“Fine. We should work through our issues.”
“I tried to do that for years. You weren’t receptive.”
“I am now. Besides, running away isn’t the answer.”
Her grip on the flowers tightened, and one of the hydrangea heads flopped over to lay limp against her chest. “I didn’t run away. I left to get my life back. Find the me I used to be. The woman you fell in love with long ago, before the mill took my place.”
“The mill never took your place. But I don’t have a nine-to-five job, Diane. Running a company is demanding.” A defensive note crept into his voice.
“I know. But it became youronlyjob. Husband and father got lost in the shuffle.”
“I didn’t mean for that to happen, but I was dealing with a ton of stress when I took over.”
“That was fourteen years ago. How long does it take to settle into the top spot? You worked there all your life.”
“Longer than you expect if you inherit problems.” The disclosure escaped before he could snatch it back.
Her eyes narrowed. “You never mentioned anything about that.”
“I didn’t want you to worry.”
A beat ticked by as she considered him. “If what you’re saying is true, you made a bad decision. I might have worried less and been more forgiving if I’d known there was a reason for your bad temper and disappearing act.”
The front door of the house opened, and Anna emerged. “Everything all right, Diane?”
“Fine.” The smile she offered the woman seemed strained. “We’re just chatting.”
Anna gave him a quick, disapproving sweep. “I’ll be in the living room.”
Within shouting distance if you need me.
She didn’t have to say that for the message to come through loud and clear.
Martin glared after her as she disappeared back through the door, then refocused on Diane. “What did you tell her? She looked at me like I was a lowlife.”
“All I said was that I needed a place to stay for a while.”
“And she came to the obvious conclusion. You’d walked out on me.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “She’s probably spreading that juicy piece of news all over town.”
“I doubt it. Anna’s discreet. However, a huge crowd turned out for the auditions last night. I imagine everyone in Hope Harbor is wondering what prompted my appearance there, after all the years I spent laying low. Rumors are probably flying.”
He fisted his hands on his hips. “Hasn’t there been enough scandal in our family already, with all the dumb stunts Lucas pulled as a teen?”
A muscle in her cheek ticced. “It’s still all about image for you, isn’t it?”
“No.” That had been the wrong thing to say. He needed to stick to his script. “Look, why don’t you come home and we’ll talk this through? I’ll spend less time at the mill, and I’ll reach out to Lucas. Try to reconnect with him. I’ll also share more about the business with you. We can start getting involved in the community beyond donating to civic causes too, if you want to.”
The quivering petals of the blooms clutched to her chest were the sole indication of the emotional toll this discussion was taking on her. “You only want me to come home so you can save face.”
“That’s not true. The house feels empty without you.”
She waited, as if she expected him to say more. But for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what it was.
After a few moments, she took a step back, the blue of the hydrangeas an exact match for her eyes. “I have to go.”
“But what about us?” His stomach tightened as a wave of panic nipped at his composure. “I promise I’ll make some changes. Try harder.”
“Words are easy, Martin. Follow-through isn’t. Thank you for the flowers.” She pivoted and walked away, disappearing down a path that led to the rear of the house without looking back.
