Chapter 14 #3
Her mind whirled as she tried to absorb that the woman she’d come to know so well through her dad and working close to her at the hotel had been abused. “Did you know?”
“Not until the other day. I suspected, though. She’s always so timid and skittish. I hated to think that was the reason.”
“I had no idea.”
“It’s not something she or Owen speak freely about. I guess it was pretty bad when he and his siblings were growing up.”
“God, poor Owen—and Sarah. He seems like such a happy, laid-back kind of guy. I never would’ve guessed. And I never heard a word about Sarah either.”
“They’ve been private about it, for obvious reasons, and they’re doing well now. We just have to get them through this next week or so, and then they can get on with their lives.”
“I’m glad you’re going with her.”
“So am I. I’m glad she told me about it and is letting me be there for her.”
“So things are good with you guys?”
“You could say that. She stayed here last night.”
Stephanie’s mouth fell open before she quickly closed it. “Really? Do tell.”
“That’s all you’re getting.”
“Oh come on!”
“End it,” he said with a playful scowl. “What brings you over here, and don’t tell me you missed me. You just saw me.”
“Don’t be so saucy,” Stephanie said, amused by his gruffness. “I came to share some good news with you. Grant and I have set a wedding date. Labor Day.”
“This year?”
“Yep.”
“Good for you, honey. I’m happy for you. I was wondering when he was going to get around to making a real commitment to you.”
“He wasn’t the holdup. I was. He’s been wanting to set a date for almost as long as we’ve been engaged.” She slid a finger up and down the side of the glass, moving the condensation around. “I’ve wasted a lot of that time worrying that I might turn out to be more like my mother—”
“Whoa! Wait, what did you just say?”
“That I might turn out to be like her, which had me worried about having kids of my own.”
“You are nothing like her. Nothing. If I hadn’t seen pictures of her holding you as a newborn, I’d never have believed you were really hers—and I thought that from the time I first met you two.
She was always a bit of a mess, and you…
Even as a little kid, you were so incredibly smart and capable. There’s no comparison, Steph. None.”
Stunned by the emphatic, impassioned speech that was wildly out of character for her quiet stepfather, Stephanie slumped in her chair. “I let the fear get the better of me, and it feels sort of silly now that I finally aired it all out with Grant last night.”
“He was good to you, I hope?”
“Yeah,” Stephanie said softly. “He’s always good to me. It’s been hard, though, you know… To give him everything.”
“You were holding something back, protecting yourself in case it fell apart, right?”
She could hardly be surprised that he understood so well after what he’d endured at the hands of her mother. “Yes.”
“Classic defense mechanism. I know it well.”
“You would, wouldn’t you?”
“Look, we’re both conditioned to expect it all to go to shit because that’s what’s always happened in the past. I’m choosing to believe that’s not going to happen this time with Sarah.
You should do the same with Grant. Despite the absolutely amazing thing he did to help me, I’ll admit I wasn’t a hundred percent sold on him for you when I first met him.
He seemed kind of… I don’t know… Fancy, I guess.
I wondered if a guy like him could be happy with the simple life you need. ”
“You never told me any of this.”
“You were ass over teakettle for the guy. Would it have mattered?”
“Yes, it would’ve mattered! You have no idea, do you?”
Charlie’s brows knitted with confusion. “About what?”
“The whole time you were locked up, your voice was in my head. You were always my compass, even when I couldn’t see you any time I wanted to. It would’ve mattered to me that you didn’t think he was right for me.”
“I never said he wasn’t right for you. I said I wasn’t sure at the beginning, but I trusted you to know your own heart, and over time I’ve come to see he’s perfect for you in all the ways that matter most. The two of you…
You complement each other.” Charlie took her hand.
“He comes from good people. That matters, too.”
“They’re very good people. I love them almost as much as I love him.”
“You need to allow yourself to be happy, honey.”
“I’m learning how to do that.”
“Won’t happen overnight, but we both deserve it, wouldn’t you say?”
“Absolutely.” Feeling suddenly shy, she glanced at him. “You’ll give me away on Labor Day, won’t you?”
“I’d be so very honored. Come here and give your old man a hug.”
She went to him and let him wrap his strong arms around her, surrounding her with the unconditional love he’d given her long before he’d made the huge mistake of marrying her mother.
“Love you, Charlie bear,” she whispered, using her childhood nickname for him.
She was so damned grateful to be able to hug him any time she wanted or needed to.
“Love you, too, Stephie Lou.”