Chapter 16 #2
The good reason is what I’ve been trying to figure out. I had several ideas, but none of them seem big enough to override Wolf’s sense of defeat about all of it. Years of family conflict is not something to overcome in a night.
At first, I didn’t see it that way, and I got up this morning, shared a cup of coffee with Wolf—correction, a latte, since he has a fancy espresso maker—and thought about what words I could use to convince him.
But then I thought about my dad. If someone told me to overwrite the feelings of years spent being less than an afterthought to him, it wouldn’t work.
Not without the man who was my father actually showing up, acknowledging the fact that he utterly failed me and my mom, and then taking some kind of step to show that he meant his words.
At some point in my adult years, I forgave him.
He never did anything to change our relationship or make up for what he’d done.
But it was important for me. I’m not sure he would have cared, even if I had a way to reach him.
Forgiving him, however, did not mean I would have invited him to be in my life or involved with my kids. It didn’t change the circumstances or anything about our lack of relationship.
Wolf’s situation has some parallels. Asking him to stay in the race is asking him to decide the election is important enough that it’s worth reopening those old wounds and dealing with his brother’s actions, whatever they might be. It would mean giving up the peace he gained when he walked away.
Staying in the race will mean conflict. No doubt about that.
What comes next after burning all those signs? I’m not sure I want to know. It was an extreme place to start, so any escalation could be bad.
What I do know is that simple words telling Wolf he should stay are not going to be enough.
“I have an idea,” Rose says now. “Although it doesn’t quite feel like my place to say it.”
Finished with the last bowl, I set down the dish towel and walk over to Rose. Placing my hands on the counter to bracket her hips, I lean forward and say, “Tell me.”
She chews on the inside of her lip for a moment, and it’s all I can do not to kiss her.
“This morning, I had your kids filling this kitchen. Well—they weren’t all your kids but they all feel like your family somehow. And I love that. It’s kind of like you’ve brought so many people into your fold.”
Her words warm me, filling me with a sense of pride.
“It’s not just me,” I say. “It’s the boys who have that way about them.
And though she’s not as involved in Sheet Cake, Harper too.
She has this friend group, and though she’s not the most vocal one of them, I think she’s sort of the hidden glue. ”
“That may be, but it starts with you, Tank Graham. I see it. You’ve built something really special with your family.”
She lifts a hand to cup my cheek and I lean into her touch the same way I’m leaning into her words.
Because what she’s saying she sees with my family is what I’ve always wanted to be true.
Especially after Michelle died. I want to leave my children with a legacy.
Not just in terms of money or even this town, which I do hope to leave to them.
But I want something more. I want there to be a Graham legacy in terms of character. In who they are and how they live.
Rose is saying she sees that. She sees me.
There is something really special about this woman. Beyond the physical attraction and the way I’m tempted to toss aside my plans and spend the rest of the day kissing her on the couch, she adds something to my life that I’ve missed for so long I forgot about it.
Rose has all the qualities of a good partner. In the true meaning of the word—a person who is on my side, on my team. Someone who has my back and who wants to walk through things together.
Or, at least, that’s what I see in her so far. I don’t want to get too ahead of myself and think about the long-term future. Though from our conversation on the couch, I think we’re both thinking about it already.
Because as the adage says, we aren’t getting any younger. And I don’t see the point in wasting time. I meant what I said about letting her pick the pace, and it’s probably a good thing I did.
If it were up to me, we’d be going light speed into the next galaxy.
“Anyway,” Rose says, dragging me out of my thoughts of the future and back to right now.
“Your family is what I started thinking about when you were talking about Wolf. What if we could show him the support he has in Sheet Cake? What if we could help him see that the town is, in a way, his family? Because it seems to me from my time here, Sheet Cake has adopted him with all of his quirks, even without knowing all the big things you’ve learned about him.
And then stage two would be making sure the people who love him do see that other side.
Even if they’re already supporting him, maybe it could still make a difference. ”
The wheels are already turning in my head. Because this idea is exactly what I couldn’t think of this morning on my own, and I think I already know how to do it.
I’ll need a lot of help, but it won’t be hard to get. The only downside is that, once again, I’m going to be busy when all I’d like to do is turn off my phone, change the code to my doors so none of my kids can barge in, and just spend the next several hours—or days—kissing Rose.
“It’s brilliant,” I tell her. I lift her hand from my cheek to kiss her palm. “Smart and beautiful? I’m not sure that’s allowed.”
She gives a little shrug. “I can’t help what I’ve been blessed with,” she teases.
But there’s no humor in my voice as I curl my hand around hers and meet her eyes. “No. You can’t. Thank you, Rose. I mean it.”
“You’re welcome. Thank you for everything you’ve done. Letting me stay here, hooking me up with Kalli to sell things, doing the dishes.”
“I happen to like washing dishes. And I’m not just saying that to impress you.” I pause. “But are you impressed?”
“Yes. And not just by your dish washing and drying ability.”
“Oh? Tell me more.” I lean further into her space, dropping her hand so I can wrap my arms around her waist and tug her a little closer to me.
“I’m also impressed by …” She pauses, dragging it out. “Your ability to make a pink apron look good.”
I’d forgotten that I’m wearing the silly pink apron. I hope someone got pictures of James wearing it earlier. And I’m suddenly glad no one but Rose is here to see me wearing it now.
“You think I look good in this?” I ask, and she nods enthusiastically.
“I think you should only ever wear this.”
I arch a brow. “You think I should only wear this apron? Nothing else?”
When she catches my meaning, she laughs and swats at my shoulder.
“I think you’d be pulling a page out of the Wolf Waters playbook if you only wore this.
” Her hands reach up to tug at the apron strings around my neck.
“You also might get arrested, which I think would be awkward for you and for Chevy. Maybe we could work on getting you one in a bigger size.”
Leaning forward, I run my nose along her jaw. “Okay.”
“With more ruffles.”
“Hmmm,” I say, my lips brushing her neck. “We’ll see.”
Her hands slip from the apron strings to the back of my neck, tugging me closer. I’m lifting my head to kiss her when my phone rings on the counter. I want to ignore it, but it’s the HVAC guy.
With a groan, I drop my head to her shoulder. “I should take this. It’s about your AC.”
“Fine,” she grumbles. “But you owe me.”
I answer the phone while Rose runs her hands through my hair, and I hope she can’t hear the other side of the call. When I set the phone back down again, her eyes are hopeful.
“Well? Did the part come in?”
“It did not. And I owe you even more now because it looks like you’ll be displaced for at least another few days.”