“Well, if he hadn’t taken you up in the mountains unsupervised you wouldn’t have been bitten by a snake.”
“Unsupervised? Daddy, I’m an adult. In a few days I’ll be twenty-three years old. I’m long past needing supervision.”
“That may be the case, but if you weren’t up there doing things you weren’t supposed to be doing, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.”
“And how do you know what we were up there doing?”
My temper flares. I can only imagine how Jake must feel, being the object of such harsh judgment and criticism most of his life.
“I’m not stupid, Laney. You think I don’t know what happens when a man and a woman shack up together?”
“It’s not like that, Daddy. Jake let me stay there when I didn’t want to stay with you. If anything, that’s on you for not respecting my decision about Shane.”
“You can’t blame me for loving you and wanting what’s best for you.”
“No, I can’t. And I don’t. But I do blame you for using such underhanded tactics. And for being so domineering. Daddy, you have to butt out of my life and let me make my own decisions. I don’t need you to run my life.”
“It appears that you do. Look what a mess you’ve already made of things.”
“I haven’t made a mess of anything. Things are going along just fine, just the way I want them to.”
“Is this what you want? Is he what you want?”
His question isn’t overtly insulting, but the emphasis he put on the word he makes his opinion of Jake crystal clear. And what’s worse is that, with Jake looking on, I don’t know how to answer that without incriminating myself. But I have to say something.
“What if I said yes? Would you stop?”
“Laney, you can’t expect me to just step aside and watch you ruin your life.”
Jake clears his throat and steps forward. The look on his face is unfathomable. But something in it breaks my heart. And makes me feel panicky. “Mr. Holt, it was nice to see you again, but I’ll be leaving now. I don’t want to upset Laney. She’s been through enough today.”
And with that, he turns and walks away.
The bigger man. And, in this case, the better man.
Tears sting my eyes. “How could you be so cold and mean, Daddy? What happened to the loving man I used to know?”
“I’m still that man, Laney. Can’t you see that I do all this because I love you? Because I want what’s best for you?”
“Don’t you get it, Daddy? He is what’s best for me. I’m in love with him.”
The words slip out before I can stop them. They pour from my heart in anger and frustration, but also in truth. Truth I hadn’t even consciously admitted to myself.
My father leans away as if I slapped him. “Don’t be ridiculous. You are destined to be with Shane. Everyone can see it but you.”
“No, I’m not. And everyone can see that except you.”
TWENTY: Jake
There’s a lot to do around the orchard. Between that and working a few shifts at the fire station, I’m keeping busy. The problem is, none of it is enough to make me stop thinking about this mess with Laney.
I wasn’t ready for it to be over just yet. But it has to be now. As if it weren’t enough to hear how terribly I fit into her perfect life and perfect future (at least in her father’s eyes), fate stepped in and let her get bitten by a snake. Her hospitalization and subsequent inability to continue immediate work on my family’s estate meant that the law office sent someone else to tie it up. Turns out that Laney was finished but for a few minor things that the new guy wrapped up in two days’ time.
I don’t know if she was dragging it out because of me, but if she was, that just means it’s even better that it’s over. At least for her. I’m no good for her. I knew that going in. I thought she did, too.
As for me, I’ll just have to scratch this itch somewhere else. No, I’ve never had a woman get under my skin like this, but as I’ve heard numerous times throughout my life, I’m better off alone. And that means fleeting interludes with women, not real relationships. Nothing lasting. Certainly nothing permanent. And that’s what Laney needs—forever. What she’s ultimately after in life. And I just can’t be that for her. So the best thing I can do is step aside and let someone who can give her that have a chance to do it.
But knowing all this, knowing that it makes the most sense from every perspective, doesn’t make it bother me any less. The fact is, I don’t want to scratch this itch with someone else. I wanted to get it out of my system with Laney. Sort of overdose it. Overdose with her. Flood my body with her until I didn’t crave her anymore.
Damn that woman! What the hell has she done to me?
TWENTY-ONE: Laney
It’s been nearly a week and no Jake. Deep down, I knew—I just knew—that he had feelings for me. I would’ve bet money on it. We had settled into what was very close to a marriage for a while. And he was thriving and happy. Or at least he seemed to be. But evidently I was wrong.
He hasn’t been by to see me in the hospital since that first day, when my father acted so horribly. He hasn’t called. Hasn’t returned any of my calls. He just disappeared. Like he never was.
Only I can’t seem to forget him. I can’t pretend that he never was, because to my heart, he still is.
I lay my cell phone to the side. There’s no point in leaving him any more messages. It’s obvious that he’s done with me. I just need to let it go.
I roll onto my side, willing myself not to cry, not to shed one more tear over him. I hear a throat clear behind me and my heart stutters. But when I turn over, I see Tori standing in the doorway.
“Hey,” I say, unenthused.
My lack of zeal has nothing to do with her. I’m very ready to forgive her and move on. It has everything to do with the fact that she’s not Jake. But she can’t help that. Only Jake can fix that.
“I was going to stay away, but . . .”
She eases into the room, and I scoot into a sitting position in the bed, patting the space beside my legs. She gives me a small smile and comes to sit with me.
“So, how are things with you?” I ask.
Tori tilts her head to the side and gives me a disdainful look. “I’m not here to talk about my boring life. I’m here to visit my best friend who got bitten by a snake in the woods with Jake Theopolis.” Tori’s mouth drops open and her eyes sparkle. “Oh my God, Laney! You always said when you went wild, you’d do it your way. You weren’t kidding.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Where’d you hear about that?”
“Well, your parents could only keep things hush-hush for a while. With you in such a public place as a hospital, there was nothing they could do to keep word from spreading. And spread it did!”
I lay my head back against the pillows and close my eyes. “Great,” I sigh.
“Nah, it’s not that bad. Pretty much everyone sees you as the victim. You know, big bad Jake lures sweet, innocent Laney into a trap.”
“This town . . . Why am I not surprised?”
Tori shrugs and pushes her long hair back over her shoulder. “This is the kind of place that needs a villain. And Jake has always given them one. You know, taking advantage of girls.” She snorts and adds, “As if he’d even have to ask twice.”