Chapter 13 #2
“She went to the national math Olympics in tenth grade,” Susan chimed in, clearly catching the parental pride her husband had been infected with.
Willa’s face had turned an adorable shade of pink.
Their admiration was clearly very contagious, because I had fallen victim to it as well. She was exceptional. And it was deeply comforting to know that they saw it too.
“So,” Susan began as we cleared the last of the plates. “Your father and I want to ask you something.”
Willa went stiff as she turned and faced her mom.
I froze, my feet glued to the floor beneath me and my heart in my throat. Did they know?
Had we faked this whole thing for nothing?
My heart took off, and my mind spiraled. God, this family was so close-knit. I couldn’t live with the guilt of causing her parents to be angry or disappointed with her.
But Susan didn’t look angry.
“Have a seat and don’t look so nervous,” she chided with a grin.
With a thick swallow, I did as I was told, my legs nearly buckling.
“Your father and I respect your choice of an Elvis wedding, and it’s clear tonight that the two of you are in love.”
She paused, her silence pure torture.
Panic had begun to course through me when she finally spoke again. “We don’t want to pressure you, but—”
“We want to throw you a wedding,” Roger cut in. “Something local.”
“But only if you want it,” Susan added, splaying her hands on the table. “We don’t want to overstep.”
I turned to Willa and surveyed her. We should have anticipated this and come up with a plan. Lovewell lived for weddings, and given the love they had for their only child, of course her parents would want to celebrate her in a big way.
But what did Willa want? A big wedding wasn’t logical.
This wasn’t real. Someday, she’d find a man she wanted to marry the right way, with church bells and a tent in the town square and blueberry pie instead of wedding cake.
Given how beloved she and her family were, Lovewell would be talking about the wedding for years.
She deserved that. To find a great love, have a big wedding, and support of the town.
So why did the idea of it make me feel so terrible?
“Thank you,” Willa said, finally breaking the silence. “We’re not sure what we want.”
“Yes,” I agreed when I realized I was expected to participate in this conversation rather than imagining Willa’s future with some awesome, faceless man. He was probably a doctor. Probably liked to golf too. Roger and Susan would love him. “Thank you. That is so generous of you to offer.”
“We’re happy with how we’re settling in right now,” Willa explained. “But we’ll discuss it and maybe think about something in the summer.”
“Good,” Roger exclaimed. “I gotta get rid of this damn cane before I walk my beautiful daughter down the aisle.”
Smiling, Susan clutched her hands over her chest. “You kids let us know. We’re thrilled for you both. And I’ll have plenty of time for wedding planning while we’re in Portland for your father’s rehab.”
“Mom.” Willa grimaced. “Dad is going to need you.”
“I know, but I can only yell at him about vitamins, physical therapy, and acupuncture for so many hours a day. And you know I love a project.”
The brightness in her eyes had me tempted to suggest she plan a big church wedding and a feast for two hundred guests. Her genuine kindness was scrambling my brains.
Willa’s parents were incredible. Sitting here now, it was hard not to picture what holidays and everyday visits would look like.
I’d come over and snow blow their driveway, and they’d drop off a casserole when we were busy with work.
The more I thought about it, the more I thought I might want that future.
But my wife’s body language suggested she felt differently. She was wringing her hands under the table, and her head was tilted to the right, which was one of her tells. She was uncomfortable.
She inhaled deeply and said, “We should get going.”
“Sure thing,” her dad said. “I want to borrow Cole for a minute. Come to my study, son.” Slowly, he rose, using his cane for stability.
Oh boy, I could see where this was going. He was about to give me the speech.
I followed him to a small room with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, diplomas lining the walls, and two large leather armchairs.
Once we were inside, he silently gestured for me to close the door, then said, “Have a seat.”
Silently, I obeyed, steeling myself for this conversation.
“I never wanted to leave her alone,” he said as he sat in the second armchair.
I blinked in response to the unexpected confession. Leave her? Alone?
“Walters is a good doctor, but I always believed I’d be there to show her the ropes.”
Oh. My chest ached at the pain in his tone. He was talking about Willa running this practice.
He wiped a tear from his eye. He’d barely spoken, and already, he was overcome with emotion. The love he had for his daughter was overwhelming. “Since she was a little girl, it’s been my dream to work side by side with my Willa. And this damn stroke has robbed me of that chance.”
“If it helps, sir, the whole town is raving about her. She’s an excellent doctor.”
He smiled, his watery eyes brightening. “She is, isn’t she?
It’s not an easy job. You need to know that now that you’re her spouse.
It’s hard to turn it off, to stop worrying and working and pushing.
The job has changed a lot since I was young.
It feels like there are even more challenges now than when I started. ”
Unsure of how to respond, I laced my fingers in front of me and nodded. She’d told me about the challenges already, and I was determined to help her through them.
“What about you, son? What are your plans?”
My stomach sank. Dammit. I should have been prepared for this. Especially in a family this ambitious and accomplished.
“Working on it,” I admitted with a sigh. “Right now I’m coaching youth hockey, and I recently organized RiverFest.”
He gave me an impressed frown. “I heard it was a success.”
Chin lowered, I shrugged. “I think so, and it gave me a valuable opportunity to develop skills and push myself. All I’ve ever known is hockey. Now I’m still figuring out my next step.”
He sat, head tilted, examining me in a way that had trepidation rolling through my body.
“I know that’s probably not what you wanted to hear,” I admitted. “But I promise, I will support and take care of your daughter. I have money saved.”
He held up a hand. “My daughter can take care of herself. My wife and I made sure of that. But I’m impressed by your honesty. It’s okay to take some time and work on yourself. We all move through life at different speeds.”
The tightness in my chest only increased with his kind words. “Thank you.”
“Willa doesn’t need a husband to provide for her financially.
She needs a man who will support her, champion her, and listen to her.
” He swiped at his eyes again. “Help her through the harder parts of her job and life in general. Make her laugh, force her to take vacation time, give her reasons to smile every day.”
I swallowed past the lump that had formed in my throat as he listed off each item. “I can do that.”
“Love her, son. With everything you’ve got. Show up for her and make sure she knows it. I don’t know how long I’ll be around, but I need to make sure she’s got the support she deserves.”
“I promise,” I said, eyes downcast. Fuck, a wave of guilt crashed over me when I uttered those words. Promising like that was a lie. Because she and I had an arrangement. We’d made a plan. And I wasn’t even sure I was capable of loving someone in the way he described.
Despite how much Willa deserved it.
After our talk, we said our goodbyes, then Willa and I headed home. The whole way there, a knot of dread tightened in my stomach. The stakes were even higher than I’d imagined.
As we drove back to the cabin, I looked over at her in the passenger seat and vowed I wouldn’t let her down.