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“Says the girl who clearly already has her bags packed.”
Frowning, she glared at him. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“I’ll admit that I may avoid talking about sensitive topics, and in the past, I’ve run away. But here’s the thing, Savi, you see where that all got me? You see all that I missed?” He motioned to the yard around them. “Look at this place. Look at these people. Look at my sons. I missed out on all of it because I packed up and took off. Learn from my mistakes.”
She swallowed hard and willed herself not to cry because there was a teeny tiny part of her that wanted to fit in with these people. It wasn’t just about getting up to help because she didn’t want them to think she was lazy. It was about wanting to simply be a part of something this wonderful and not be an outsider.
To not be the baby that was given up for adoption.
To not be the sick child no one wanted.
To not be the homeless girl.
To not be the woman with no family.
“I get what you’re saying,” she forced herself to say. “But…this isyourfamily. Not mine. My staying isn’t going to change anything where you’re concerned. If anything, I’ll just be a reminder and…I don’t think anyone really wants or needs that.”
He shook his head. “Remind me to smack my son upside the head after the ceremony.”
“Don’t take this out on Jackson. He’s entitled to feel the way he does.”
Cash studied her with a fierce expression. “I’m going to ask you something, and I want an honest answer. Not a snarky one and not a flippant one.”
“O-kay…”
“If Jackson hadn’t said that to you—if things were going along for the two of you and you were dating like a normal couple—would you still be leaving when I die?”
“Cash…”
He simply stared at her.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Answer the question.”
“That’s just it. I can’t. I can’t because we’renota normal couple and we never were.”
“The night the two of you met,” he argued. “If the two of you could be those two people without my whole mess thrown in, would you be leaving?”
She glanced away because she knew he’d see it in her eyes, but apparently, she didn’t do it soon enough.
“That’s what I thought.” He muttered a curse. “I’m gonna just say one more thing and then I’ll let this go.”
Somehow, she doubted that.
“There isn’t another woman out there that I’d like for Jackson other than you. I see how happy you make him and I felt like…” Pausing, he sighed. “I see how good Austin and Mia are together, and I see how happy Garrett and Emma are. But Jackson…Jackson I worried about. These last several months, I thought about how I would never know if he was going to be okay. Then we came here and the two of you became the two of you and I…I felt at peace. Like it was the last piece of the puzzle and I could go knowing that my boys were all going to be okay.”
Glaring at him, she whispered, “Low blow.”
“This isn’t about manipulation, Savannah. It’s about the truth. You wanted me to be truthful and honest, well there it is.”
“Cash…”
“No one’s going to force you to stay and I’m not going to think any less of you for leaving. Just…maybe don’t be in such a rush to let this go—to let Jackson go.”
With a shaky breath, she nodded because it was really all she could do. Cash reached over and took one of her hands in his and gave it a gentle squeeze and they sat like that for several minutes.
It was a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky, and honestly, it was the perfect day for a wedding. Before she knew it, people were filling the seats, the pastor took his spot on the gazebo steps, and Garrett walked down the aisle followed by Austin and Jackson. The sight of him literally stole her breath. Dressed in dark navy trousers with a matching vest and a snowy white shirt, he looked like he could be on the cover of GQ.
