“Your grandmother will be thrilled.”
“She knows. I told her. Besides, she’s another reason I want to stay.”
Beth’s eyes skimmed across Layla’s face. “Have you made peace with her then?” she asked. “I never wanted to come between you two.”
“We’re working on it,” Layla said, taking a sip of her tea. “I’m working on everything because I don’t want to look back and regret the days I missed.”
“Neither do I. That’s why I’m here, and it’s why I’m staying.” Elizabeth sat back, folding her arms across her chest. “So, I guess you’ll have to get used to me being around.”
“I guess I will. Especially since I’ve decided to forgive you.”
Beth’s knife went skittering away, landing halfway across the patio, with a hollow, jarring clang.
“Careful, you could hurt someone,” Layla said.
Beth swiveled in her chair and watched as a waitress, who’d been on her way to the table with their salads, sidestepped the utensil without missing a beat.
The waitress continued toward them with a worried frown. “Everything all right over here?” she asked, as she set down her tray and distributed the salads.
“We’re fine,” Layla said.
When they were alone, Layla didn’t make a move to eat. She didn’t even pick up her fork.
“Are you going to tell me why?” Beth asked when the silence had stretched out.
Layla thought of Emma’s face, her expression when she’d looked at the graves. Pain lanced through her. “I saw Emma at the funeral yesterday. She looked devastated.”
“I can imagine. Losing a parent is difficult at any age, but to lose one so violently is beyond imagining. Not to mention there are those two younger girls to look after.”
“I think Emma’s sorrow goes beyond them dying. I think she must be feeling so much regret.”
“Over what?”
“Her parents divorced when she was fifteen, and she didn’t take it well. She blamed her father, and I’m not sure she ever got over it. Their relationship was never the same. The fact that he had a second family with Mona didn’t help matters.”
“Emma must have felt left out,” Beth said. “Poor thing. Maybe if she’d been younger things might have been easier, but to have it happen when she was a teenager? She had vivid memories of her family, and suddenly that family was no more and there’s another one taking its place. A family that she wasn’t sure she fit into.”
“I know, but Emma let all those things poison her life. She rarely came back to Shellwater Key once she graduated from high school, and as a result, she had almost no relationship with her father. Now, he’s dead, and she can never make things right with him.”
A light dawned in Beth’s eyes, and she leaned forward. “Is that why you’ve decided to forgive me? Because you’re afraid you might end up like your friend, looking down into a grave and feeling guilty for rejecting me?”
Layla nodded.
Beth’s expression transformed, filled with hope. “I’ll take your forgiveness, you know. Even if you still have to work on giving it fully. I’ll take it gratefully.”
“No demands, no pleas for more?”
Beth shook her head. “Layla, I never wanted anything, except a chance to make it up to you and prove that I’ve changed. I want you to know that I always loved you, no matter what I did or didn’t do. Every mistake I made was out of love for you.”
“There’s more. I’ve been talking to Noah—”
“Me too. He’s very wise for someone so young.”
Layla shifted. “Yes. He warned me that bitterness would end up destroying me, and now I know he’s right. Look at what happened to Emma. Anger destroyed her relationship with her father. I have to wonder how she feels now that he’s gone. Then, I think about you. You’ve had cancer once, and there’s no guarantee it won’t come back. Even if you live another forty or fifty years, I would still wonder what might have happened if I’d tried to be more understanding.”
“I probably will live another forty or fifty years,” Beth said. “It may take that long before you can deal with everything your grandmother and I caused. But I’ll wait, until the day you can offer your forgiveness, and maybe even your love. I’ll wait until you can do it because you want to, and not just because you don’t want to feel guilty as I’m laid to rest. Even then, I’ll probably haunt you.”
Layla shuddered. “Please don’t say that.”
Beth chuckled. “Honey, I am my mother’s daughter. I may not be as smart as Dr. Barbara McCarthy, but I sure as heck have her stubbornness. I don’t give up when I want something, and I want you in my life. So, get used to me.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Layla returned home that night. Gran and Beth met her at the front door. Josh wasn’t far behind, and soon Layla was settled in her purple room again. Beth let the little boy chatter about everything he’d been up to since Layla had been gone, until finally Beth pulled him gently, but firmly, from the room.
Layla plopped down on her bed with a deep sigh. She should have been drained, but instead she felt lighter than she had in years. Maybe her whole life. Yes, there was lingering sorrow over Thomas and Mona Bertram, coupled with worry about Emma, but Layla couldn’t deny a sense of peace. One that had stolen over her the moment she’d decided to embrace the new life she’d been given.
There was only one piece missing. Something out of her reach, but still attainable. If she was brave enough to fight for it.
Sitting up, Layla grabbed her phone. With shaking hands, she pressed the button to dial Grayson’s number, hoping she’d know what to say. She tried rehearsing a few openings while the phone rang. Then it went to voicemail.
She didn’t hang up, though. If she was going to seriously make this vow about living with no regrets, she couldn’t let a recorded message stop her.
“This is Grayson. You know what to do.”
And suddenly she did know. “Grayson, it’s me. I miss you. I love you.” She laughed a little. “Nothing like being blunt. Well, I said it, and it didn’t kill me. I really need you. Please come back.”
She clicked off the phone.
Now, she just had to wait.
She didn’t have to wait long. Annaliese called the next night.
“He’s back.”
“Grayson?”
“No, Humpy Dumpty. All the King’s Horsemen managed to put him together again,” she said, sarcasm biting even over the phone. “Of course Grayson. He showed up out of the blue a few minutes ago. Strolled in like nothing had ever happened, the pig.”
“Where is he?”
“At The Paradise. I told him he should have gone straight to you, but then he’s a man so he can’t be counted on to act like a normal person who needs to be groveling and begging for forgiveness.”
“Don’t let him leave,” Layla said.
There was a slight pause. “You’re not going to do something despicable to him, are you? Grayson is still my friend, and I’d feel responsible.”
“Don’t worry. There won’t be any bodily harm.”
“Okay. Come around to the back entrance. A stealth attack is best.”
Layla hung up and changed into the infamous red dress she’d worn to Joe’s Crab Shack and hurried down the stairs.
Beth was just coming out of Gran’s temporary bedroom. She stopped and let out a wolf whistle. “Where are you off to?”
“The Paradise. Grayson’s back.”
A grin spread across her face. “I hope that foolish man realizes how lucky he is.”
“He’d better.”
Praying there were no cops out, Layla broke a few speed limits getting to The Paradise. Grayson’s car was still in the parking lot when she pulled up. She raced around to the back where Annaliese was waiting in the hallway.
“I followed orders and didn’t let him leave,” Annaliese said. “He’s in your office.”
“Okay, thanks.” She paused at the door, every par
t of her being hesitating at taking the final step inside.
“Go on,” Annaliese said, with a little nudge.
Layla pasted on a brave smile, hoping the gesture would translate to the rest of her body and mind. “Wish me luck.”
Annaliese grinned. “Oh, I don’t think you’ll need luck.”
Layla barely noticed the other woman disappearing down the hall. She pushed the door open and charged in. Grayson was sitting at her desk. He jumped to his feet the moment he saw her. “Layla. I—”
She pushed him back down into the chair. “Just stay where you are. We need to talk.”
“Okay.”
Layla took a deep breath, trying to gather her thoughts. “A lot has happened since you left.”
His eyes clouded with sympathy. “Annaliese filled me in. You’ve found your father, apparently.”
“Yes, and Colin Landry has a lot of family. I suddenly have another set of grandparents, more siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles. I can’t even count them all.”
“Annaliese also said your friend’s dad was killed in an accident,” Grayson said. “You should have called me sooner.”
“You should have been the one calling me,” Layla returned. “Every day, every hour, just to reassure me you hadn’t decided to go back to Skye. Instead, you left with her, and I didn’t hear anything. Not one word.”
He looked away and ran a hand through his hair, letting out a gusty sigh. “You’re right. I handled everything badly, but I wanted to deal with Skye once and for all.” His eyes met hers again. “I could only think about how to get rid of her without the whole thing turning into a huge scandal. The last thing I wanted was to drag you into the middle of that mess.”
“So, you cut me off?” She folded her arms in front of her like a shield. “You were gone, and I needed you.”
“I’m sorry.”
Layla took a deep breath and tried to rein in her emotions. She hadn’t come here to lash out. She’d come here to make her case.
“Two days ago I watched my childhood friend bury her father,” she said, picturing the look on Emma’s face when the twin coffins had been lowered. “Emma could never forgive her father for divorcing her mother. When he died, she lost any chance of repairing their relationship. I swore that would never be me, so I’m trying to forgive Beth and my grandmother. I’m realizing now how fragile life is, and that we can’t waste one second over things that don’t matter.”
“What does matter?” he asked, his body growing tense as he waited for her answer.
“I love you; it’s that simple.” She let her arms drop, leaving herself vulnerable. “So, I decided to put it all on the line. That’s when I called you.”
He stood. “I got your message and—”
She put up a hand. “You don’t have to say anything. There’s no need to stammer or search for the right words to let me down easy. I know you’re not ready, and that you’re probably not over Skye. Or at least not over what she did to you.”
He reached for her. “Layla, stop—”
“I told you not to talk.” She stepped back. Nerves had her pacing from one side of the office to the other. The words flowed out in a rush. “The thing is, I don’t care. I don’t care about Skye Malone or that she wants you back. I’m not scared of her. I’m not even scared of you anymore, or what I feel. I don’t care if the timing is bad. I don’t care if you come from another world or that your mother was a world-famous actress who left you more than a little broken. I only know I’m willing to take a risk. I’m willing to jump in with my arms open wide for you.”
“Layla—”
“I’m not finished,” she said, cutting him off once more. “I’m afraid if I don’t say this, I’ll lose my nerve.” She stopped pacing and faced him square on. “Here’s my offer, Grayson Kendall. I’m putting my heart out there, and you can accept it or not. I’m a big girl. I’ll survive if you’re too much of a chicken to take it. It’s up to you.”
Silence reigned in the room for several long moments.
“Aren’t you going to say something?” she asked finally.
The corner of his mouth kicked up. “I thought I wasn’t allowed to talk.”
Her cheeks heated. “I’m serious, you know. If you’re going to let me down, at least don’t tease me about it.”
He moved to stand directly in front of her. “I’ve been trying to tell you since you got here.”
“Tell me what?”
He gazed down at her and something in his expression sent Layla’s heart racing. “There’s something you need to see,” he said, taking her hand.
He led her out of the office and through the double doors to the dining room. Layla gasped when she saw the blanket spread out under the skylight. Silver candlesticks sat in the middle of the blanket, and there were two dishes covered with silver hoods on either side. An ice bucket with a bottle of wine completed the tableau.
“We never did go on that picnic,” Grayson said.
“When did you do this?” Layla asked.
“I made the arrangements when I got back this morning.”
She stared at him in bemusement. “But Annaliese said you’d just gotten here?”
“That’s what I told her to say. She helped me get everything ready. Her job was to get you over here.”
He pulled her over to the blanket, until they were standing under the skylight. She tilted her head back, taking in the stars above. Then he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. “When I heard your message I was on the first plane down here.”
“You could have called me,” she said. “In fact, you could have called me any time over the last couple weeks.”
He brushed his lips across her forehead. “I know, but I thought I’d blown it. I didn’t want to get confirmation of just how massively I’d screwed up with you. I never should have left with Skye.”
“You said you had to deal with her.”
“And I did.” He shut his eyes for a moment. “More than that, I had to deal with me. Seeing her brought everything back. Before I came here, I swore I’d never let myself be the fool again. I’d never feel that vulnerable again.”
“If you don’t care, you can’t get hurt,” Layla said.
He lowered his head, trailing feather-light kisses around the shell of her ear. “Then I met you.”
She shivered. “And everything suddenly made sense?”
“Are you kidding?” He chuckled. “Nothing about us made sense. But I fell for you anyway.”
She drew back to look at him directly. “What about Skye? Have you dealt with her?”
“That’s the strange thing.” He eased her down until they were both sitting on the blanket. “After five minutes alone with her, I realized I’d had the greatest escape of my life. Skye is a nightmare. She’s one hundred percent neuroses and chaos. You were right, of course. She didn’t really want me back. She just didn’t want anyone else to have me. Especially a woman who rivals her in beauty.”
“You think I’m as beautiful as her?” Layla asked doubtfully.
“No.”
She drew in a swift, silent gasp. “Oh.”
“You’re more beautiful than Skye Malone could ever dream of being.” He took her hand and kissed each finger and the sensitive pad of her thumb.
She tried to ignore the shivers racing from her hand to every nerve ending in her body. She still needed answers. “If you figured this out so quickly, why didn’t you come straight back?”
“Because I still needed to deal with her,” he said. “So I called Tad.”
Her eyes widened. “The man Skye left you for?”
He shrugged. “I needed someone to take her off my hands. She would never have let me dump her.”
“But she’d already dumped you,” Layla pointed out in bemusement.
“Technicality,” he said, his lips kicking up. “Anyway, Tad came through. Turns out he really does love her, the poor guy. They’d had some silly fight and Skye stormed off to pou
t. That’s when she saw the article and decided I would make a good consolation prize.”
Layla sat up. “Let me get this straight. You played matchmaker between your ex-wife and her lover?”
He shook his head back and forth. “I know. Sounds crazy when you say it like that. Except it worked. Tad pulled out all the stops to win her back. Skye got the man she really wanted, and she had the added satisfaction of magnanimously granting me permission to be happy.”
Layla let out a huff. “Big of her.”
“For Skye it actually was. She didn’t want me spending the rest of my life pining for her.”
She rolled her eyes. “How could you ever have thought you were in love with someone like that?”
“Because of what she said next.” He brushed the hair back from her cheek. “In her one moment of genuine humanity she told me that she’d always known she wasn’t good enough for me. You see, Skye knows she’s selfish and neurotic. She said I was her one hope of being a better person, but in the end she couldn’t change who she was. She hoped I’d found someone who could be the woman I needed.”
Layla gazed into his eyes. “And have you?”
“I think you are what I’ve always needed.”
He brushed his lips across hers. Once. Twice. Then settled to kiss her deeply, longingly. He slowly lowered her down until she was lying beneath him on the blanket. Her hip rattled one of the covered dishes when she shifted, and she giggled.
He pulled back to look down at her curiously. “What?”
“I’m just wondering if we’ll ever have that picnic?”
A slow, tender smile spread across his face. “Honey, I’ll take you on a picnic every day.” He lowered his head again, finding the sensitive hollow beneath her ear once more.
Layla teasingly avoided his mouth. “But what if I’m hungry?”
“Later,” he growled against her throat.
“Okay.”
Chapter Thirty
Two weeks later, Layla stood in front of the stage as Grayson and Noah hung new curtains. The two men stood on a scaffold, attaching the ends of the rod while Chester “supervised”.
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