by Darcy Burke
Dad cleared his throat. “I took a ride with Sean today. He seems like a very well-put-together young man. I liked him quite a bit, and not just because we share a hobby.”
Next to him Derek nodded. “I’ve spent some time with Sean, too. We had a great time at The Arch and Vine earlier. He’s a smart guy.”
Tori held up her hand. “Is this the plan? You’re going to go around and tell me how great Sean is in the hopes that I’ll stay married to him? If you all like him so much, you marry him.” She recrossed her arms and pinned her spine to the back of the chair.
“Tori, will you just listen to everyone?” Mom asked. “We’re worried about you. We just want to see you happy.”
She gripped her biceps as frustration rioted through her. “Then how about supporting me instead of some guy you just met?” Where was Evan when she needed him? He wouldn’t have participated in this bullshit. He would’ve spoken up for her.
Mom pressed her lips together, and Tori felt instantly bad about snapping at her. It seemed like that’s all she did lately—feel bad for how she was feeling. Didn’t anyone care about that? Was she not allowed to have an emotion that wasn’t approved by someone else?
“Tori, everyone here supports you.” Maggie’s voice was calm and reassuring. But then, Tori expected nothing less from a trained therapist. “Will you let everyone support you?”
Tori nudged her shoulder up. How did you answer that question in the negative without sounding completely heartless? “Sure.”
“Maybe if we understood why you want to divorce Sean, we wouldn’t have so many questions. Your behavior of late seems so erratic, and we’d like to help.” Maggie smiled encouragingly, and on any other day, it might have been comforting. Today, however, it grated Tori’s already-frayed nerves.
“This isn’t really helping,” she said drily, hoping that if she injected some humor they might leave her alone.
Chloe sat on Tori’s other side. She laid her palm flat on the table, the diamonds in her engagement and wedding rings shimmering in the light. Tori thought of her own rings, the simple platinum band Sean had bought in Vegas and a princess-cut diamond he’d given her when he’d visited her in San Francisco. She’d stashed it in her sock drawer as soon as he’d left, and that’s where it remained.
“Is there a side to him we don’t see?” Chloe asked. “Is he abusive in some way?”
“God no!” Tori shook her head. “This is ridiculous. And it’s between Sean and me.”
“He wanted to leave,” Sara said, “but I convinced him to stay. He also couldn’t get a flight,” she added a bit sheepishly. She reached over and touched Tori’s arm. “Maybe you should tell everyone what you told me. I think it would help.”
She couldn’t. Dredging it up after so long and talking about it just that once with Sara had been too painful. It was so much easier to let it stay in the past—not forgotten, but ignored.
“Do you want me to tell them?” Sara asked.
Tori shook her head. She didn’t want to talk about any of this—Sean, Alex, the stupid marriage.
“Yes, please,” Kyle said. “Tori, we want to help.”
“Really? I think you’re all just nosy busybodies.” She knew that was harsh and not really true, but this entire intervention was ridiculous. “You want to know why I can’t be with Sean? Fine. I am not an impulsive person. I plan everything. I have goals, expectations. Meeting Sean, our entire relationship—it was not on my road map. I got caught up, married him, and it just so happened to take place the night before Alex killed himself.”
“We know all that,” Derek said quietly.
“Yeah, well, what you don’t know is that Alex knew about Sean. I kept the relationship secret from everyone but him. I texted him right after the ceremony, and he congratulated me.” She tightened her grip on her arms, as if holding herself would keep it all together. But she was a fool. Already her insides were splitting apart, and she felt as though she was going to break into a million pieces. She couldn’t bear to look at anyone, so she stared at the table. The lines in the wood swayed and danced as her eyes lost focus. “He called me just after midnight. He didn’t leave a message. I don’t know why he called—did he want me to talk him out of what he was doing? I’ll never know because I was too busy being self-absorbed to be there for him.”
Mom’s arms came around her and held her tight. Chloe and Sara reached for her. Someone else—she thought it might be Kyle—was behind her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. After what seemed like a long while, everyone moved back. She blinked several times and saw those around her were wiping their eyes. Her gaze connected with Dad’s at the opposite end of the table. He looked stoic, but she saw that his eyes were just a bit red.
“I understand now,” Mom said, sniffing.
“I wish you’d told us,” Derek said, his eyes sad. “We would’ve been there for you. All this time you’ve been carrying this burden. We’re family. What else are we for if not to help each other, especially in bad times?” Having lost both of his parents at a young age and been taken in by the Archers, Derek had a unique perspective on family. He constantly pointed out their fortune and, frankly, was pretty damn good at guilting them into appreciating each other.
“I know that here.” Tori pointed to her head. “But here,” she said as she moved her hand to her heart, “I’m kind of a mess.”
“We all are,” Maggie said, smiling with just the right amount of self-deprecation. “And that’s okay. Talking about it, however, should help. Do you feel any better?”
She supposed she did, but it wasn’t a big release. She hadn’t even cried. She hadn’t wanted to succumb to the pain. “Yes,” was all she said.
“So what are you going to do?” Kyle asked.
Tori looked at him and blinked. “Uh, have dinner? Go to bed? Get up in the morning and go to work?”
He narrowed his eyes at her and shook his head. “About Sean.”
“That’s between her and Sean,” Mom said. “Leave it alone now. We can all like Sean, but it’s ultimately Tori’s decision. And she’s right, we need to give her our support, not the guy we just met.” She looked around the table at everyone, her gaze fierce. “I want everyone to leave Tori alone about this. Understand?”
Maggie lifted a hand as if they were in class and she wanted to be recognized, but she didn’t wait to speak. “Tori, have you considered taking a little time to yourself—some mental health recuperation? You’ve been working so hard.”
Sara nodded. “That’s true. You work on the renovation, you work for your firm in San Francisco, you don’t do anything else but run. You’re going to burn out, and maybe you already have. Why don’t you go up to the cabin?”
The family owned a small cabin on Mt. Hood. They’d gone there as kids, but as they’d grown, the space had been a bit too close for all of them. Nobody wanted to sleep en masse in the loft that served as a dormitory for all of the kids. Still, some of them used it from time to time, especially Tori, who loved to ski. She hadn’t been up there at all this year because—yeah, Maggie had been right—she worked too much. But it was the best way she could occupy her time and her mind.
“I think that’s a great idea,” Dad said, startling everyone. Every head swung toward him. “Whatever you decide about Sean, you need to find a way to get back to the life you loved. You need to live again, Tori. Trust me, I know. In fact, while you go to the mountain, maybe Mom and I will head to the beach.” His gaze settled on Mom, and his lips curved into a warm smile that had been in short supply this year. Tori looked at Mom and noted tiny spots of pink in her cheeks. It looked as if they’d finally found their way back to each other.
“Okay, I’ll go.” She turned to Sara. “Would you mind grabbing my stuff from the garage apartment?” She was being a bit of a coward, but she didn’t want to talk to Sean tonight.
“Is there anything you want me to tell Sean?” Sara’s question was tentative.
“Not that I can think o
f.” Coward, coward, coward. Tori stood and looked around at everyone. “I guess I should say thank you?”
Maggie laughed, and a few others joined in. Everyone got up, and hugs were exchanged. Tori had to admit she did feel better, if only because of the smiles on her parents’ faces.
After several minutes, she crossed the room to go upstairs to pack. Dad stopped her with a hand on her arm. “Tori, don’t forget what we talked about. If the love is there, it might be worth fighting for.”
She still didn’t think her slapdash marriage could compare with her parents’ relationship, but she just nodded and said, “Thanks. Dad, does this mean you and Mom are good?”
Dad smiled again, his gaze drifting toward Mom. “I think we will be.”
Now tears burned the backs of her eyes, and she leaned up to kiss his cheek before hurrying upstairs. If she left in the next half hour, she could be at the cabin by eight thirty or nine.
But what about Sean? Did she just let him go back to LA tomorrow without a word? They had things to resolve—like the divorce and the show—but not tonight. Tonight she was going to take her family’s advice and try to climb outside of her own head. Tomorrow she’d deal with Sean. Maybe by then she’d figure out what that meant.
SEAN FINISHED PUTTING his breakfast dishes in the dishwasher, poured some soap into it, and turned it on. With a quick look around the kitchen, he was satisfied that he was leaving the apartment the same way he’d found it. He had just enough time to get back to the airport to return his car and make his twelve-fifteen flight.
He went into the bedroom and grabbed his bag, his gaze lingering on the bed. He’d spent the night sleeping there instead of the couch, and the sheets had smelled of Tori. Their brief make-out session Saturday night had been at the forefront of his mind as he’d tossed and turned before finally falling into a restless sleep.
A knock on the door drew him to turn. He carried his bag to the door and dropped it just inside before opening it. Kyle and Sara stood side by side.
“Hey, man.” Kyle came in without waiting for an invitation, and Sara followed.
“Come in.” Sean didn’t bother to hide the sarcasm in his tone, but his guests either ignored it or didn’t notice.
“I’m glad you’re still here,” Sara said, sitting on the couch. Kyle sat beside her.
“Only just, actually. I have a plane to catch. Will you thank your parents for letting me stay? I’d meant to stop over there, but I ran out of time.” That wasn’t exactly true. He hadn’t wanted to chance running into Tori.
Kyle stood. “Wait, what about the show? We’re all on board.”
Everyone? “Tori agreed to do it?”
Kyle winced. “We didn’t get a chance to talk to her about it, but we’ll get her to agree. And I’d love to do the show profiling The Arch and Fox. We can’t buy advertising like that.”
Sean doubted they’d convince Tori. “I can’t do that show without delivering the Christmas special. It’s a package deal.” Kyle nodded that he understood. “I don’t get why you’re agreeing to this,” Sean said. He was about to become their sister’s ex. There was no reason for them to help him.
Kyle shrugged. “You seem like a good guy. And unlike Tori, we actually want to do the show. For what it’s worth, I don’t think she’d be so against the show if she wasn’t such a head case right now. Don’t worry—we’ll persuade her. Let us work our Archer magic.”
Sara pulled a paper from the pocket of her hoodie and handed it to Sean. “These are directions to our family cabin. Tori’s there now. You could go and see her.”
“Thanks, but no.”
“You have to know that D’Onofrio doesn’t mean anything to her,” Kyle said. “She was trying to get rid of you.”
“She told you that?”
“No, but I’m sure that’s what it was.”
Probably, when he put it together with her behavior over the rest of the weekend. Either way, it was a bollocks move. “It doesn’t really matter what it was.” Sean bent to pick up his bag.
When he straightened, Sara leaned forward and stuffed the paper with the directions into the front pocket of his coat. “You’ll be halfway to Mt. Hood when you drive by the airport. Think about it on the way. If you change your mind, just keep going.”
What would be the point? She’d kissed another guy in front of him. Whether she had feelings for that guy or not wasn’t the point. She hadn’t apologized, and she’d made it clear over and over again that she wasn’t interested in saving this marriage. He suddenly thought of a great reason to go and see her—she could have her divorce. Show or not, he’d give it to her.
He shook Kyle’s hand and gave Sara a quick, one-armed hug. “I appreciate everything you’ve done. I hope Tori realizes what a great family she has.”
Sara’s lips curled into a sad smile. “That’s the curse of being an Archer—we rarely do until we need them most.”
Chapter Fourteen
TORI STRETCHED HER feet and threw her arms up over her head to stretch them, too. Twisting to the side, she inhaled the pine scent that was so unique to the cabin and smiled. She rolled the other way to check her phone for the time, thinking it had to be late. She’d slept like the dead, and it had felt divine.
Right as she touched the phone, it vibrated. Turning it over, she saw that it was Kyle. She hit one of the response messages: I’ll call you back later.
She did not want to talk to her family, especially Kyle, who was likely the one who’d gone home and spilled everything to Mom. Had he included her kissing Cade? Tori hoped not. That was a moment she’d like to completely expunge from her memory.
The phone vibrated again. She picked it up and saw that it was Sara. Tori sent her the same message.
She’d barely set the phone down when it went off once more. This time it was Derek. What, were they all standing in the same room together?
Tori answered the call. “What?”
“Good morning to you, too, Sunshine.”
“I was sleeping.”
“Sorry, but we have something important to talk to you about. I’m putting you on speaker.”
“I can hardly wait.” Tori laid the back of her free hand over her forehead and stared at the Douglas fir beams stretching across the bedroom ceiling. “Who’s there? Yesterday’s firing squad?”
“Very funny,” Kyle said.
“How are you, Tori?” Sara asked, sounding concerned.
“Great actually. At least I was until you woke me up.”
“We have good reason. It’s really important.”
Alarmed, Tori sat up in the bed. “About what? Is there something going on with The Alex?” Tori hoped it wasn’t more bad zoning news.
“No, nothing like that.”
Relieved, Tori leaned back against the pine log headboard. “Then what is it?”
“We’ve decided to do the Christmas special with Sean.”
Tori instantly tensed again, her spine going rigid against the wood. “Who’s ‘we’?”
“Everybody.”
Everybody? “Including Mom and Dad? And Evan? And Liam?”
“Liam was a tough sell,” Derek said, “but Emily thinks it’ll be good for everyone to come together and do this. The only time we’ve all been together since Alex died was for my wedding, and that was a quick weekend.”
“You’re serious. Everyone said yes.” She couldn’t believe it.
“The only holdout is you. Hayden’s even going to find a way to participate.”
“If this is another ploy to get me to stick it out with Sean, you’re deluding yourselves.” Even if she wanted to make things work, he would likely tell her to go to hell—and he’d have pretty good reason.
“It’s not,” Sara said. “We actually want to do it.”
She’d have to spend weeks with Sean. How long did it take to film a Christmas special?
“Sean and I are also doing that series on the renovation and opening of The Arch and Fox,” Kyle said. “It�
�s going to be fantastic.”
Even better. Tori’s stomach clenched as the weeks with Sean suddenly became months. “Have you forgotten that we have a zoning problem? If that appeal goes through, there won’t be an opening of The Arch and Fox.”
“The old Tori wasn’t this negative. Aubrey’s going to make that go away.”
“Kyle, shut up. I am the same Tori.”
“Uh, okay.”
Tori rolled her eyes and rubbed at her arms and legs, suddenly feeling itchy and claustrophobic. She adopted a business-like, sarcastic tone. “Well, thanks for calling and stressing me out during my R and R getaway.”
“We didn’t mean to do that.” Remorse tinged Sara’s voice. “It would be great if you’d do the show with us. We’re looking forward to highlighting Alex’s legacy. I think he’d like that.”
Would he? Tori wasn’t sure, but then again, everything she thought she knew about Alex had been tested since he’d died. Why hadn’t he left her a voicemail? Why had he called her in the first place? And when in the hell was she going to get her letter? Now that she’d shared the phone call with everyone, maybe she ought to tell Aubrey about it, and perhaps she’d take pity on Tori and just give it to her, regardless of Alex’s directions.
But she didn’t really want that. She wanted—no, she needed—to honor Alex’s wishes, and if that meant being patient, she would do it. “I’ll think about it.”
“You will?” Sara asked, hopeful.
“Yes. And listen, I . . . appreciate you guys looking out for me.” They drove her nuts sometimes, but that’s what family did. They also loved each other unconditionally.
“It’s going to be fun,” Kyle said.
Fun? With Sean breathing down her neck for months on end? She ended the call and rolled back over, pulling the covers over her head.
What was she doing? Was there really no way she and Sean could make this work? She thought back to January, when she’d been so happy. Kuala Lumpur had been magical. Then after that, though they’d been apart, they’d stayed close with texts and Skype. When he’d mentioned Skype sex the other night, she’d gotten all hot and bothered. They’d talked about it but hadn’t done it. And now they never would. Could she really imagine not touching him again? Not kissing him?