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“Not your business any longer, I believe.”
Stunned, he lifted his foot from the clutch. “What do you mean?”
“That you and Brooke are not together anymore. I assume because Sarah came back. I now understand why you’re leaving earlier for Seattle. Goodbye, Gavin, I don’t really want to talk to you right now. You’ve broken my daughter’s heart.”
Before he could answer her, she’d disconnected the line.
What the hell? Frantically, he searched for Charlie’s number and called her.
“Apparently, I’ve given you more credit than you deserve.” Charlie didn’t even greet him; her voice was ice cold.
“What the hell is going on? You’re the one who called me to tell me Sarah was at my house. I can’t get hold of Brooke. Do you know where she is?”
“You left Brooke this morning to rush over to Sarah, and you’re wondering why you can’t get hold of her? What was she supposed to think?”
“I didn’t rush over to Sarah, damn it! I went over to my house to tell Sarah I was with someone else and to make sure she understands there could never be anything between us again. If I ‘rushed,’ it was only so that I could get back to Brooke as soon as possible. But now she’s not picking up her phone.”
“You also announced to everyone around the table yesterday you’re thinking of leaving for Seattle earlier than planned. I saw Brooke’s face afterward.”
Frustrated, he rubbed his face. “It’s...complicated.”
“No, it isn’t. Do you want to be with Brooke or not? If you can’t figure it out, leave her alone. She deserves someone who loves her without any reservations. So what happened to Sarah?”
“She’s left. I’m not in love with her. I never was, I’ve realized.”
“But you let the way she treated you influence your decision to never marry.”
“It’s not just Sarah’s words that led to that decision. I wasn’t there for you and Lindsay after Mom and Dad passed away.”
“That isn’t true, and if you’re honest with yourself, you’ll realize it. You did your best to make a home for us; you cooked for us over weekends, remember? And you were the one who was at my side every day I was in hospital—”
“But I missed what was going on with Lindsay! I’m her big brother. I should’ve known something was wrong. Even when the bastard showed up in Alisson, I wasn’t here to protect her. I’m nobody’s hero, Charlie. I’ll be useless in a marriage.”
“This is not the 1950s, my dear brother. We women are quite capable of looking after ourselves. And once you’ve managed to get yourself out of the pity trip you’re on, you’ll realize you were close by with every crisis Linds and I have ever been through. When Lindsay received the first email from Mark Taylor, you were the first person we phoned. And you immediately made plans to fly across an ocean to be here for her. What’s more, you’ve also looked out for us when you were worried about Logan’s and Blake’s intentions. And in case you missed it, Brooke doesn’t need a hero. She’s lost a husband, picked up her life, and is making a huge success of it. What she needs is someone who loves her. But if you’re still looking for excuses not to be with her, you’re obviously not in love with her. When are you leaving for Seattle?”
Defeated, Gavin leaned back in the car seat. “I don’t know. If Brooke doesn’t want to talk to me, I may as well leave. I’ll let you know when I do. It’s Connor’s birthday on Saturday, but I can’t stay around if Brooke doesn’t want to see me. Tell Connor...tell him I’m sorry I can’t make it. Will you please ask Logan if he’ll do the barbeque? I’ve promised but...”
“Will do. Love you, bro.”
Long after Charlie had ended the call, he sat in the SUV, staring at Brooke’s front door. She’d told everyone they weren’t together anymore. The message couldn’t be clearer: she didn’t want to see him again.
After a while, he started his car again and drove back home, the hole inside of him larger than ever. He’d known from the start this wasn’t real, that it would end. He shouldn’t feel so despondent, so lost, but the idea of his life without Brooke in it had zero appeal.
