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“Well, I’m not the one who needs to do that,” I tell him. “The truth is, when things got too real, Moira’s the one who cut and ran. Not me.” I brush off the memory of me making a date with Bridgette in front of Moira, which was very wrong.
Dad sighs and stares out at the lake for a bit. “Falling in love is the scariest thing you can do in life. It requires the biggest leap of faith there is.”
“I was ready to leap, but she wasn’t. There’s nothing I can do about it now.”
“Moira isn’t Paige, son. I hope you can see that.”
Rolling my eyes, I tell him, “Look, Dad, I know what you’re trying to do. You’re about to tell me that you only want to see me happy and that you’ve never seen me light up the way I do around Moira. You’ll say I’d make a wonderful father for the boys and that this may be my best shot at happiness. But you’re wasting your breath—”
“—I didn’t say anything.”
“But you were going to. Admit it.”
He makes a tsking sound. “Not in those exact words, but … yeah, the sentiment was there.”
“You’re preaching to the choir, Dad. Moira’s the one who turned me down. Not the other way around.”
“And there’s nothing you can do to change her mind?”
“Nope.”
“Even if she’s had second thoughts, and she’s too scared to tell you?”
I think about the fact that she called, and I didn’t pick up, but I’m not going to get into that with my dad. “The ball’s in her court.”
Dad sips his coffee again. “Well, in that case, I suppose it’s best not to try again. You don’t want to get your feelings hurt. Even if you'd regret it for the rest of your life.”
Frustration bubbles up in my chest. “So as far as you’re concerned, I’m a quitter? Again, Dad, you’re talking to the wrong person. Moira’s the one who quit, so I’m not about to get down on my knees and beg for forgiveness. I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Good for you, son,” he says, standing up and patting me on the shoulder. “At least you’ll have your pride.”
He slides the patio door open and steps inside. Just as he closes it, he adds, “That ought to keep you warm for the rest of your life.”
Chapter45
Moira
I wake up the morning of the rehearsal with my emotions all over the place. They stay on that roller coaster for my entire shift at the diner. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to stand up with my brother as he pledges his life to the woman he loves, but I’m also filled with fear.
What if there’s no way to fix things with Ethan? But come hell or high water, today I’m going to find out. By the time I crawl back into bed tonight, I’ll know if there’s still a chance for us, or not.
Getting in my truck to head home, I grab my phone and check my texts. There’s nothing from Ethan. He would have seen that I called four days ago, and I was praying he’d decide to reach out.
The only text on my phone is from Digger.
Digger:Hey, Sis, tomorrow’s the day!
Me:It’s going to be beautiful. I’m very happy for you.
Digger:Thank you. I just wanted to see if you’re okay.
Me:Why wouldn’t I be?
Digger:I know things didn’t turn out the way you had hoped between you and Ethan. I don’t want the rehearsal to be too hard for you.
Me:Don’t wo
rry about me. This weekend is all about you and Harper.
