“I wish you wouldn’t say that.” She grimaced as she curled her hands around his. She knew she should push him away, but instead she held on to his wrists. She never wanted to let him go again, yet here she was, faced with it.
“You wish I wouldn’t say that?” He searched her eyes. “Then I guess that’s not what you were feeling. Is it that too much time has passed? Have I gotten too old for you, GiGi?”
“Seriously?” She laughed, an odd sound considering the hurt that rippled through her. “You aren’t the one that’s gotten old, Frank. I’ve gotten old—and round—and tired.”
“GiGi, if you could see through my eyes, you’d see a goddess.” He drew her close, his lips nearing hers.
“No, don’t.” She turned her head at the last second and took a sharp breath.
Chapter 20
As Gina turned away, Frank thought his heart might shatter. It was in that moment that he knew for certain she had changed her mind.
He released her shoulders and took a step back.
“Just be straight with me. If I’m not what you want—”
“I want you, of course I do. You’re everything I want!” She glared at him. “You knew that, didn’t you? When you came back into my life? Did you just get bored and think, hm, I wonder if Gina would still do anything to be with me?”
“Wait a minute, how is that fair? You’re the one that ended things, you’re the one that told me to go!” His own frustration built and then spilled over into his words. “How can you be angry at me for coming back, for hoping that there might still be something left in you that loved me the way I thought you did back then?”
“Because you came back, that’s why.” She crossed her arms. “You told me you were single, but you’re not. So why did you come back here? Just to play with my mind? To get some kind of revenge?”
“Wait—what?” His head spun as he replayed her words through his mind. Had she said what he thought she’d said? “What do you mean I’m not single?”
“This morning, while you were in the shower, your phone rang. I didn’t know it was your phone. I thought it was mine.” She pursed her lips, then took a breath. “It’s a good thing I made that mistake, because otherwise you would have had me completely fooled. Frank, I’m a lot of things, but I’m not a cheater. But you—you made me into one, didn’t you?” She met his eyes. “Without even warning me.”
“GiGi, I have no idea what you’re talking about!” He caught her hand and held it tight, even when she tried to pull it away. “Listen to me, please. I am single. I never would have come here to see you if I wasn’t. I don’t know what happened on the phone this morning, but it has nothing to do with someone else being in my life.”
“It was a woman and she wanted to know what I was doing answering your phone. I’m not an idiot.” She took a step back, despite her hand being clasped in his. “Please, don’t keep lying to me. Just be honest.”
“I am being honest.” He tugged her back toward him, then looked straight into her eyes. “I’ve never been anything but honest with you. What kind of man do you think I am?”
“Then who was on the phone?” She stared back at him. “Who was so upset that I’d answered it?”
“I have no idea. I have no idea because you didn’t bother to tell me what happened.” He released her hand and reached into his pocket for his phone.
His heart pounded as he tried to make sense of what she’d said. He couldn’t help but be offended at the idea that she thought he was capable of such a terrible thing. As he skimmed through his recent calls, he saw the one that had come in first thing that morning. His heart dropped when he saw the name on the screen. “Oh, Gina. You should have told me.”
“I didn’t mean to answer the phone. I honestly thought it was mine. I was afraid you would think I was checking up on you—”
“You didn’t trust me.” He nodded as he tucked his phone back into his pocket. “Just like you didn’t trust me thirty years ago.” He turned away as anger rocketed through him. “You know, I thought I understood that. I thought you really did do it for me. But now I wonder, did you lie to me because you thought I would stay or did you lie to me because you were sure I wouldn’t?”
When he looked back at her, he found tears in her eyes. “I would have stayed, Gina. I would have helped you. We would have made it work and then—”
“What does it matter now?” She wiped at her eyes. “I did what I did, I can’t change it. You don’t think I’ve wanted to? You don’t think I’ve thought about how different my life could have been?”
“But nothing has changed.” He locked his eyes to hers. “You still don’t trust me. If you trusted me, you would have told me that someone had called. You would have explained why you were upset. Instead, you assumed the worst about me—that I would come back into your life and try to rekindle what we had while still being in a relationship with someone else.”
“It’s just been so long and—”
“No.” He shook his head as he crossed his arms. “No, it doesn’t matter how long it’s been. I thought you knew me better than anyone else on this earth, Gina. And you told me to go, because you believed that I would leave you either way. That tells me that you didn’t really know me. And this morning, when you got that call, you didn’t even give me a chance to defend myself. You just assumed that I was a cheater? What did I do to cause you to believe that about me? That I could be so cruel to you?”
“Frank, please, you know you didn’t do anything.” She took a deep breath. “I really did want you to have the wonderful life you’d always dreamed of, I just didn’t think you could have it with me. And when I answered the phone this morning, I thought I had just fooled myself into believing that you could still have feelings for me—”
“Look.” He held up his phone, with the call record displayed. “That call this morning was from my daughter, Amber.”
Chapter 21
Her chest tightened with every word he spoke. When Frank pointed out her lack of trust, she thought her heart might shatter. Gina knew he wasn’t wrong. It had never been easy for her to believe that he truly loved her. She wasn’t beautiful like her mother, she didn’t have a father in her life to show her that men could be affectionate. When Frank had pursued her, she’d been mystified by his attraction to her, but he’d been relentless and she’d had such a strong desire for him. She’d learned to ignore her doubts. But now that he’d pointed it out to her, she felt like the liar in the situation.
As he held the phone in front of her and she read Amber’s name on it, her heart sank. She hadn’t even bothered to look when she’d answered the call—or after—because of how shaken up she’d felt.
“Frank, I’m sorry, I had no idea.”
“No, you didn’t, because you didn’t ask.” He tucked his phone back into his pocket. “Because you didn’t tell me the truth.”
“I just thought…” She swallowed hard. “I thought it was all too good to be true. I thought you couldn’t possibly want to be with me.”
“Sweetheart.” He touched her cheek as he looked into her eyes. “I’m so sorry that you feel that way, but I don’t think I can convince you otherwise. Honestly, I don’t think I should have to.” His hand fell back to his side.
“I never even thought about the woman on the phone being Amber.” She closed her eyes as embarrassment and fear rushed through her. Would he stay angry at her?
“She doesn’t know anything about you. I didn’t tell her why I was visiting. She was probably calling to check on my flight schedule for today. I wondered why I hadn’t heard from her yet. I wish I had the opportunity to speak with her this morning and explain things. I can only imagine what she must be thinking. I’m sorry if she was rude to you, but she probably thought my phone had been stolen.” He grimaced. “I should call her before she sends the police out looking for me.”
“That sounds like a good idea.” Gina mumbled the words and tried to get her thoughts straight.
&nbs
p; “I’ll just send her a text for now. We both need breakfast.” Frank sent a text from his phone, then looked up at her. “Shall we?”
“I’m sorry, Frank.” She reached for his hand and wound her fingers around it.
“Me too.” He murmured the words, gazed at her for a moment, then pulled open the door to the restaurant.
As they stepped inside, she tried to guess what he was thinking. His demeanor had changed completely, and she realized now that it was her fault. She should have told him the truth from the moment the call had come in. Instead, she’d assumed the worst and created the tension that was now between them.
As she picked through her breakfast she tried to believe that everything would be fine. But it was his turn to be withdrawn and uneasy. They barely spoke as they ate, and once the table was cleared and the bill had been paid, they left the restaurant quietly.
“I’ll take you to your hotel, so you can get your clothes.” She opened the driver’s side door.
“Actually…” He hesitated at the passenger side. “Maybe it’s best if I stay there tonight.”
“It’s no trouble for you to stay with me.” She bit into her bottom lip as her heart skipped a beat. Was this it? Was what had barely begun already over?
“It may just be a little too much too fast. Don’t you think?” He flashed her a smile across the top of the car. “Besides, I might not be able to resist you.”
“Sure, okay. If that’s what you want.” As she sat down in the car, she wondered if she would be able to hold back her tears long enough to get him to the hotel. Maybe he was right. Maybe it was too much, too soon.
As he gave her the directions, she tried to think of ways to chat with him. But her thoughts just returned to his choosing to stay off the island. The night before, he’d said that he was falling in love with her. Where had that love gone?
She stopped the car outside of the hotel.
“Here we are.” She put the car into park.
“Yes.” He looked over at her. “Maybe we could get together for dinner tonight?”
“Maybe.” She nodded.
He started to lean toward her—she thought he might kiss her. But at the last second he seemed to change his mind and reached for the door handle.
“I’ll tell you what, you text me, if you want to meet for dinner. Alright? Or call.” He met her eyes. “I’m not trying to push you into anything you don’t want. I think maybe we both need to take a breath—after this tense morning.”
“You’re angry with me, aren’t you?” She took a deep breath as she braced herself for his response.
“I’m not.” He frowned. “I need to call Amber and explain the situation to her. But it might be a good idea to consider what it is you really want, GiGi. I know what I want and I’m willing to take it as slow as you need to. I lost you once. I don’t want to lose you again.” He paused, opened the car door, then looked back at her. “But I also need you to trust me. If you can’t, then there isn’t much point to any of this, is there?”
“I can.” She nodded as she met his eyes. “I’m sure that I can.”
“Dinner then?” He smiled.
“Dinner.” She nodded and managed a smile in return.
As she watched him walk up to the hotel she wanted to believe that it wasn’t the last time that she’d see him, but a sinking sensation in her stomach made her think otherwise.
Chapter 22
As Frank reached the entrance to the hotel, he glanced back once and saw her pull away from the curb. He had to fight the urge to chase after her as the memory of saying goodbye the first time flashed through him. He’d been so angry, so hurt, that she could break things off with him. But now he was faced with a new challenge. Could he love her, even if she didn’t trust him? Or had time really taken away their chance at love?
He headed to his room, his thoughts jumbled. As he unlocked the door and stepped inside he remembered the call from Amber. She had to be confused and likely worried. As he dialed her number he thought about how he might explain himself.
After Michelle had died, he hadn’t even considered dating. He and Amber had never discussed it. The truth was, there was only one woman that he desired to be with, and if Gina wouldn’t have him, he didn’t anticipate being with anyone else.
But how would Amber take that?
“Dad?” his daughter answered, her voice strained.
“Amber, it’s me. I’m sorry, I guess there was some confusion this morning.”
“Why did some woman have your phone?”
“She’s a friend of mine.”
“A friend who answers your phone?”
“She made a mistake. Our phones were next to each other and—”
“Dad, what exactly are you doing?”
“Amber, listen. I know I said I was just going back to my hometown for a visit, but the truth is, I came back to see someone I’ve wondered about for a long time.”
“Dad.”
Her voice was quiet on the other end of the line.
“I don’t know how to feel about this. I mean, didn’t you love Mom?”
“Yes, of course I did.” His chest tightened in reaction to the question. “Amber, I loved your mother and I still do.”
“But now, all of the sudden a woman is answering your phone? So how can I believe that?”
“Sweetheart, I can’t expect you to understand. I wish your mother was still here, but she isn’t.”
“That doesn’t mean that you have to jump into a relationship with someone new. Wasn’t Mom enough for you?”
“That’s not fair.” He frowned as a flood of guilt began to wash over him.
“Not fair?” She sighed. “What’s not fair is that I won’t have my mother at my wedding. What’s not fair is that she’s not here to get advice from about my boyfriends. I don’t think it’s unfair to expect you to stay loyal to someone who loved you with all her heart.”
“Darling, if I could bring her back, you know I would. I know you lost her far too young. I know there will be so many moments that she can’t share with you, and my heart breaks when I think about them. But my being alone for the rest of my life won’t bring her back. She always told me I should do what would make me happy.” He paused and listened to the sound of her breathing. He could tell that she was trying to hold back tears. “I should have talked to you about this first.”
“Yes, you should have. I shouldn’t have to deal with your booty call answering the phone—”
“Wait just a minute.” He frowned. “I know that you’re upset and you have a right to be, but what I feel for Gina is nothing like that. When I was about your age we promised to spend the rest of our lives together and then suddenly it came to an end. Your mother taught me to love again and I will always be grateful to her for that. She gave me a wonderful marriage and a beautiful daughter, and I would give absolutely anything for her to be here with me again. But she’s not.”
“No, she’s not. Thank goodness. If she were here to see how fast you’ve moved on, she would be as angry as I am. Dad, you can do whatever you want. It’s your life, right? You live your life and I’ll live mine.”
As he heard the phone disconnect, his heart lurched. Amber rarely spoke in a defiant tone. Most of the time she was the mild, joyful child that he’d always known her to be. He and Michelle had marveled over how easy they’d had it compared to other parents.
For her to speak to him like that—he knew that she had to be very hurt. He regretted the fact that he hadn’t been the one to answer the phone that morning and that so much time had passed before he’d had the chance to set things straight.
As he sank down onto the edge of the bed, he closed his eyes. He could imagine Michelle sitting beside him.
Was Amber right? Had he moved on too fast?
He’d spent an entire year lost in a cloud of grief, though he’d done his best to be a good father to Amber. After a year, things began to ease, but he still missed Michelle as much as he did the day he’
d said goodbye to her.
Maybe Gina was just a distraction—a way to help him forget that grief. He was certain that what he felt for her was genuine, but what if he was wrong?
He fiddled with his phone for a few minutes. He knew what he had to do, but he didn’t want to do it. He needed time to think it all through—to figure out what he really felt.
Reluctantly, he typed out a text to Gina.
I’m sorry, I can’t make dinner tonight. Can we talk in the morning?
As he waited for her response, he wondered if she would even bother to text him back. He hated the thought that she might be upset with him, but he knew it was important not to lead Gina on.
He either had to be all in or all out, and at that moment, he had no idea which it would be.
Chapter 23
As soon as Gina was back on the island, she wondered if she’d made a terrible mistake. She’d let him go again. She could have stopped him. She could have convinced him to stay with her instead of returning to the hotel. She could have apologized, until he finally and truly accepted it.
Instead, she’d driven away.
She’d almost reached her house when she realized that she couldn’t go there. She couldn’t be alone. As upset as she was, she doubted that she would be kind to herself. Instead, she needed to be in the most comforting place she could think of—the diner.
As she parked, she noticed that just about every car in the parking lot was familiar. These people were her family after her mother had passed away. They’d always accepted her for who she was, without question.
When she pushed the door open, several people greeted her. She did her best to return their smiles. When she made it to the counter, she found Harold filling the salt shakers.
“Harry, what are you doing out of the kitchen?” She frowned.
“Well, someone has to make up for your lack of presence.” He glanced up at her. “I suppose now that you have a boyfriend you’re too good for filling the salt shakers.”
Never Too Late: A Sweet Romance (The Magic of Love Isle Book 4) Page 7