by Megan Ryder
Brigid stood abruptly, chair screeching on the floor. A few people glanced their way in askance then ducked away. “You’re being a coward, Delaney. I know you think you’re protecting him, but you’re protecting yourself and that’s bullshit. He’s willing to stand by you. You should do him the same courtesy.”
Delaney stood toe-to-toe with Brigid. “I’m not strong enough. You’re right. I shouldn’t have started anything with him. But I love him too much to force him to protect me and deal with the rumors and fallout. I know you disagree, but I have to let him go.”
Anna grabbed Delaney’s arm and also stood. “At least talk to him first. See what he wants. Give him a choice, something you didn’t do before.”
She smiled sadly then hugged the other women. “I’ll talk to him tomorrow. Now, what’s going on with you two?”
As she listened to them, her eyes wandered to Ethan, who stood in a crowd, frowning, jaw clenched. One man waved a hand toward her and appeared to be complaining about her to both William and Ethan. William was placating and soothing, while Ethan’s face looked like a thunderhead. Finally, he snapped at the men and stalked across the room toward her.
He grabbed her hand. “Ladies, I’m sorry, but I need some fresh air. Delaney, join me?”
Without waiting for a reply, he swept her out the French doors and into the dusk.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Delaney struggled to keep up with Ethan as he stalked onto the porch, down the steps, and to the soft grass. Her heels sank into the soft turf and she tugged on his hand to slow him down. Ethan barely paid her any attention until she stopped dead and refused to move any farther. He paused and whirled around, almost as if forgetting that he had dragged her along with him. His jaw was clenched and his eyes were cold. She took an involuntary step backward, shrinking from that stare, that coldness that she hadn’t seen since the day she broke up with him.
She swallowed and took a tentative step toward him, laying a hand on his tightly corded arm. “Ethan? What happened?”
He shook her off and started pacing, gesturing angrily with every word, talking more to himself than her. “Pompous assholes. Dictating to me how I should live my life and who I should associate with. As if they can tell me what to do.”
A couple of people were walking on the lawn, taking in the sunset and shamelessly eavesdropping. Delaney grabbed his arm and tugged him toward a side area with chairs. He followed, still fuming about his conversation.
When they were finally in the area and secluded enough, she turned to him. “Ethan, what are you talking about?”
He growled. “My father and his cronies. They want me back but only on their terms.”
A band of ice contracted around her heart. She steadied her breathing. “I thought your father wanted you back. What’s the problem?”
He leveled his gaze on her. “You.”
The ice expanded, stealing her breath from her. She pressed a hand to her stomach to quell her sudden fluttering of nerves. “Me.”
He gripped her shoulders. “Some stupid thing about your father and how it looks. Same argument as before.”
She sighed. Ignoring her dress, she sat on one of the lawn chairs, perched on the edge, her hands clasped in front of her to minimize their trembling. “Time may go by but some things never change.”
He squatted in front of her and took her hands in his. “I have to go back. My father’s heart attack eight months ago is forcing him to cut back. He wants me to learn from him, to take over some day. I have no choice.”
The ice spread until her throat was paralyzed. She squeezed the words out past the fear. “What are you saying?”
He peered into her eyes, his own troubled and sad. “It’s going to be hard for you, but we can make it. You’ve survived the past five years on your own. I can help you, but it won’t be easy.”
She tugged her hands free and stood, walking a few feet away to stand with her back to him. “Maybe we’re kidding ourselves, Ethan. It might be hard for me, but worse for you. What if you lose clients like before?”
He stood behind her, hands on her shoulders. “So what? We’ve survived worse.”
She turned, seeing him through the haze of unshed tears. “No, Ethan. It shouldn’t be this hard. Everyone is against us.”
He froze, eyes wide and face pale. He flexed his fingers on her shoulders then pulled them away before bruising her. “We can get through this. I know we can.”
She pulled back, blinking rapidly to clear her eyes, her direction now clear. “No, we were right to break up in the past.” She held a hand to his cheek. “I’m so glad we had this week to say good-bye, Ethan. I love you, but I can’t be with you.”
He seized her hand in his, freezing her in place. “So you’re just going to run again? I should have known not to trust you again.” His mouth twisted as he spat the words. He pushed her hand, and she stumbled. “Fine, just go. It’s what you wanted anyway. I won’t be waiting for you this time.”
Tears started again, her throat choking back sobs. “Be happy with Cami, Ethan. She seems nice.”
He pivoted on his heel, turning his back to her. “Just go.”
She stumbled across the lawn toward a side door, away from the reception, needing time and space before anyone could see her. She blindly pushed past Cami into the women’s restroom, waving her off when Cami asked if she needed help. Delaney firmly closed the door in her face and turned the lock then slid down to the wicker chair to cry in peace.
Ethan’s jaw ached from clenching and grinding to keep from shouting for Delaney to come back and ignore everyone. But pride and pain choked the words before he could speak. He should have known she would run. The island and its isolation lulled them all into a false sense of security. Away from society and their prying eyes and wagging tongues, she was brave. But the minute reality intruded, she cut and ran as soon as the going got tough. He’d thought the past five years had toughened her, made her immune to the challenges of other people. But she hadn’t really changed. She still cared more about what other people thought than him.
“Ethan?” A quiet female voice spoke behind him.
For a moment, his heart leaped, thinking she’d reconsidered and come back. He whirled around. Cami stood a few feet behind him, a concerned look on her face.
He shook his head. “Leave me alone, Cami.”
She stepped to his side and laid a hand on his arm. “Did you and Delaney break up?”
He laughed, a hoarse, rusty sound. “We were never together. Not really.”
“Come inside. They’re serving the meal.”
“I’m not really hungry. I’d like to be alone.”
She nodded. “Just remember, this is your best friend’s wedding. Staying out here doesn’t look good.”
He whirled around, her hand flying off his arm. “I don’t give a fuck about what looks good or not. I’m sick of all that. If that’s all you care about, then you’d better stay far away from me. Because shit’s going to fly.”
He stalked back toward the hotel, jaw set, muscles clenched. He wasn’t going to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing him hurt. He was fine. He survived her leaving him before. He knew how to do this.
Just ignore his heart.
Delaney tried to ignore Ethan, but it wasn’t very easy. He’d come back inside moments after she had rejoined the wedding party, with Cami, of all people. He had his arm around her and acted as if they were together as planned, the new happy couple. Delaney glanced at William and Kira. Kira beamed as if she were the happy mother of the groom and William, he just nodded once to her, acknowledging her sacrifice. She turned her head, her stomach souring on the food. Instead, she reached for the glass of wine and downed it before she could remember it was Ethan’s wine.
The rest of the reception passed in a blur for Delaney. She avoided any probing questions from Caroline or her friends and made it through dinner. But then it came time for the first dance. Caroline and Matthew slow danced to “Thinking
Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran, completely absorbed in each other. When it came time for the bridal party to join in, Ethan stood woodenly, barely touching her with his fingertips, looking over her shoulder, anywhere but at her.
And her heart broke all over again.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Three weeks had passed since the wedding, since Delaney had ripped his heart out and stomped all over it again in full view of his family and their friends. He should have known better than to trust her again. He had spent his time arranging for his winemaker and vineyard manager to take on more responsibilities. He would eventually have to hire additional staff for them, including an events planner, not to mention the usual harvesting staff. But, for now, he was letting them handle it as they saw fit.
Currently, he was relearning how to wear a suit every day. Perched in his glass office high above the Houston skyline, he found his gaze wandering more and more south and even out in the distance to the Gulf of Mexico, even though he could not see it, to find some breathing room from the claustrophobic feeling he had being in the city. Two weeks and he missed the open air and freedom he had at the vineyard. In Houston, he was sequestered with his father and various staff members from early morning until late at night in meetings, reacquainting himself with the business.
It was fair to say he was absolutely miserable.
Maybe if other aspects of his life were in a more positive place, he would feel better about his choice. When he thought he’d have Delaney waiting at home, he was more comfortable with the decision. Instead, his stepmother invited Cami over constantly for dinner and encouraged a more permanent arrangement. Never mind that he was still driving up to the vineyard on the weekends to help with the transition.
A knock at the door shook him out of his reverie. His father stood in the doorway, a folder in his hand. “Do you have time to review this account?”
Ethan sighed and gestured to an open chair. “I’m all yours.”
His father studied him for a long moment then closed the folder. He laid it on the desk and sat heavily in the chair. “You’re miserable.”
Ethan quirked an eyebrow. “What gave you that impression?”
His father leaned back and folded his hands over his stomach. “The way you ran out of here Friday night for the vineyard. A couple of staffers even said they thought they saw skid marks from your car.”
Ethan stifled his irritation. “You asked me to come back and I did. I have a responsibility to the vineyard, and you implied that you needed me here sooner rather than later. I’m being torn in two directions.”
“That’s not what I mean. Kira invited Cami to dinner again and wanted me to ask you to come.”
“Damn it.” Ethan slammed his hand on the desk before he could stop it.
His father’s calculated stare followed Ethan’s facial expressions without any reaction.
“I’m not coming.”
“I told her that.” William replied calmly. “I also told her that you were done with her matchmaking.”
Really? Now there was a surprise. Ethan had thought William was pushing Cami as much as Kira.
He narrowed his gaze. “Why?”
William sighed heavily and stood to walk to the windows, staring out over the darkening sky. “You used to love to coming to work with me when you were younger. You drove your mother crazy, begging to come to the office with me. I thought you loved the rush of the deal, the financial haggling. But now, I have to wonder if it was something else.”
Ethan noted the slightly slumped shoulders, as if the weight of the world was pressing on them. He didn’t think this was for show. He had been watching his father for the past two weeks and even spoke with his sister, both of which confirmed that William needed to ease up on his schedule, had to relinquish control, something he was never very good at. Ethan had noticed something else too. His sister had shouldered more of the duties and he truly didn’t care. If people second-guessed his ideas or sent him to Samantha, it was fine by him and didn’t bother him the way it once would have. The competition between them was gone, the rivalry that had driven them for years in school and work had dried up. Or maybe he just no longer cared.
“I liked spending time with you. And I liked the business, once.”
“But not anymore,” William finished his sentence.
Ethan nodded. “Not anymore. This just isn’t me, Dad. And I’m not interested in Cami, or anyone.”
“I told Kira that. I saw the way you looked at Delaney.” He turned and faced Ethan squarely. “I have to confess something and you can’t say anything until I’m done. Okay?”
Ethan nodded once, hesitantly.
William folded his hands behind his back and took a deep breath. “I’m to blame for your breakup back then and now. I had convinced myself that if she really loved you, I couldn’t have manipulated her like I did, but that was wrong. Delaney broke up with you because I told her it was destroying this family, destroying you. I implied that we could lose the business if she remained with you, both then and now. She had to let you go if she loved you.”
Ethan jumped up, anger pumping through his veins, heat rising in his face. “How could you? It was your mistakes that cost this firm the business, your misjudgment. Not Delaney or her name.”
“Son, you heard people at the wedding. They will never forget. And many of them are our clients. They would never trust you with their money.”
“Then they’re narrow-minded idiots and we don’t need them.” Ethan paced the small office, fists clenching and unclenching as he tried to rid himself of the anger that rode him hard. He paused, a thought occurring to him. “You did this again at the wedding?”
His father shrugged. “It worked in the past.”
“And it worked again,” Ethan said, the words leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. How could she not trust him? Trust his father over him? Again?
Ethan shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. You were right. If she had loved me, you couldn’t have convinced her to break it off.”
“I’m not so sure about that. I saw her at the wedding. She looked devastated.”
“I’m sure she was. She probably expected me to beg her to stay, to chase after her.” He walked around the desk and sat, opening the folder. “No, it was for the best. A marriage can’t exist without trust, and she doesn’t trust me.”
His father slammed his hand down on the folder, closing it. “She loves you. She only left because of that. Well, and me.”
“Don’t flatter yourself. She could have reached out at any time to talk to me, to clear everything up. Hell, I can see the damn museum from here.” If he squinted and used his imagination, which he did quite a lot.
“I was wrong. And I rarely admit to it, so accept my apology.”
Ethan shrugged. “Thanks. Can we get back to work?”
His father slid the folder out from under Ethan’s hands. “I don’t think so. You’re miserable here and I’m going to do something for you. You’re fired.”
Ethan sat back, stunned for the second time that night. “Fired? I wasn’t that out of practice.”
“Of course not,” His father snorted. “But your sister is more than capable of handling the business and she wants to. It wasn’t fair of me to force this on you. You have to live your own life, not mine. Do what you want to do. But may I make one suggestion? Talk to her. Tell her how you feel.”
“How do I feel? Even I have no idea. But you’re right about one thing. Hermitage Vines is where I’m happy. I’ll figure out my next steps from there.”
In an astonishing short period of time, Ethan cleaned out his desk and gathered his stuff from Matthew’s bachelor pad, where he’d been living, packed his car and headed south to the vineyard. As soon as he left the outskirts of Houston, the cares that dragged him down drifted away behind him, streaming back to Houston and his old life. For the first time, he was truly free, no waiting for his father to pull him back. No reason to go back in time.
So why wa
sn’t he happier?
Not for the first time, he wondered if he should have taken his friends’ and his father’s advice and gone to see Delaney. But what if they were wrong? What if she didn’t love him? Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice, shame on you. Who knew what would happen the third time? He didn’t think his heart could take another blow from Delaney Winters.
He hoped she was happy, wherever she ended up. He didn’t hate her, not any more. It was in the past and he was moving on.
If he told himself that enough, maybe he could believe it.
Chapter Twenty-Five
One month later and Delaney was back at work, yet it all felt different. She was different. Sadness remained, but she had lived with that for years. She kept telling herself that she had gotten the closure she never had in the past. Yes, it broke her heart, but her heart had never really healed from the first time, so it was more adding insult to injury than a true break.
Her boss had promoted her to the head of events at the museum, the board finally stopping their objections to her. She sensed William Van Owen’s hand in that, forcing Kira to back off and leave her alone. As a result, she had a new office, new responsibilities, but it wasn’t enough. She still felt empty inside, as if she were sleepwalking through her life.
Her mother strolled around the office, running her hands over the pressed wood file cabinet and windowsills.
“It’s much brighter than your old one, and a much better view.”
“Considering my old view was an alley, the dumpster, and a brick wall, it wasn’t hard to improve upon that.”
Her mother still avoided her gaze. “Still, the light is nice and the gardens are beautiful. You could add some flowers and a few pictures to make it more homey.”
Delaney sighed. “Mom, you’re not here for decorating advice. Why are you really here?”
Susan perched on the chair in front of the desk, making eye contact for the first time. “I wanted to apologize.”