Chapter 17

Amelia

I started to run after him, but came to an abrupt stop when I saw Cade’s mother in the doorway. Her footsteps must have been the ones we heard approaching. Georgia Masters flicked her eyes from Cade to me. Whatever might be passing through her mind, she kept to herself as she glanced up to Cade. Cade kept walking, his head down.

I fought the tears pressing hot against the back of my eyes. Georgia looked toward me as Cade’s boots sounded on the stairs. I held myself back from dashing past Georgia and took in a gulp of air.

The door slammed shut, its sound echoing all the way up the stairs. Georgia’s assessing gaze scanned me. Long before Cade and I had gotten involved, Georgia had been close to a second mother to me. Being good friends with my own mother meant Georgia was around often and babysat for my brother and me when we were little. After Cade had moved away and things had ended on such an ugly note, it had been hard to be around Georgia.

After a few overtures at first, Georgia stopped trying to talk to me about Cade and let me stew in my own anger. I wished for about the thousandth time in the last week or so that I hadn’t been so damn stubborn for so long. My firm refusal to talk about anything to do with Cade meant I’d never found out the truth of Shannon’s full ownership of that betrayal.

Georgia angled her head toward my office and walked toward the table. I followed her, if anything because I didn’t know what else to do. Georgia sat down at the small circular table. “Sit down dear,” she said firmly.

I sat down across from her, resting my elbows on the table and tunneling my hands through my hair.

“Okay, are we allowed to talk about Cade now?” Georgia asked pointedly.

I met her sharp green gaze and nodded.

Georgia was quiet for a beat. “You love him and he loves you. You both messed up because you’re both stubborn as hell.”

I swallowed against the emotion knotting in my chest and throat. “Did you always know he’d never had anything to do with Shannon?”

Georgia nodded slowly. “At first, it was only because I knew my son would never do anything like that. Later, the rumors died down and I sorted out what happened. I didn’t try to talk to you about it back then. By then, he was far away in California, and honey, you weren’t having it. So I let it go. He moved on and it seemed like you did too. Trust me, I wanted to meddle, but it didn’t seem fair to either one of you.”

I let my hands slide out of my hair and traced a fingertip along the curved edge of the table. I wished like hell she’d been unfair and meddled, but it was way too late to do anything about that.

“I can’t figure out how to fix it now. I was mad for so long and it was all over the wrong thing. I’m still pissed at Shannon, but now I’m just as pissed off at myself.” I paused to catch my breath. Emotion was barreling through me so hard and fast, I felt lightheaded. “He, uh… He got upset because I told him I’d agreed to have dinner with Earl. It’s not a date. I just figure I owe Earl more of an explanation than the one I gave him before I left him behind at our wedding.”

Georgia drummed her fingers on the table and sighed. “Of course you do. I might think you finally made the right decision for yourself and, frankly, for Earl too. But if he wants a few minutes of your time, he should get it. Earl might not have ever appreciated you for who you were—at least, that’s how I saw it—but he’s not a bad guy. He’s just…” She pursed her lips as if considering how to describe what she meant. “He’s a guy’s guy and he’s pretty simple. I don’t mean he’s stupid, just basic in how he thinks. You are, well, let me put it this way. You intimate most men because you’re so strong, so independent and so beautiful. He wanted to show he wasn’t cowed by any of that, but he didn’t see past that. Cade will simmer down. He lied to himself about being over you. That much I know. Take it as a good thing he’s so pissed off. That man loves you to pieces. He’s never been one to do anything in half-measures. Give him a little time.”

I managed to nod, but my heart felt like it was splintering. I moved to tracing a file folder sitting on the table, my eyes following the lines. After a moment, I managed to look up and almost burst into tears. I hated feeling vulnerable, I hated it so much I’d walled Cade and anything to do with him out of my life. Now it was coming back to bite me, and the caring look on Georgia’s face only reminded me how much it hurt.

Georgia reached across the table, catching my hand and giving it a squeeze. “It’s okay to feel like this. When we love someone, sometimes it’s hard. You and Cade had it pretty easy back then. Nothing ruffled the surface, so it seemed easy. It’s never easy even when it’s good. Things come up and you have to get through them. You two are way overdue on this one and both of you have some feelings bottled up. Just give it time. Okay?”

I took a slow breath, the warmth in Georgia’s words filtering through the reflexive anxiety I felt. By no means did I feel great about where things were at, but maybe, just maybe, Cade and I would get through this.

***

The following evening, I stared across the table at Earl. I’d managed to be polite, but he was pissing me off. At this point, I was wondering how I’d ever even thought he was anything other than an arrogant jerk. I practically had skid marks on my tongue from keeping my mouth shut. The only thing keeping me at the table now was the fact I figured his pride had taken a hit and that was why he was being an ass. I’d give him this dinner and that would be it.

That said, I was annoyed enough, I couldn’t help but needle him.

“So, fishing trip, huh?” I asked.

I didn’t want Earl, but him so easily bouncing back after I left him behind, well, it was sand in an old wound. A wound that had nothing to do with him, yet everything about our failed relationship was like a neon sign pointing to those old feelings of insecurity. Aside from Cade, no man ever made me feel as if I mattered much. To Earl, I mattered so little, I could dump him minutes before our wedding and he shifted gears so fast it was like a spotlight on how little I meant.

Earl looked across the table at me and shrugged. His mouth hooked at one corner in a grin. As if it was funny somehow.

“Amelia, you left. What the hell was I supposed to do? You’ve had a bit to cool down, so let’s be real. I don’t know what happened, but we had a good thing. Let’s talk things over and get back to where we were. I think you just freaked because…”

My blood was boiling. A rushing sound muted the voices around me. I gave my head a shake. Earl reached across the table and grabbed my hand. I shook it off, drawing back.

“Earl, we’re not getting back to anything. I meant what I said that day. I never should’ve said yes.”

He stared back at me, his eyes flat and hard to read. Lucy’s comments about his pride were becoming more and more obvious.