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“Oh, Tony,” he breathed into the line, his voice shaking with emotion, which almost broke me apart completely. The only thing that he was mad about was the disappearing act I’d pulled without warning. He said that he’d lost a daughter and a son, all at once. But he also understood why I’d done it.
Then, Lydia’s dad gave me the greatest gift of all—he forgave me.
Told me that the accident wasn’t my fault and apologized for ever telling me otherwise. He said that grief turned some people into monsters and that he’d been no exception.
I cried.
He cried.
We ended the call, saying that we’d stay in touch. I wasn’t sure I would even though I’d agreed to it. It seemed unfair of me to put him through more pain. His forgiving me was one thing, but him learning that I had moved on and was in love with someone new, getting to have a life while his daughter’s had been cut short, was something else entirely.
It seemed like way too much to ask of a person… especially a father.
I held on to my cell phone, the tears still falling down my face as I replayed the conversation for a second time. The relief that coursed through me was unlike any other I’d ever felt. For the first time in a long time, I could truly breathe again. Deeply.
The weight I’d previously held firmly on my shoulders lifted. Not entirely, but a damn good chunk of it was gone, just like that. I’d gotten so used to carrying it that I’d forgotten what it felt like to live without it. I thought I might float away if I stepped outside. Surely, I had to be light as air now.
Sucking in a few measured breaths, I inhaled deep and slow, reveling in the way the air felt inside my lungs. I had to tell Ava. Jumping up from the couch, I shoved my phone in my pocket and headed off to find my woman and tell her the news.
And, oh yeah, that I loved her. Even though I suspected she already knew that part. Magic, remember?
NO MORE MR. GRUMPY
AVA
SIX MONTHS LATER
Tony was like a whole new person. Okay, that wasn’t necessarily fair because who he was at the core hadn’t changed one iota. And I loved that about him. His tough exterior remained, but I knew the soft heart that beat inside.
The call with Lydia’s father had been the biggest blessing, and I was so grateful that he’d found the strength to make it. It helped relieve Tony of any lingering guilt, self-hatred, and it opened his heart even wider.
Mr. Grumpy was officially a thing of the past.
Well, on most days anyway. He still brought him out sometimes when he wasn’t getting his way or he hadn’t gotten enough sleep. It would have been irritating if I didn’t find it so endearing. Yeah, I had it bad for the guy, and I wasn’t even sorry about it.
“Are you ready?” Tony walked up behind me and wrapped me in his arms.
“I can’t believe we’re going outside in this weather.” I looked out of one of the windows and shook my head.
It was snowing. Half the businesses were closed today, including ours.
Tony worked with me at the restaurant now. He still fished sometimes and brought me everything he caught, but it was mostly for fun, and I couldn’t count on him to do it daily. We came up with new recipes together, and he helped a little in the kitchen but mostly hung out at the bar. He was an incredible mixologist, and now, we not only had the best seafood in Port Rufton, but also the best fancy cocktails to go along with it.
“We’re barely going outside. We’re just going to the restaurant to grab the muffins and chowder to bring to the inn.”
“The last time I did that, some guy fell in love with me from another room,” I teased as I wrapped a scarf around my neck and pulled a beanie over my head.
We were bringing food to Elise and Greg, who refused to take the baby out in this kind of cold. They were still navigating the new-parent thing and were apparently terrified of everything.
“Some guy, huh?”
“I didn’t even know he was there. What if it happens again?”
Tony cocked his head. “What if some guy falls in love with you from the fireplace while you talk to Elise at the check-in counter?” he asked, giving me more details from the first time he saw me.
“Uh-huh. Yeah, it could happen.”
He shook his head and gave me a half-smile. “Not likely.”
