Chapter Twenty-Six
Tyler
And just like that, I let her slip away. I thought she’d go out kicking or something.
Or fight for me… but that’s when I realized she knew me better than I knew myself.
It was time I fought for myself. I’d spent my life running away or trying to escape something impossible to escape.
My past, present, and future.
It was up to me whether I would continue to let others dictate how, when, where, and with whom I wanted to be.
It hadn’t even been a conscious thing, but I lacked something, and that was belief.
Mae believed in me.
She believed in herself.
I believed in her, but I didn’t believe in myself.
Or I never would have let her go.
It wasn’t that I had my parents actively in my life, but I had let them push me away from things and people I enjoyed. In a sense, I gave them a power I didn’t even know existed.
I flipped open my laptop outside on my patio and stared at a flood of work emails.
The Wisconsin breeze picked up from the lake, and the view was gorgeous. It wasn’t like Marigold Island. It was different, still beautiful and fulfilling in its own way, but different. Various shades of green surrounded the waterfront. The light green of the grass and clover shimmered while medium shades of green from the deciduous trees and forests sparkled from the sunlight. Pops of wildflowers surrounded the woods along the shoreline in between the beaches.
The beaches… the sandy beaches. Something I didn’t believe until I stepped foot on them. Things here were gorgeous, and I wasn’t ready to let go of any of it, but I knew in my heart that I wouldn’t have to.
I’d been back in Wisconsin for a few weeks and kept in touch with Mae. Every call, text, and email made me certain of one thing.
I would fight for her to the ends of the earth, but first, I wanted to prove to myself that I deserved her. That I could set boundaries that protected us.
Paul knocked on the open French doors as his phone rang and rang.
“Are you going to answer that or just pretend you’re a super successful PR guy?”
My brother laughed as I stood and gave him a hug. “It’s Mom.”
“Oh, geez.” I shook my head. “Who knew my email would set off so many alarm bells for them?”
“I’m glad you did it.” Paul nodded, glancing toward the lake. “But are you sure you’re ready to return to Marigold for good? They’re only a ferry ride away.”
“I’m going back for Mae, and I would hate myself for the rest of my life if I let her slip away.” I shook my head. “And we both know that Mom and Dad have no intention of ever visiting me. It would have to be me going to them, and that’s not happening. Besides, our parents made a game out of our emotions, but I will win.”
Paul nodded in agreement. “You can’t lose Mae. You’ve been head over heels for her since you were a kid. The fact that she’s even more amazing now that she’s an adult is really… lucky.”
I laughed. “She’s everything and more. When I left, we’d kind of broken things off.”
“I know.”
“But I never stopped calling and texting.” I pushed my lips into a frown and looked at my brother. “I’d never purposefully bring her into this mess with my parents, and she knew that. I knew that. It was up to me to untangle myself from them before I could move forward with her. She told me it didn’t matter, but I knew what could happen if I didn’t remove myself from them.”
Paul nodded and stretched his arms behind his head. “I can say with certainty that your letter did just that.”
“Did it screw things up for you?” I asked, but I already knew the answer. Paul had set up boundaries long ago. He’d written them off in his twenties and performed the bare minimum of duties without allowing his emotions to get tied up in any of it.
That was the problem. My head was still in the game of it, but ever since I wrote them the email, it was like I felt lighter and free for the first time. I’d won. Merely leaving Marigold Island didn’t do that for me. Telling them what I needed to say had.
I had Mae to thank for it.
“Marigold Island has really changed. It will be fun for you to see it.”
Paul flashed a wry grin. “Once I know there’s some wedding bells on the horizon, I’ll fly out.”
“Deal.”
“I pulled my suitcases into the living room. I wasn’t sure which room to take.”
“Take the primary bedroom. I emptied all my clothes from the dresser, and the closet is also cleared out.”
“Wow. So, you’re serious about this.”
I nodded, feeling the excitement course through my veins. I couldn’t wait to see Mae again and hold her in my arms.
“What if she doesn’t give you the answer you’re hoping for?” he asked, sitting across from me.
“It’s not like I’m asking her to marry me.” I smiled. “Yet.”
“True.”
“I’ll have to butter her up, show her my leaving was for the best, but it was only to make things right.”
“I don’t know that’s how she’ll see it.”
“Time will tell.” I glanced at an email and wrote an easy reply before closing the lid on my laptop. “Thanks for watching my place for the summer.”
“My pleasure. It’s not like I had anywhere to go since moving out of my townhouse in Chicago. I thought I could do it, but I missed this.” His hands swished through the air. “The air is just cleaner here.”
I smiled at my brother and stood with my laptop. “Fridge is full, so you should be good for a few days.”
“Awesome. Does she know you’re coming?”
I shook my head. “It’s a surprise.”
My brother’s eyes widened. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“I’m positive.”
The doorbell rang, and I glanced at my brother. “You expecting someone?”
He laughed and shook his head. “I barely knew I was coming here today. There’s no way anyone else does.”
I walked into the house and glanced at the time on the microwave. I had about thirty minutes before I had to leave for the airport.
Looking out the window toward the driveway, I didn’t see a car, other than Paul’s rental.
I opened the door and couldn’t believe my eyes.
“Mae,” I whispered.
Her hair had been braided into two braids, and she wore a pair of Capri jeans and a halter top. She looked even better than I remembered.
“Surprise.” She waved her hands in the air and chuckled. “I saw a rental car in the drive. I hope I’m not interrupting something. Like really hoping I’m not.”
“Oh, you mean like another woman?” I rolled my eyes.
She chuckled as I brought her into my arms, smelling the sweet vanilla scent of her lip balm and the shampoo she’d always used.
Mae stepped back and smiled at me as my stomach swelled with emotion.
“Unless you want to see my brother put on a dress, there’s no other women here.”
She laughed and shook her head. “You’re kidding. Paul is here?”
I nodded. “Yeah. He came here to house sit for the rest of the summer.”
Her eyes widened. “Really? Why? Where are you going? Did I interrupt your plans?”
Scooping her into my arms, I nuzzled my nose into her hair and closed my eyes. For the first time ever, I held Mae in my arms and felt like I was enough for her.
“I was flying out to Seattle today,” I murmured, slowly letting her go.
“For your parents?” she asked, looking into my eyes.
I shook my head. “No. For you. I’d planned on surprising you. I—”
“You were coming back to Marigold?”
“Yeah. I finally did what I should have done a long time ago.”
“I’m stunned. Truly stunned. I know we left things as just friends and—”
I shook my head, interrupting her. “I can’t do that. I can’t just be your friend, Mae.”
Her eyes twinkled as the words soaked in, and her grin only widened. “As in you finally came around to seeing what an amazing guy you are?”
I chuckled and let out a deep sigh. “Something like that, Mayflower. You deserve the best, and I wanted to give you that.”
“You already have.”
I smiled, pulling her back into me.
“So, does this mean we stay or we go?” she asked. “I bought a one-way ticket, so I’m easy.”
“So did I.”
She stepped back and smiled. “This is real, then?”
“I hope so, and I’m sorry for leaving things as I did.” I shook my head. “After hearing what my dad told Bethany, I wasn’t in my right mind. I just couldn’t imagine bringing you down into the mud with me.”
“But you finally realized you didn’t belong in the mud either,” she said softly.
“Something like that.”
She hugged me again, only this time, she didn’t let go. “Audrey’s babysitting Dottie for the next few days.”
“Then we’ll take advantage, and I’ll show you around Buttercup Lake.”
“I made reservations at some place called Honey Leaf Lodge.”
“What?” I laughed. “Why’s that?”
“Always be prepared.”
“Well, I just gave away the primary bedroom to my brother, so maybe we could use it.”
She chuckled and nodded. “Sounds good to me. Now, let me go say hi to your brother.”
“Don’t let me stand in the way.” I hauled her suitcase inside and shut the door, pointing down the hall toward the family room. “He’s out back.”
Mae bounded down the hallway like she did when she was a kid, and I laughed. It was everything about her that just made me smile.
Before I even got there, Paul was already hugging her and treating her like the sister he always had.
“You’re gonna give my brother a second chance, huh?” Paul teased, and Mae glanced over at me.
“He’s the best there is.”
Paul frowned. “Hey, now.”
Mae laughed and sat across from my brother as if decades hadn’t gone by.
“Tyler never got over you.” Paul flashed me a wicked grin before returning his gaze to Mae. “He had your yearbook pics taped to the wall by his bed.”
Her eyes moved to mine. “You did?”
“Well…”
“And he talked about coming back to Marigold someday.” Paul looked over at me. “Do you remember that? Back in college?”
“I didn’t until now.” I shook my head, unable to believe how I’d managed to compartmentalize things so easily to survive.
Paul nodded. “Yeah. He thought he’d somehow be able to come back as the hero and talk you out of staying and move with him to…” He frowned and looked at me. “Where was it you wanted to go?”
I shook my head. “I think Florida.” The memories were rushing back in.
Mae’s eyes connected with mine, and a tender smile appeared.
“It’s always been you, Mayflower. I just didn’t want to believe it.”