Chapter 29. Lies and Relationships Don’t Go Hand in Hand
Lies and Relationships Don’t Go Hand in Hand
Half an hour later, we arrived at Opa’s house, and I did a double take when I saw a familiar truck parked outside.
“Rob’s here.” I turned to Opa. “Were you expecting him?”
“Yes. He said he was coming over to give me something.” Opa gave me a pointed look before he opened the car door. “He’s been checking in with me to see how I’m feeling, which is nice. His parents raised him right. I like him.”
I suppressed a smile. “He is pretty cool.” I hadn’t had a chance to tell Opa about my developing relationship with Rob, although I knew he’d be super thrilled about it.
Rob hopped out of the truck as we walked over, then opened the tailgate and hefted out a large wooden item.
“Oh!” Opa brightened as Rob placed the item on the ground. “Is that what I think it is?”
“Yes, sir.” He grinned at me as I watched them with a baffled look on my face. “When we went to the woodworking expo, Thomas mentioned he was thinking about making a mobile cart for his tools. I looked up some DIY plans online and found one for this beauty.”
“You made that for him?”
“I did. Turned out better than I expected.”
“It turned out great.” Opa beamed at him. “It looks incredible.”
My baffled look turned into a grateful smile. “Thanks. That’s very kind of you.”
Rob grinned. “Wait. I’ve got something for you, too.” He retrieved a bouquet of red roses from his truck, then gave me a quick kiss as he handed them to me. “These are for you.”
What was it about this guy that made me want to kick my feet up and giggle like a teenager? “Thank you. They’re beautiful.”
I glanced at Opa to see his reaction. His eyes were wide, and the next second, he broke into a wide smile.
“I knew it! I knew something was going on between you two.” His grin stretched across his entire face, and he reached for Rob’s hand and mine, clasping both between his hands. “This is wonderful. Why didn’t you say anything to me?”
“I was going to.” I gave him a sheepish smile as we walked into the house.
“Your grandmother would have been so happy if she was still here. She would have loved you, Rob.” Opa sat on the sofa, exhaustion and happiness lining his face. “And the best thing was, you managed to do it before the deadline in her will.”
My heart lurched at that, and the bouquet nearly slipped from my grasp. I hadn’t had the chance to tell Rob about the will. About the real reason I was looking for a partner.
Because falling for him wasn’t part of the plan.
I glanced at him, and panic licked my spine at the look on his face. He was staring at Opa, a frown creasing his forehead. His eyes darted to me, before returning to my grandfather.
“What do you mean, a deadline in her will?”
Opa stilled, knowing that he’d said something he shouldn’t have.
“Kim?” Rob’s eyes flickered back to me. “What does it mean?”
“Uh.” I scrambled for a reply that made sense, but my brain just wasn’t cooperating, and I wasn’t able to form any coherent thoughts.
“I must have remembered wrongly,” Opa said in a hurried tone. “It’s been a long day.”
But I knew Rob knew something wasn’t right. I had to come clean to him, because I didn’t want to start off the relationship based on a lie.
I placed the flowers on the coffee table and took a seat in front of him.
“I was going to tell you, but I haven’t had the chance,” I said.
He stiffened. “What were you going to tell me?”
“You knew about my grandmother’s last wish.”
He only nodded.
“The request was included as a clause in her will.” I took a deep breath. “If I could find someone to settle down with in two years, I’ll inherit the yarn store.”
“An inheritance.” A look of understanding dawned on his face. “So that’s why you’re doing all this. This was all an act.”
“No. Not anymore.” I was struggling to find the right words to defend myself. “That was before I met you.”
He shook his head, the understanding slowly transforming into disappointment, then hurt. “You were just using me.”
Fear—the thought of possibly losing him—wrapped itself around my heart like a vice. “No, I wasn’t. Please, I can explain.”
His eyes turned cold. “I have to go.” He gave Opa a clipped nod, then got up and stalked out of the house.
My grandfather looked horrified. “I’m sorry, Kim. I didn’t know.”
“I know you didn’t. This is on me.” I gave him a reassuring smile before running outside after Rob. He was already climbing into his truck when I went out, so I rushed over and knocked on his window.
“Give me a chance to explain,” I said. “You have to believe me. It might have started as an elaborate lie, but then I met you, and I swear it has turned into something more.”
“Really?” His laugh was derisive. “When were you planning to dump me, Kim? Right after the yarn store became yours?”
“No. All those other guys you introduced to me, yes, I was planning to break up with them once I inherited the store.” I was desperate to make him understand, to convince him that it was a silly, ridiculous plan that had nothing to do with him. “They were just a means to an end. But you’re not.”
He blew out a long breath. “Why should I trust you? You didn’t trust me enough to tell me your real reasons for doing this.
If you had, I would’ve made sure I didn’t fall for you.
No, you know what, Kim? Maybe you just weren’t capable of trusting someone, of opening yourself up and letting someone else in. Of falling in love.”
“That’s not true,” I stammered. “Maybe at first, because I didn’t know if I could trust anyone ever again. But you, I know I can trust you. I know you’re not going to hurt me. You’re different.”
“But you’re not.”
I paused. “What?”
“You’re just like everyone else. Like Lucy.
And my dad.” The usual warmth in his eyes was gone.
“People who put their careers first over the people in their lives, who are supposed to matter more. I thought you were different, but you’re not.
You were never interested in finding someone.
All you wanted was the inheritance. You used me to get what you wanted. ”
Chills trickled down my spine. “Please, you have to believe me. Yes, it might have started that way, but you’ve changed my view of love and relationships along the way, and—”
“No. We’re done here, Kim.”
He gave me one last look before starting his car and driving away.