Page 56 of The Wedding Driver
“Um, man. You’re like the jolly green—”
“That joke is so fucking old, it’s not funny.” Doug slapped Foster on the shoulder. “Look. I get your entire world is changing. I’ve been there. Perhaps different circumstances, but it can be chaos at times. We’re going to renovate your home and waterfront. That’s a big deal. You’re officially working for us full-time, taking on different responsibilities. And you’ve been dating when you haven’t done that in years. I know Tonya means a lot to you and whatever prompted this conversation, knowing you, it’s hitting you right in the center of your soul.”
Foster took in a deep breath. “That’s about right.”
“Can I give you a piece of advice that might not go down easily?” Doug asked.
“Sure.”
“Stop overthinking and just live. Enjoy all the moments. All the risks. All the insanity that comes with being in love, which by the way is sloppy as hell. Nothing about this should be too planned out. As a matter of fact, all the best things about mine and Stacey’s life are all those things that happened without us trying. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.”
“I wish I could be like that.”
“You can be. It’s a choice. A mindset. It takes a while to get there. I know I couldn’t until after Mary’s murder was solved, but after that, life just became too short to worry about all the other things,” Doug said. “Do you love Tonya?”
No one had ever point-blank him that. Not even Maxwell. “I think I do.”
Doug placed his hand in the center of Foster’s chest. “There’s no thinking involved when it comes to love. With every beat of your heart, she’s there. That emotion sits in your soul. And speaking from experience, it’s different from the love you have for your kids. Brandon, Heidi, and Dallas are the oxygen I breathe. The water I drink. But Stacey’s my compass. Some people say the person you marry—or your partner—is a choice. I agree with that to a point. However, Stacey’s my world and based on the circumstances that brought us together, we are meant for each other. I believe if you search your heart, you’ll come to the same conclusion for you and Tonya.”
“Anyone ever tell you that you’re a sappy old man?”
“My wife. Every day.” Doug smiled. “I’ll see you on Monday.”
Foster climbed into his truck and leaned across to the passenger side, opening the glove box. He pulled out a picture of Lisa and traced his fingers over her beautiful face. He missed her so much. Tears filled his eyes. She would have been fifteen now. He tried to imagine what she would look like. Dropping his head back, he closed his eyes for a long moment.
Loving Tonya didn’t make him ready for anything other than a relationship.
Only, he had acted like a horny teenager, putting parenthood on the line. He was going to have to learn more about this Plan B pill. He shouldn’t be this conflicted. He couldn’t replace his sweet girl. That was impossible and he didn’t want to.
But Doug was right about where his emotions began when it came to Tonya and they weren’t going away. They grew stronger every day and he wanted to give her the things she valued most.
He was going to be thirty-eight on his next birthday. He wasn’t getting any younger. He needed to come to terms with the fear that controlled his inability to move past this one hurdle before it was too late.
15
Tonya strode down the dock toward Foster, where he paced back and forth, obviously agitated about something, but she had no idea what. He’d texted, stating he needed to talk, although he hadn’t elaborated. All he would give her was that it was important and needed to be discussed immediately.
The first wedding ride went off without a hitch. The bride and groom were ecstatic. The second couple had been a little more high-maintenance but still enjoyed themselves. However, in the last twenty minutes, Foster’s mood had soured dramatically, and it had nothing to do with their concerns over their poor choice this morning in the kitchen.
He glanced up when she was ten feet away. “I’ve got to go. Can you handle the ride around the bay, and can I borrow your car?”
“Yes, to both counts, but how do you expect me to get home?”
He glanced over his cell. “You can’t drive my boat back to my place? That’s what I would have done. You can either stay at my place or take my truck, and I’ll meet you at your place later.”
“What’s going on?” She curled her fingers around his biceps. “You’re white as a ghost.”
“It’s Victoria. She’s in the hospital. It’s not good.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“No. These are your clients. Neither one of us should cancel. Besides, she’s all the way up in Ticonderoga.”
Tonya swallowed. Victoria never went north. Only south. For her to do that meant she hadn’t wanted to be found. Part of Tonya could understand why. Victoria had made it clear more than once she was tired of Foster interfering with her life. There had been times when Victoria told him she wanted to be left alone and planned on leaving the state so he couldn’t find her again. Other times she made it clear she needed money, not food.
“Let me call Gael and Lake. They can come to get the boat and return it to your home. We can go up together after the ride.”
Foster shook his head. “There’s no reason for you—”
