Page 102 of As a Last Resort
“Please, enlighten me.I can’t seem to figure out what I did wrong.One minute we’re good and wonderful and the next he won’t even look at me.”
She took a deep breath and a healthy swig of wine.“How much has he told you about Vanessa?”
“Nothing really, beyond she left him for his best friend.”
“You knew Austin and her were engaged, right?”I nodded.“Austin is such a planner, and he had it all figured out.They even had their future kids’ names picked out.”
I pulled my knees up and wrapped my arms around my legs.The thought of him and her with children sent me a little off-kilter.
“He was so blindsided by the whole thing.He’s had a hard time trusting anyone since.”
“So he hasn’t dated anyone since that happened?”
“Oh no, he’s dated people.Or, he’s gone on dateswithpeople, I should say.But nothing serious.I think he thought there was absolutely no chance he’d ever need to be back in the dating pool again, so when that all happened, it threw him for a while.”
“But that was three years ago.”
“While I’m sure seeing Vanessa and Tom walk into the bar didn’t help, I also don’t think they’re the reason he’s having a hard time right now.”
“I hounded him yesterday about the whole fishing charter thing and following his dreams.I kind of read him the riot act.”
“Oh, he’s definitely not mad at you for that,” she responded with a little snort.“We’ve all been doing that for years.Sam, you’re the first person he’s been even remotely into.And byremotely into, I mean falling headfirst at about a hundred miles an hour.”
My heart took a tiny leap.
“I think it took him by surprise,” she continued.“He knows you’re leaving soon without any plans on returning at all.And I don’t think he knows how to deal with it.”She looked over at me and her eyes softened.“Listen, you don’t have to pour your heart out to me, but he’s a really good guy.And he’s guarded his heart for a really long time.While I’d love to have you as a sister-in-lawsomeday, I’ve warned him the odds are about one in a trillion that you’d ever stay here.If he’s lucky.This small-town life isn’t for you.And leaving it isn’t in the cards for him.That doesn’t leave much room for there to be anything but heartbreak.I think he’s just trying to distance himself a little bit to avoid the inevitable.”
My heart was skipping for joy and gasping for air at the same time.I looked back out onto the water and exhaled, the flutter in my stomach instantly turning sour.Because I could see it.She verbalized exactly what I knew but didn’t want to put words to.
“All my life I’ve spent trying to run from this place.”
“He knows that.”
“There’s no way I’d survive if I came back.”
“He knows that too.”Her eyeline shot above me as I heard footsteps approaching from behind.
“You ladies up for a round of good old-fashioned family Pictionary?”he asked.“Mom says it’s mandatory.”
“I call Samantha!”Lexi shouted as Mary Kay and Bill walked out onto the yard, huge easel in hand, with Rex trailing behind them.
“I think a round of boys versus girls is perfect for tonight.”Mary Kay had a mischievous look on her face and a new bottle of wine.
I saw a glimmer of a real smile on Austin’s face for the first time all night.
“That is a hundred percent aTyrannosaurus rex.”Austin looked at his drawing on the easel.
Bill and Rex just stared at him, mouths open.
“Or, a raccoon,” I was laughing so hard my lungs were on fire.
“Where do you see a raccoon!?”Austin shouted.“Look at its feet!Raccoons don’t have talons on their feet!”
“Yeah, but their hands look eerily similar to yourdinosaur’shands.”Rex covered his mouth to stop the laugh from bursting out.
Austin scrunched down and put his nose on the easel, squinting at his drawing.
I could barely speak between breathes.“For the record, I don’t think aT.rexhas ears.”
