Page 20 of Keeping it Local

I did not want to have this conversation with him. At least it wasn’t face to face though. I didn’t need his sad face looking at me while I burst his bubble. Sure, he had this great marriage, baby, the whole thing, but it wasn’t for everyone. Definitely wasn’t for me. I couldn’t imagine putting myself through that again.

“Ryan, I am moving forward,” I huffed out. “I’m building something good up here. I’ll show you around all the properties when you’re here. It’s coming together, just like I planned.”

“I get that. I do.” He paused. “It’s just… I’d hate to see what Anne did to you turn you off from everything else that could be.”

“This isn’t about Anne,” I protested, even though I knew part of it definitely was.

“You sure about that?”

“I have fun when I want. I don’t need anything more though.” I paced back and forth now, feeling my blood pressure rising.

“I didn’t think I was ready either, and look at what’s happened. I had no idea how good things could be before Felicia came into my life. No idea.”

He couldn’t see it, but I was shaking my head. “No, you have no idea. You go through it—the betrayal, the lies, the belief that everything was moving in the right direction until everything you thought was true explodes and there is nothing you can do about it. It’s not the same thing, and you know it. I gave it a shot. I thought I had what you have now, and I was wrong.”

“Okay,” he murmured, pausing for a moment. “Okay, okay. I get it. I’ll stand behind you if you’re not ready.”

I was taken aback. I didn’t know what I expected him to say, but it wasn’t that. I was always on edge waiting for someone to push me over, and here he was just accepting me as I was.

“You know we love you, right? It doesn’t matter how big, or small, you grow this thing. It doesn’t determine what you’re worth or what you’re made of.”

I paused. I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t listen to my brother go on about everyone loving me when all I could see was my dad’s face dropping when I let him down. “I’m actually getting another call. Could be the bank. I have to let you go.”

I hung up, the silence louder than the waves crashing up on the beach in front of me.

Chapter 10

Beth

The sun had been up for about an hour now, and I was in that perfect groove of finishing my run. Over the last few weeks, I had gotten used to jogging in the morning during sunrise, or a bit after, on the bike path that ran along Lake Huron. It would take me a mile or so to get going, but after that, it was just my feet rhythmically hitting the pavement as I listened to my girly-pop songs and stayed in my own thoughts.

It was a windy day, and as I finished up my run, I made my way to the park by the marina where the waves crashed over the break wall of rocks. I was leaning down, stretching out my calves when I heard someone behind me.

“Morning,” the man said in a gruff voice.

I pulled out my earbuds, looking up from my stretch and saw Lane gazing down at me.

“Hey!” I said, standing up and blocking the glare from the sun in my eyes. “Fancy meeting you here.”

Lane and I had met a handful of times, and as much as I knew of him, I really didn’t know him. And what I did know of him, he seemed closed off and grumpy. You were never sure if he actually wanted to be there or not. But now? He had a wide smile on his face.

“Same. Just heading out for a long ride.” He grabbed his bike helmet from where it hung on the handlebar. “I go up the coast, my favorite time of day.”

“Just got back from a run on the same path,” I said.

“Awesome. Yeah, it’s one of my things. Sometimes, I just need a break from the diner. As much as I love it, it’s nonstop over there.” He stood tall in his spandex bike gear and clipped shoes.

“Totally get it,” I said.

“How are you liking Port St. Clair?” he asked. “I’ve been seeing you and Johnny all over the place recently getting the donations. It going well?”

I laughed. This version of Lane was so much more relaxed compared to the one I had met earlier, and the one Megan seemed to know. Maybe the morning ride was therapeutic for him.

“It is. Johnny seems to know everyone,” I said, my mouth turning down as I remembered our last interaction.

“True. Small town and all. I’m sure you know something about that,” he said.

He squinted to look at me, and I couldn’t make out what he was thinking.