s trying. The other day he went out of his way to bring me lunch. And I had a late vendor meeting yesterday, so he offered to pick up the girls from the babysitter’s.’

‘I could have helped out. You don’t need him.’ I returned to the wall, scoring the paper a little harder than needed.

‘It’s only the three of us now. I think Mom would want us to spend more time together.’ She sighed. ‘You didn’t even go to the cemetery with us a couple of weeks ago.’

I gulped over the raw scratch in my throat. Every month since we’d lost her, I’d gone to visit Mom with Dad, Tessa, and the girls.

On that day, the loss of her ached deeply and I needed to be alone. I’d waited until they drove away before I’d laid my own flowers on her grave.

In the fading afternoon light, I talked to her like I always did, filling her in on Beck’s return and details about the house. Promising I’d do everything I could to honor her last wish.

‘It’s too hard, Tessa. My anger runs deep and it’s hard to let go.’

‘Please.’ The ache in her voice mirrored mine. ‘Can’t you give a little?’

‘No. When she was gasping for her last breath, it was only the two of us there to witness it. He should have been there.’

Tessa pulled me into a hug. ‘You have to move on. We both do.’

I held on to her and blinked back tears. ‘I miss her so much it aches.’

‘I know but staying angry at Dad doesn’t help matters.’

‘You have to understand that every time I see his face, I remember that day. It cuts into me like a sharp knife, opening a wound that should be healed by now.’

She pulled back. Gave me that steady stare. ‘Forgiveness is the greatest act of kindness.’

It was one of our mother’s favorite lines and I wasn’t sure if she was saying it about our dad or Beck or both of them.

‘Not there yet,’ I said on a whisper.

‘Okay. But promise me you’ll at least try.’

‘For you I will.’

She patted my cheek and turned for the door, bumping straight into Beck.

‘Hey, Beck, it’s been a while.’ She gave me a grin that said she agreed with my Chris Evans comparison.

‘Good to see you, Tessa.’

‘You too. I hear you own a business in Nashville.’