Page 102 of Always Be Mine

“I know it seems like a minor thing.” Charli scoffed. “Trust me, compared to what I had to go through, I agree with you. But for Craig, it was a pretty big deal to let someone else care for Meri.”

She could see that. Craig was an excellent father and everything he’d told her about Meri’s birth mother and how he’d committed to raising her on his own showed her how proud he was.

“I’m only telling you this, Lucy, because I think that’s why Craig tried to keep his feelings for you secret. He didn’t want to risk anything blowing up before the six months were up and jeopardizing everything.”

There was a silence while Lucy ingested everything Charli had told her. Craig hired her because he had to. He’d hidden their relationship because he felt like it was what he had to do and now it was all for naught because she’d left anyway.

“So you’re saying that because I left before the six months are up, the entire family will lose their inheritance?”

Charli hesitated before speaking, and her pause told Lucy everything she needed to know.

“That’s not why I called,” she said after a moment.

“Whydidyou call, Charli?”

If it were even possible, their conversation had only made Lucy feel worse. Not only was her heart broken, but now she wore the heavy cloak of guilt as well. The Carlson family, all of whom she’d grown to care about, would lose everything. All because she’d left.

“I’m calling because I’ve never seen Craig like this before, Lucy. I’ve never seen him look at a woman the way he looks at you. I’ve never seen him light up like he does when you come into a room. I know this didn’t go the way anyone planned, but the only reason I called today was because I love my brother. I feel awful that I contributed in any way to Craig feeling like he couldn’t tell us about his feelings for you, and I feel even worse that I didn’t speak up in favor of it when I noticed. I’m taking the blame.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“At least partly, it is.”

There was silence on the line before she spoke again. “I wouldn’t dream of telling you what to do, Lucy, and it’s not my place to ask you for anything. But I value your friendship and more than that, I value what you’ve done for my brother and my niece. I guess I just called to tell you that. Thank you, Lucy. And no matter what happens, I’m sorry.”

Twenty minutes later, Lucy still hadn’t fully processed the conversation with Charli. Her first impulse was to call Craig and ask him about it, but she couldn’t do that.

Instead, she took her time folding the blankets on the couch and tucked them away in the closet before packing up her things. She still didn’t know what to do, but what she did know was she couldn’t stay on Mandi’s couch forever.

She was in the kitchen, making a piece of toast, when the front door swung open.

“Hey. It’s nice to see you out of bed.”

Lucy looked from her friend to her closed bedroom door and back. “What are…where…were you not here last night?”

Mandi laughed and moved past her to the fridge. Her short blonde hair was flat on one side, and the traces of last night’s makeup was evident under her eyes. Lucy leaned against the counter and stared at her friend as she drank orange juice straight from the jug.

“What?” Mandi wiggled her eyebrows. “I get that you’re having an existential crisis and everything, but I’m allowed to have a life, you know?”

Lucy shook her head and laughed. “You certainly are. What’s her name?”

Mandi shrugged. “Does it matter?”

They were so fundamentally different that Lucy couldn’t help but shake her head, her own problems momentarily forgotten. “I guess it doesn’t. But one day, it might be nice if you settled down with one person.”

Mandi grabbed an apple from the bowl on the counter and flopped into the oversized chair. “With all due respect, I haven’t seen that work out all too well.” She took a bite of the fruit and waved toward the couch. “You seem different this morning. What’s going on?”

“I’m going home.”

She hadn’t even realized she’d made the decision until she spoke it aloud.

Mandi almost choked on the apple. She sat upright and coughed. “Like, as in to your mom’s?”

“Oh hell no.” Even if her mom hadn’t been out of town on a trip, it wasn’t an option. There was no way she could explain to her mother that she’d dated her boss, who ended up being married so she ran away from her life to an entirely different town and situation, only to once more date her boss and screw up a perfectly good job.

No. She didn’t need to deal with that on top of everything else.

“So, if you’re not going to your mom’s….” Mandi raised an eyebrow. “Whereareyou going?”

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