Page 50 of Finding Hayes
“We met another couple who also got married on the same day, and they asked about our story. All I said was that she left me and didn’t keep in touch, and she got mad. But sometimes the truth hurts.” I shrugged because I wasn’t going to sugarcoat it just because she didn’t like the story anymore.
“Are you kidding me with this right now?” Savannah gave me a death glare and then bit off the corner of her grilled cheese and tossed it back down on her plate.
“Did you leave without saying goodbye?” Cutler asked.
“Well, I tried to say goodbye. I called. I texted. And then I went over to his house to tell him I was leaving, and let’s just say, that was all the goodbye necessary.”
What the fuck did that even mean?
“Funny. I never got a message or a text, so maybe your memory is foggy.” I took a sip of my water.
“My memory is never foggy,” she said, and then she glanced at Cutler, and I could see the anger dissipate when she looked at him. “So, Loraine, that lady we met on our wedding day, gave some sound advice about marriage, and maybe I should take it.”
“What did she say?” Cutler asked, because the little guy was always curious.
“She said to leave the past in the past and focus on the present and the future.”
“What do you think of that, Uncle Hayes?” he asked.
“Well, I think I’d take her advice with a grain of salt. Shemarried the same man twice, and she’s five minutes into her new marriage and throwing out advice like she’s an expert.” I leaned back in the booth and crossed my arms over my chest. “Maybe dealing with the past is better than ignoring it.”
Savannah’s eyes were wild and angry as she shook her head at me. “Says the man who hasn’t had a relationship in a long time.”
“Isn’t being married a relationship?” Cutler asked, and I barked out a laugh.
“Yes. It is. So, what else do you have to throw at me?” I smirked.
She rolled her eyes. “Fine, dear husband. If you claim you were so sad that I left without saying goodbye, why didn’t you reach out?”
“I did. You blocked me, remember?” I said.
“Oh, man, you blocked my uncle? What does that mean?” Cutler asked.
“I didn’t want to take his calls because we both needed to go our separate ways. I just don’t know why he’s acting like he was so hurt by it. He probably didn’t give it a second thought back then.” Her gaze locked with mine.
“Were you really sad?” Cutler asked. The little dude should consider being a therapist in the future, because this was the most we’d spoken in a week.
“Yes. I actually was.”
“I don’t believe you,” Savannah whispered, eyes wet with emotion, and it made my fucking chest squeeze to see her hurting.
Even if I was pissed at her.
I still couldn’t stand to see her upset.
“I’ll prove it to you when we get home. I’ve got something to show you.”
“You made my girl a special gift?” Cutler chuckled. “Man, my uncles know how to treat their girls.”
Savannah was quiet for a few beats, and then she turned her attention back to the little guy beside her. “I’m looking forward to riding with you guys this weekend again.”
“Oh, man.” My godson turned to me and smiled. There was a little drip of ketchup on the corner of his mouth, and just as I reached for my napkin to clean him up, Savannah beat me to it. “You should see Savvy on a horse. She’s so fast, and I like riding with all my girls. Poor Demi can’t ride anymore because she’s got the baby in her tummy. Do you think you guys will have a baby someday, too?”
The word was out of my mouth before I could stop it. “No.”
“Yes. I’d like to have a big family,” Savannah said at the exact same time, and we both stopped talking immediately.
I knew that Cutler was the closest I’d ever come to being a father.
