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“That’s the way life goes,” Grandmother Lorene went on, misty tears in her gray eyes. “You make all these plans and think you have all this time. One minute you’re planning and the next thing you know you’re looking back over it all—at the things you never did, and the things you’d do anything to do again—wondering why you wasted any time making plans when you could’ve been living. You think you have time, Blythe, but next week you’ll be my age.” She smiled sadly. “Just…live the best you can, as much as you can, with every second you’re given.” She pulled her in and kissed her cheek. “This could be your life, sweetheart. And what a life it is.”
When she pulled away, she squeezed Blythe’s hand one last time before turning around and darting after a tray of spinach puffs. Blythe met Asher’s eyes through the crowd, his face showing concern. She offered up a small smile, trying to hide the tears that had filled her own eyes.One minute you’re planning and the next thing you know you’re looking back over it all, wondering why you wasted any time making plans when you could’ve been living.
With Grandmother Lorene’s words echoing in her head, she thought of her own parents, dead in their mid-forties. They’d made plans. When Blythe graduated, they were going to go on a cruise. Her mother was planning to get her hair cut short for the summer. Her father wanted to buy that new tractor he’d been saving up for. They’d made plans—big and small—and in the end, life didn’t seem to care too much about what they hadn’t had time to do.
Chapter Fourteen
When the party was over, the family had a glass of wine together on the balcony, with Mona toasting to the newest ‘member of the family’ as her eyes twinkled toward Blythe. Once the glasses were empty, Asher began yawning and informed them that they’d had a long drive and they were going to retire ‘early.’
In what world one a.m. was considered early, Blythe wasn’t sure, but she went with it, saying goodbye to the family and heading out the door with her arm through Asher’s.
They walked in silence until they reached their cabin door. Before he opened it, he stopped, staring at her in the moonlight. Shadows covered half of his face and crickets chirped all around them, reminding her of home. It was eerily quiet there, the air thicker somehow.
“I hope tonight wasn’t too much,” he said softly, interrupting her thoughts. “I know my family can be…overbearing, but they mean well.”
“No. Asher, it wasn’t too much. Your family…well, they’re pretty great.”
“That’s a stretch,” he teased, pushing open the door and letting her in first. “But they really seemed to like you.”
“They did?” she asked, though she already assumed. Unless they were tremendous actors.
“Yeah,” he said. “I was instructed to make sure you come to the next family function.”
“Do you guys do stuff like this a lot?”
He slipped off his jacket and laid it on the back of a rocking chair. “Once or twice a year, maybe. I haven’t made it home in the past few years, though.”
“Why?” she asked, sitting down in the chair. He sat on the edge of the coffee table, leaning over so that his knees were in front of hers.
“It’s just…I was stupid growing up. I made a lot of dumb decisions, and there’s a lot of…baggage in our relationship.”
“They love you, Asher. Even I could see that.”
“No, they do. It’s just…you know. Rebellious teenage stuff that I’d rather not deal with now that I’m mature.” He dusted his shoulder playfully.
“So, it’s awkward?”
He nodded, his lips in a firm line.
“What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?” she asked, her voice low.
He scowled. “What’s the worst thingyou’veever done?”
“I asked you first.”
“You don’t want to know that side of me, Blythe.”
“I do,” she told him, placing a hand on his knee. “I want to know you. All of you.”
He sighed. “Fine, but don’t say you didn’t ask for it. I stole my dad’s friend’s car once. I was high on God knows what, and I drove it into the side of a restaurant.”
She covered her lips with her fingertips. “Oh my God. Was anyone…”
“No one was hurt. Luckily they were closed for repairs and there was minimal damage, but my dad was furious. Threatened to take me out of the will if I didn’t get my shit together. And he was right to do it, too. But he lost a lot of business from that friend.”
“What does your dad do, exactly?”
“Uh-uh,” he said, waving a finger. “Don’t think you’re getting out of this so easily. Worst thing. Your turn.”
