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“Have you been listening? Seriously listening?”
“I have. I’m very aware of how Aidan feels about all that has happened,” she said remembering how emphatic Aidan was about his responsibility to Emma.
“Then you heard how unhappy he is. How he’s willing to do whatever you want if you’ll come back.”
She couldn’t deny that. “Yes.”
“And despite knowing that your husband is ready to do whatever it takes to win you back, you’re still willing to throw all of that away because you can’t forgive him for doing what he did.”
Lucas took Grace by the hand and led her to the sofa, where they sat. “You’ve been married a long time. Your husband, the man you love, made a mistake in judgment five years ago. If you can’t listen to him, understand his side of things, and find a way to accept his mistake, you need to move on and let him go.”
She hadn’t let her thoughts go there, to the step of officially ending her marriage to Aidan. She stared at her brother as his words hit home. “You think Aidan and I are headed for divorce?”
“I have no idea. All I know is that you need to face the reality that if you can’t find common ground, a way to settle your differences, you may end up facing the very real possibility your marriage is over. Aidan loves you and he loves his daughter. If you cannot accept that and become part of it, you could end up living without him.”
Lucas tucked her hand in his. “Gracie, you’ve always wanted to be a mom. I realize that this wasn’t the way you’d imagined you’d become one. And although it is a little unorthodox, you have a little girl in your life who needs a mother.”
An ache started under her rib cage, slowly moved toward her heart. “What if it’s too late for that? I mean, Aidan and I don’t seem to be able to figure this out. Nothing is going right between us. What if he feels forced to choose between me and Emma?”
“Don’t let that happen. I’m the one person who has been around since the beginning of your relationship back in high school. You two were meant to be together.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
IT HAD BEEN a rough few days for Aidan. He’d driven to the house in her car, and the next morning he had Lisa follow him while he dropped Grace’s car off, leaving the keys at the desk in the condo building. She hadn’t called since.
He couldn’t stop thinking about what Lucas had said. Lucas hadn’t been able to get out of his Nashville commitments, so their talk had been postponed. Aidan understood better than anyone why Lucas had to go, that he couldn’t ask someone else to head up the meeting on a project that would see them break into the Nashville market.
Yet Aidan had nearly called Lucas to ask him to come home. The last thing he wanted was to lose Grace, but he felt powerless to reach her, to get her to see how sorry he was for everything.
He had called work this morning to let them know he wouldn’t be in. He had several large files, pricing reports and some new project proposals he needed to review, and his home office was the quietest place he knew.
But he was home for another reason. He needed time to think. He had left messages for Grace, including one that a parcel had arrived for her. And there had been no response. He had driven by yesterday, looking for her car, but it hadn’t been in the parking lot.
She was making it clear she didn’t want to talk to him, and he had nowhere left to turn…unless Lucas could help. But Lucas wasn’t very happy with him and certainly had made it clear his loyalty was to Grace.
Aidan had to admit he’d seen subtle changes in Lucas this past week whenever they talked on the phone. Usually their conversation was open and easy. But in the past few days, Lucas had seemed distracted, distant in a way Aidan hadn’t noticed before.
