Page 98 of Merry Mended Hearts

“I’m a grown woman. It’s not selfish for me to take my only time off to go after my goals.”

There was a pause on the other line. “Gracie, you know that’s not what I meant.”

I sat up and crossed my legs. “Do I, though? Every conversation I’ve had with you since I got here has been one big guilt trip. I feel like you don’t care that I’ve been having the time of my life here.”

Up until tonight, anyway.

“Stephanie didn’t even know I wasn’t in Arizona when I called her. She assumed I’d be there because you were already banking on the fact that you could get me to come home. That’s not fair. Your happiness shouldn’t trump mine, and it wasn’t fair for you to guilt trip me into leaving the present thatyougave me.”

Mom was quiet. Too quiet.

“I came here to work on my book, and it seems like everything has been amazing and upside-down all at once.” My throat was constricted. I inhaled long and hard, trying to keep control of my emotions when they wanted to take over.

“I’m sorry,” Mom finally said.

I sniffed.

Mom’s voice changed into a deeper, more sincere tone, and she exhaled. “You’re absolutely right. I’m so sorry. I’ve been selfish. I didn’t mean to put pressure on you to ruin your trip. Forget I said anything. Can you still stay? Or have you already booked your flight home?”

“It’s booked,” I said, my breath rattling as I tried to get it under control. “I don’t think there’s any changing it now, not after all the trouble the airline took to accommodate those of us who got snowed in here.”

Maybe I should have just stayed home. I wouldn’t have had the front seat on this emotional rollercoaster with Boone if I’d stayed home.

“I’m sorry, Gracie Goose. Can you please forgive me?”

The admission touched me to the core. “Of course, I forgive you. I love you.”

“I love you, too, honey. I’ll try to be more sensitive to your needs, but I am glad you’re coming home. I know I’ve been terribly selfish, but I mean it when I say I’ve missed you.”

The admission struck me. This was exactly what I needed to hear. It was like a wake-up call.

I had a family who loved me, a family who would never let me down no matter what else was going wrong in my life. Sure, Mom and I had had a misunderstanding, but I knew when it came down to it, Mom would always be there for me.

Suddenly, I wanted nothing more than to leave Harper’s Inn behind.

“Thanks, Mom. I miss you, too.”

“Oh, sweetie.”

“I do. Thanks for loving me and wanting me around.” The words made me lower lips quiver. I fought away the emotions all over again. Stupid rejection.

Mom didn’t respond right away. Seconds ticked by before she said, “Honey, where is this coming from?”

I sniffed. “Just my mood.”

I wasn’t going to go into my drama with Boone Harper this weekend. Not right now. I was barely keeping my heartache at bay, and letting it all out now would only make the tears gush all over again. Not to mention how giddy-excited Mom would be.

She would want every detail. What he looked like. Things he’d said. If he’d kissed me or not. All things I couldn’t stop rehashing in my brain and didn’t want to talk about.

We said goodbye, and I hung up with thoughts of Boone rampaging through me.

Men in fiction were so much better than men in real life. The real-life ones were confusing and sullen and amazing; they kissed like the glow of moonlight on water. And when I’d had his attention, when he’d opened up to me, kept me warm, shared part of himself and his difficult past with me, it had made me feel like I was soaring.

He’d made me feel more special than the sparkle on snow.

That was probably why his retreat and rejection felt like he’d ripped my heart right out.

No, I was right. Real life men were both hassle and heartache. It was definitely better to stick to book boyfriends. Characters in books always seemed to be more resilient than I was. And that way, after they had their drama, I could close the pages and leave them to it.

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