‘Li-Li, have you checked yet to see if Griff’s got a passport?’ Becca’s eyes twinkled.
‘What’re you talking about?’ He swiveled his head to frown at her sister.
Lyndsey frantically shook her head behind his back. She had been planning to pick her moment to raise the subject of him possibly joining them on their trip.
‘Oh, um, nothing. Forget it,’ Becca muttered and picked up the teapot. ‘Who’s for tea?’
She touched Griff’s arm. ‘We’ll talk after this. Okay?’
‘Yeah, sure.’ His mind was clearly racing like a hamster on a wheel, but he cracked another broad smile and turned back to Ruth Mae. ‘They’ll turn your old house into a tea shop if we aren’t careful.’
‘There are worse things, young man — like seeing the place fallin’ into rack and ruin. It’s good to see it coming back to life.’
Emotion gripped Lyndsey’s throat. They’d all come a long way.
Chapter Twenty-One
‘You sure you’re okay with me goin’ off to England?’ Griff asked Jase.
He’d suspected at the time that Lyndsey hadn’t expected him to agree so readily. The next day she came to see him, looking extremely worried and saying she needed to clear some things up. She’d sheepishly admitted that Becca and Tiffany had cornered her for a heart-to-heart chat about why she was getting cold feet. They pried out of her that the root of the problem was how scared she was by the depth of her feelings for Griff, because it felt out of her control — the complete opposite of the way she preferred to live her life.
Griff had brought a faint smile to her face when he promised she wasn’t the only one experiencing some trepidation. He knew from what she’d told him that Lyndsey had rarely taken any boyfriends home, so he’d seen her offer as a clear sign she was ready to move their relationship to the next level. That both exhilarated and frightened him. Then he quietly told Lyndsey that the thought of losing her scared him far more than anything else, and she said the same in return. That’s when Griff knew they’d be all right.
‘Yeah. I told you so, didn’t I?’ Jase didn’t look up from rubbing a glass cloth over his completed mosaic. ‘There. What do you think?’ His eyes shone with pride.
‘It’s a damn sight better than my first efforts, that’s for sure.’ Even someone who didn’t know the heartfelt story behind the mosaic couldn’t help but be impressed by its obvious power. ‘Art of any sort helps get your feelings out in the open. I was going through a rough time at my previous job when I started working with stained glass. It sure helped me.’
‘What happened?’ Jase’s cheeks turned red. ‘You don’t have to tell me. I get we’re not close—’
‘I sure hope we’re gettin’ there again.’ Honesty was a two-way street. Time for him to step up. ‘I was a selfish bastard. Oh, I gave the appearance of playing the game at work and being a team player, but really I was only lookin’ out for Number One.’ His shoulders slumped. ‘My girlfriend and I were vying for the same promotion, and I screwed her over so they’d be sure to offer it to me. Luckily, I came to my senses and admitted what I’d done, so they allowed me to resign instead of tossing me out on my ear.’
He gestured around them. ‘This saved me.’ Griff pointed to a huge stained-glass panel hanging on the back wall — an abstract created entirely in black and red with vicious jagged edges. Even now, it made him uneasy to look at. ‘That’s how I felt at the time.’
‘Hell, Griff, it’s . . . scary. I thought you were the mild-mannered, nerdy one of us?’ Jase chuckled. ‘Still waters, I guess.’
‘Yeah, you could say that.’ He gave a wry smile. It felt good to have played a small part in helping his brother to start climbing out of the dark place he’d ended up. ‘Maybe you’ll get so hooked on this you’ll turn pro too one day, like me?’
Jase shook his head. ‘Nah, I don’t see that. As a hobby it’s great, but I don’t see me having your dedication day in and day out.’
‘So you got any thoughts about what you might transition into instead of playing baseball?’ It was the one question he hadn’t dared ask before.
‘I’ve a few ideas. When I first started to have problems with my back, I did some coaching with talented high schoolers brought in by the team to see if they had potential. It was really satisfying. I’ve done a few sports reporting gigs on local radio, too.’ He looked mildly embarrassed. ‘One of the TV stations even approached me about being a commentator. At the time I blew them off, but . . .’
‘Things change.’ Griff closed his laptop. Time enough later to work on some new patterns. This was more important. ‘Most people change careers multiple times these days. Some by choice, and others — like us — not so much. It’s not the end of the world; it’s often the beginning of a better one. You’ve got talent and personality in spades. You’ll be fine.’
‘You’re not as dumb as you look, are you?’ Jase’s cocky grin returned. ‘Probably just as well.’
Laughing together felt good.
‘So don’t worry about me while you’re off romancing the lovely Lyndsey. I’ve plenty to keep me busy. I’ll start putting out feelers for possible work, water your plants, visit Mom and Dad to make a full confession . . .’ The break in his voice hinted at how hard that last point was going to be.
‘You don’t have to for my sake. Honestly.’ Griff hoped his brother knew that he wasn’t just saying that. He’d held on to his bitterness long enough.
‘Yeah, I know that, but I need to tell them the truth for my own peace of mind.’ Jase heaved a sigh. ‘I can’t move on with this hangin’ over my head.’
He didn’t argue. Doing the right thing wasn’t an easy road to take.
* * *
