“I don’t have a boyfriend.” She felt her cheeks flush as she snatched one of the shakers from his hand.
“Oh, that’s not what I hear.” He chuckled as he passed her the box of salt. “I hear things are pretty hot and heavy between you and Frank.”
“You hear wrong.” She set the salt shaker back down sharply.
“Uh-oh, trouble in paradise?” He leaned a little closer to her. “Do you need me to break his knees?”
“Break his knees?” She laughed, despite the despair she was feeling. “What are you, a cook or a member of the Mafia?”
“I can’t be both?” He grinned, then the expression faded. “Gina, what’s wrong?”
“What do you mean?” She sat down at the counter and sighed.
“You seem so sad.”
“I was laughing.” She raised an eyebrow.
“But your eyes weren’t.”
“Careful, Harry, or I’m going to think there’s more behind that crooked smirk.” She met his eyes briefly, then glanced away.
“Really.” He covered one of her hands with his. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing.” She forced a smile. “Nothing a strawberry milkshake can’t cure.”
“I’ll get right on it.” He nodded and headed into the kitchen.
Surrounded by everything and everyone in her favorite place, she began to relax. Perhaps she had overreacted to Frank’s need for some time alone. Maybe he wasn’t withdrawing from her as it seemed.
When her phone buzzed with a text, she checked it. Immediately her heart sank.
Frank had canceled dinner.
Her stomach twisted with regret and hurt. Her instincts were right. He was moving on. Could she blame him?
She stood up and left the diner before her milkshake was delivered.
At that moment, all she wanted was to be alone.
As she walked along the edge of the lake, her sorrow transformed into anger. Each step she took reminded her of how many she’d taken since the last time she’d been with Frank.
Yes, he was right, she had lied to him, but he could have tried harder. He could have fought for her. If he really wanted to be with her, he could have found a way to convince her.
She wiped at tears that trailed down her cheeks. She didn’t want to be sad, not again. She’d been sad for so many years after he’d left and she had finally accepted that she would never see him again. She had let go of him and found a way to be happy. Now she faced the devastation all over again, all because she’d made one mistake.
But was it a mistake? Maybe Frank was right. Maybe she didn’t trust him. But didn’t she have good reason?
By the time she’d driven back to her house, the only regret that remained in the pit of her stomach was the fact that she’d ever opened her heart to him again. She turned her phone off, without ever responding to his text. As far as she was concerned, he could stay off the island. She never wanted to see him again.
About an hour later a light knock on her door stirred a different emotion.
She jumped to her feet, hoping that it might be Frank. Maybe he had changed his mind about dinner. If so, she’d be willing to forgive him.
Her heart pounded as she pulled open the front door.
On the other side was Sabrina with a gallon of ice cream and a soft smile.
“I thought you might like some company.”
“Ah, news of my failed romance has already spread across the island?” She felt her face grow warm as she stepped to the side to allow Sabrina in.
“No, Harold just mentioned to me that you didn’t stick around for your milkshake, so I thought maybe we could make one here.” Sabrina slung one arm around her shoulder. “Gina, love isn’t easy. I sure know that after what I went through. Sometimes it hurts.”
“That’s for sure.” Gina sank down into a chair in the kitchen. “I never should have let myself get swept back up in it. I knew better.”
“No, never doubt yourself for taking a chance. Whatever happened between you and Frank—well, maybe it hurts, but the point is, you opened your heart, and that is a natural and wonderful thing to do.”
“It doesn’t feel wonderful right now.” Gina closed her eyes, then took a deep breath. “How about we just dig into that ice cream?”
“Sounds good to me.” Sabrina smiled. “I’ll get the spoons.”
Chapter 24
For a few hours Frank managed to focus on other things. He watched a television show, sent a few emails to business contacts, and did his best to think of anything other than Gina. But as the sun set, he knew that he had a decision to make. He dreaded it. Either he would stay or he would go.
The thought of staying filled him with a quick passion, but it faded under the certainty that eventually Gina would tell him to leave.
She hadn’t exactly fought him when he decided to stay at the hotel, and she hadn’t even bothered to text him back when he’d canceled dinner. Clearly, she didn’t care that much about whether he stayed or left.
But the thought of leaving took his breath away. The thought of never seeing her again made his chest tighten with the anxiety that the doctor had warned him about.
But was it love or wishful thinking?
He closed his eyes and let himself remember Michelle. They’d loved each other in a different way than he’d ever loved Gina. It wasn’t less, it was just different.
Michelle loved to stay home. She loved to play games. She loved to take pictures of Amber, their garden, and the family together. She was sweet, patient, and loving.
And two years after he’d said goodbye to her, he was pining over another woman.
Maybe Amber was right and he shouldn’t be seeking love again. He did promise to love Michelle for the rest of his life.
But as he’d cared for her during that last year, they’d had many talks. On one particularly rough night, Michelle had curled up in his arms, buried her face in his chest, and pleaded with him not to let her death ruin his or Amber’s life. She’d been so sorry for being sick.
That night his heart had broken in a way that he thought would never mend. He’d been so angry that such an amazing woman and mother could be taken far too early. In the midst of his attempts to comfort her, she’d looked into his eyes and insisted that he find love again one day.
I don’t know where I’m going, Frank, but if I do end up somewhere—somewhere that I can remember this life—it will break my heart to think of you being alone. She’d caressed his cheek with what little energy she’d had and touched her lips lightly to his. I wish we had more time.
He’d whispered comforting words and held her as tightly as he could without causing her more pain.
In that moment, he couldn’t have imagined ever living without her, yet here he was and she was gone, with only her words to comfort him.
When he’d first thought of seeing Gina again, he’d convinced himself it was okay because Michelle had encouraged him to not be alone. But maybe that had just been her illness talking.
As much as he loved Michelle, the thought of never seeing Gina again filled him with despair.
Only hours before, he’d been looking forward to a possible future with her. Now, he was faced with the thought of being not only alone but heartbroken.
Even if Michelle would have been okay with it, didn’t he owe it to Amber to wait until she was ready for him to start dating someone else?
He began to pace in his hotel room. His first loyalty was to his daughter, of course, but she had her own life to live. She would fall in love and have a family, and he would continue to be alone, while knowing he missed his second chance with Gina. Already, he might have.
When his phone rang, he jumped at the sound. Hope sprang through him as he wondered if it might be Gina. That moment of pure joy showed him just how much he wanted to be with her. When he looked at the screen, though, he discovered that it wasn’t Gina. It was Amber.
He braced himself as he answered the phone.
“Hi, Amber, listen, I want to talk to you about all this.”
“No, Dad, I need you to listen.”
“I know you’re upset but—”
“Dad, please. Just let me say what I need to say. Please?”
“Alright.” He took a deep breath and sat down on the edge of the bed to listen. As he prepared himself to hear all the reasons why he shouldn’t be with Gina, he did his best to hold on to that feeling of joy that coursed through him when his phone had rung. “I’m listening.”
“I was shocked when a woman answered your phone. For an instant, honestly, I expected it to be Mom.”
“I’m sorry, I know that must have been hard for you. It really was an accident that she answered it.”
“Just listen, Dad. I was upset. The thought of you being with someone other than Mom—it’s just hard for me to accept. It’s new and I didn’t know how to react. But I do want you to be happy, Dad. I can’t imagine living the rest of my life alone and I don’t want you to have to imagine that either.”
“Amber, I know it’s complicated. Sweetie, you’re still so young and maybe it hasn’t been long enough since Mom passed for me to be moving on. If you really feel that way, I’ll honor your wishes. Your happiness is the most important thing to me.”
“I know it is. You’ve always shown me how important I am to you. But your happiness is important to me too. I don’t want you to just live. I want you to enjoy living. Mom talked with me a few months before she passed. She told me that you might find someone new to love. I didn’t want to hear it then—it was too upsetting for me—but she told me that she would want you to be happy—to be able to move on—and that she hoped that I could accept that.”
“I never knew that you two had that conversation.” He swallowed back some tears as he thought of how caring Michelle had been.
“Like I said, I was shocked this morning. I’m sorry for the way I reacted—that I may have made you feel bad. I shouldn’t have said what I did. If this woman makes you happy, then I’m happy if you’re together.” She released a slow breath. “It may be a little weird for me at first, but I promise I’ll get over it. I just want you to be happy—and so did Mom.”
Frank wiped at the tears that threatened and took a deep breath in before he spoke. “Thank you so much, honey. I really needed to hear that. It’s hard for me too—to think of moving on, but I do know that I have her blessing. I still feel guilty, though.”
“Don’t be. She’d be more upset if you use her memory as an excuse not to be happy. Right?”
“Right.” He smiled at her words. “You’re exactly right.”
“So be happy, Dad, do whatever it takes to be happy.”
Chapter 25
After a few hours of ice cream, funny television, and warm hugs, Gina said goodbye to Sabrina. She gave her friend another warm hug.
“Thank you so much for being here for me tonight. It helped.”
“I’m so glad.” Sabrina smiled. “No matter what happens with Frank, please remember that you’re an incredible woman and anyone would be lucky to be with you.”
“Thanks for saying that, but I think I’m better off staying single. Maybe the magic of the island only works once.”
“Don’t give up on the magic.” Sabrina looked into her eyes. “I did once and then it proved me wrong. Keep your heart open.”
“I’ll try.” Gina managed a smile, but the thought of putting herself at risk of further hurt made her shudder inside. No, she didn’t plan to keep her heart open—not even a crack.
As she cleaned up the ice cream, she noticed her phone on the kitchen counter. For a moment she was tempted to turn it on. But she decided against it. She didn’t want to see that he hadn’t called or texted. She didn’t want to think about Frank at all.
Instead, she decided to change into pajamas and crawl into bed. Maybe if she could manage to get to sleep, she’d feel a little better in the morning.
As she tried to fall asleep, though, she found it impossible. Her thoughts raced with memories of Frank. The more she fought them, the more anxious she became. Maybe avoiding it was the problem. Maybe she just needed to cry it out.
She headed back out to the living room and turned on the record that they’d danced to. If she could face the fact that it was over and shed the tears that she needed to shed, maybe she’d be able to recover faster.
As the music filled the air around her, a few tears did slip past. She thought about his touch on her shoulder and the way it felt to be in his arms. She thought about the sensation of his kiss and the pleasure of waking up in bed next to him. Even if it had ended in heartbreak, she had to admit that she did have a few great memories.
When there was a light knock at the door, she jumped. A second later she assumed that Sabrina might have forgotten something—perhaps one of the books she always had with her. Gina didn’t normally answer the door in her pajamas, but she was comfortable with Sabrina.
She pulled the door open with a half-smile and tear-stained cheeks to find Frank just outside.
“Frank?” She took a step back.
“I tried to call.” He cleared his throat. “I thought you might be sleeping, but then I heard the music and I—”
“What are you doing here?” She stared at him as her heart began to race.
“I’m not going anywhere this time, GiGi.” He looked into her eyes. “I’ll stay as long as it takes. I’ll do whatever I can to prove to you that you can trust me. You can tell me to go all you want, but I’m staying right here.”
“Frank, you have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that.” She reached for his hand.
She didn’t care that she was in pajamas or that the house was still a mess from her evening with Sabrina. She didn’t care that there were reasons why they shouldn’t be together. All that mattered to her was that he was there and she wanted more than anything for him to stay.
She grasped his hand and pulled him gently inside.
“I thought when you weren’t answering, you might not want to see me again.” He pushed the door closed behind him.
“I turned my phone off.” She felt her face grow warm as she glanced down at their intertwined hands. “I thought maybe we’d said goodbye earlier—for good, I mean.”
“I hope to never have to do that again—say goodbye to you.” He drew her hand to his lips and kissed it. “I’ll do anything it takes.”
“You don’t have to do anything at all.” She laughed as she looked into his eyes. “Just dance with me.” She led him into the living room where the music still played.
“Always.” He pulled her close.
As they began to move to the music, she closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of him. Maybe there were reasons for her to be nervous about how things would turn out, but in that moment, she trusted him more than anyone else in the world. He’d come back for her, not once, but twice and now he was there to stay.
Finally she believed him.
“I love you, Frank,” she whispered to him as she rested her head against the curve of his neck. “I always will.”
“I love you too, GiGi.” He tipped his head enough to brush his lips against hers in the lightest of kisses.
She turned in his arms so that she could meet his lips for a fuller kiss. As passion bolted through her, she knew that it didn’t matter if she had a few extra pounds or if her hair had started to gray. It didn’t matter if she was no longer the young woman she once was. He loved her for who she was. He always had and he always would.
Chapter 26
The moment she opened the door, Frank knew.
He was going to do everything in his power not to miss another day with his beloved Gigi.
With Amber’s blessing, he felt even more emboldened. When she kissed him, his entire body seemed to come alive. He wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss. If it were up to him, they would never break apart.
When she did pull away, he noticed a flush in her cheeks.
; “Can we really figure this out, Frank?” She slipped her hands in his. “Can we really make it happen?”
“Of course we can.” He looked intently into her eyes. “If we love each other, then everything else is simple.”
“Why doesn’t it feel simple?” She caressed the curve of his cheek.
“Because we’re used to it being hard.” He took a deep breath of her hair, then pulled her close again. “But it doesn’t have to be that way.”
“Aren’t we too old for this?” She laughed as she gave him a playful shove. “I mean really.”
“No.” He shook his head. “This is our time. Maybe we just met too soon.” He smiled some. “Have you ever considered that?”
“Maybe.” She sighed as she pulled away. “It was so hard to let you go that first time.”
“And you’re scared.” He caught her hand and turned her back to face him. “You’re scared of experiencing that pain again.”
“Yes.” She bit into her bottom lip. “I had so much more confidence back then.”
“GiGi, I can’t promise you that you’ll never have to say goodbye to me. Some things are just out of our control. But I can promise you that every day we spend together will be worth the risk.” His smile spread. “I know it will, because never once did I regret falling in love with you the first time. I wouldn’t have traded those memories or those moments, no matter how much pain I felt over losing you.”
“I’m sorry.” Her voice trembled a little as she spoke.
“Don’t be.” He wrapped his arms around her. “Please, no more apologies. No more worry, no more fear. No more hesitation.” He locked his eyes to hers. “From this moment on, let’s start fresh. Can we do that? Let’s let the past stay in the past.”
“I can certainly try.” She brushed her fingertips back through his hair. “I can’t believe how lucky I am, Frank.”
“The feeling is mutual.” He spun her around, then pulled her close again. “I hope we can dance together for the rest of our lives.”
“Me too.” She leaned up and kissed him.
As her lips touched his, tears misted his eyes. He’d been through more heartbreak than he thought was fair in life. He’d lost his first love, then his second.
Never Too Late: A Sweet Romance (The Magic of Love Isle Book 4) Page 8