So of course, she said, “You need to go over there, Sten. Work it out with her. Don’t let the best thing that ever happened to you just ride off in a Hummer.”
“She’ll be in the Subaru that’s hidden in the garage, if you really want to know.”
“What in the world are you babbling about?”
“Nothing. Just leave it, Karin. Just leave it alone.”
She sipped her soda. “I get why you’re mad. You’re mad at yourself. And you know what? Youshouldbe mad.”
“Let me finish that thought for you.” He stared furiously at the last light of day as it winked out to nothing. “I’m a dolt and a dunce, a real birdbrain and a total schmuck to let her get away.”
“True,” said his sister. “But the good news is, she’s not gone yet. It’s not too late. You know that, right?”
“Oh, yeah?”
Karin sank down in her chair. “You exhaust me. You really do. And if you don’t work this out with her, if you don’t go after her and beg her to give you another chance, well, I don’t know what to tell you, except that you deserve all the misery you’ll be suffering once she’s gone. I mean, just look at yourself. You’re miserable already. And you’rechoosingto be miserable.”
He turned and gave her a glare. “Karin, that’s enough.”
She just kept talking. “I mean, think about what you’re doing. The wrong woman, a woman who didn’t deserve you, broke your heart. And your response to that, your way to make sure that doesn’t happen again? Refuse to give therightwoman a fighting chance.”
“How do you even know she asked for a chance?”
“Oh, please. Like I haven’t seen the two of you together. Like I don’t know a true love match when I see one. She asked, because that’s who she is. She’s brave and true and honest about her feelings—and you go ahead, Sten Larson. You go ahead and try to tell me I’m wrong.”
“Are you finished?” he muttered, his teeth clenched so hard his jaw ached.
“Sten.” Now she gave him a pleading look. “Don’t do it. Don’t throw love away.”
He faced the ocean again and stared into the darkness wondering what the hell had ever made him think that living with his family was a good idea.
* * *
Somehow, Sten got through the endless, sleepless night that followed.
At seven thirty the next morning, his family all trooped over to the cottage to say goodbye. He remained upstairs at his house. But he heard them all come back, heard them leave again, his dad and Karin for the Boatworks, the kids to catch the school bus.
A few minutes later, the Hummer drove off. He stood at his front door watching it go. Besides the driver, there was someone sitting in the back seat and also in the passenger seat, though it was hard to say who with the windows tinted. Dummies, maybe? He had to give her security team credit. They knew how to pull off a fake-out, all right.
Twenty minutes after the Hummer headed up the twisting driveway, the garage door of the cottage opened and the Subaru Forester backed out. A man was driving. There was no one else in the car—or at least, that was how it looked.
He went back inside and poured himself a third mug of coffee.
Standing at the windows in the great room, looking out at the gray day and the restless ocean, he sipped his coffee and tried not to feel so raw and hollow inside. When his cup was empty, he filled it again and went outside. He sat in his favorite deck chair staring out at the waves, wondering how long it was going to take him to get over the woman he’d just sent away.
Alongtime.
Like, say, maybe...forever.
This was so much worse than what had happened with Ella. This wasMaddyhe’d lost.
And it was his own damn fault she was gone.
A misty rain started to fall. Still, he sat there and considered how badly he’d screwed up.
He kept hearing his sister’s voice in his head.The wrong woman, a woman who didn’t deserve you, broke your heart. And your response to that, your way to make sure that doesn’t happen again? Refuse to give the right woman a fighting chance...
It pissed him the hell off when Karin was right.
