“It’s hard to have a boyfriend who’s important,” Natalie says.“Believe me.I know.”
“Trouble in paradise?”I ask.“Really?”
She sighs.“Well, your boyfriend is desperate for kids, whereas mine hates them.”
“Hates them?”That sounds pretty harsh.
“Doesn’t like them, anyway,” Natalie says.“Which is a real bummer, because I have five I’m sort of attached to.”
“That is hard,” Vanessa says.“I met with Jack’s mom, and she basically told me I’m old, pathetic, and a leech who will just drag her son down.”
“I really want to meet this woman,” Natalie says.“I don’t usually support violence, but there’s a time and a place for everything.”
Vanessa laughs.“Jack loves her, so I need to figure something out, there.”
“Since you love him so much,” I say.
“I think maybe I do,” Vanessa says.“And that makes it harder, because I really care what she thinks, for his sake.”
“All of us are really knocking things dead,” Natalie says, her tone flat.“Maybe we should all start over.”
Vanessa shakes her head.“Everything that’s worth having is hard, and we just have to find a way through the rough parts.”
“What if there isn’t a way through?”I ask.“What if it’s a big old brick wall with no way past?”
Vanessa stands, pulls me up beside her, and hugs me.“I think there is.”She sighs before releasing me.“I really believe you and Richard can figure this out.”
Vanessa’s always been a little sunbeam, our very own Pollyanna.It’s nice most of the time, but sometimes it’s a little annoying.Usually I get the most annoyed when I’m in the middle of a good wallow.This time, I think it’s because there isn’t any sunshine at the end of my tunnel.
Natalie reaches over and picks up my phone.“Your boyfriend is important, but you’re more important, and I bet he agrees.”She types something in, and then she taps the phone.
“What did you do?”
“Look for yourself.”She hands my phone back.
I know you have a meeting, but can we talk before dinner?
“Natalie,” I say.“You can’t just?—”
But he replies immediately.
Name the time and place.
My heart expands then, and hope creeps in.He’ll skip a meeting that I know was important to his dad for me.Will he give more?Could I be enough, even broken as I am?
“You have to give him a chance.”Natalie looks around.“You guys tease me about dating him, but really, a few awkward interactions are nothing.He clearly really cares about you.”She smiles.“Give him a chance to be what you need.”
I want to believe her, but when I drive over to his literalcastle,I can’t help thinking that the same standards we apply to most people and situations don’t apply here.Sending a thousand or two thousand dollars’ worth of flowers, or giving me two expensive and beautiful horses, they just aren’t big sacrifices, not for Richard Cavendish.When I pull down the long drive, tall stone walls rising on either side of my car, I’m in awe all over again.When I reach the gate, the guard waves me in, smiling as he does.
And when I park in the carpark, Richard’s standing there, waiting for me, a worried look on his face.The second I open my door, he walks over.“I was so happy you texted.”
“Natalie did that.”I lean against the closed door.
“Oh.”He nods.“Okay, well, good for her.It got you here.”He reaches for my hand.“I have something to show you.”
“Look, before we go see something, I think we need to talk.”
“Sam.”He steps closer.“I’ve had days to think about this, now.”
