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"Are you still there?"
Like an idiot, Garrison waited, held his breath, hoped. And then he looked at his phone's screen.
She'd hung up.
He'd told her he loved her, and she'd hung up.
He collapsed into the chair on the back deck and ran his hand over his hair. What just happened?
He snapped his laptop closed. All the details about the rental, the garage where they'd towed the car, the deductible didn't matter right now as he played back the conversation. Had he said something stupid, something inconsiderate or insensitive? He'd hardly said anything, and what he had said, she hadn't wanted to hear. Hadn't wanted to talk to him, that was for sure. Perfect time to tell her he loved her.
Talk about a bonehead move.
He looked at the phone again. Even if she hated him, loathed him, he couldn't imagine her hanging up on anybody, ever. She was too kind.
He was missing something.
He'd caught her off guard, and she'd...what? Panicked?
The thought had him flashing back to her anxiety attack. Surely telling her he loved her wouldn't bring that on, would it?
What would happen if she had a panic attack at home? If she couldn't breathe. He imagined her all alone, frightened, unable to get oxygen. He stood, started for the door. To go where, without a car? And obviously, she didn't want to see him right now.
He sat and texted. Just tell me you're okay, and I won't bother you again.
I'm fine.
You want me to call somebody for you?
No.
A moment passed, and then she added, Thank you.
She was fine. Able to text, and, presumably, able to breathe.
So much for that theory.
Which meant she'd hung up on him on purpose.
Great. Nearly lost his son, did lose his...well, girlfriend wasn't the word, though he'd hoped it might be, someday. What a stellar week he was having.
And what kind of crazy relationship-sabotaging demon had possessed him to tell her he he'd fallen in love with her? He hadn't even allowed himself to think that, much less say it aloud, not even to himself. But he'd felt her pulling away, and, in that moment, he'd known. Known he was in love with her. Known that he wanted her. Known, God help him, that he needed her.
He'd taken a leap of faith and landed in a pile of fresh manure.
"You okay?"
Garrison looked up to see his son in the doorway.
"Uh, did something happen?" Aiden asked.
"Everything's fine. Why?"
"I don't know. You look funny."
He forced a smile. "Funny peculiar or funny ha-ha?"
Aiden shook his head, tried to quell the amusement that flitted across his face. "Did you get a rental?"
"Yeah. I'm trying to find us a ride."
"What about Sam?"
Excellent question. "Sam's busy."
"Oh. Are you gonna get an Uber?"
Uber. That was an idea. "Yeah. I'll try that. Thanks."
Aiden went back inside, and Garrison opened the app. As it loaded, his phone rang.
"Are you up for water skiing today?" Nate sounded far too chipper. Obviously word of his son's wreck hadn't spread. Garrison was thankful for that. Nate continued, "I've got the afternoon off, and there's a chance of rain tomorrow and Thursday. It looks like this'll be the best day this week."
"I'm not sure we can make it work today."
"Uh-oh. What happened?"
Was his voice that much of a giveaway? "Aiden had an accident last night, so I'm trying to figure out the rental situation."
"Is he okay?"
"A little sore. It could have been much worse."
"Were you guys on your way home from Brady's?"
"Not exactly." Garrison wasn't about to tell him the whole story, but he figured in a town like this, news would get out eventually. "The kid decided to take a little joyride after I fell asleep. He drove into a tree."
"Oh, no. Thank God he's okay. I did that once when I was about his age. Took my father's car. I managed not to dent it, but when Dad realized what I'd done... Well, let's just say I never pulled that stunt again."
"What'd your dad do?"
"He grounded me forever. I'm lucky I'm allowed to drive now." A slight chuckle. "But it wasn't the punishment. It was the lecture. Before that, he'd trusted me. Man, when I saw the disappointment on his face, I swore I'd never do anything that stupid again. It took me a long time to earn his trust back."
"My dad was always disappointed in me, so it didn't matter much what I did."
A beat of silence, then, "That sucks."
Garrison blew out a long breath. "I don't know why I said that. It was a long night."
"What can I do?"
"Nothing. We're good."
"You said you got a rental. I guess Sam'll give you a ride?"
Yeah, Aiden had guessed that, too. "I'm getting an Uber."
"Nah. I got nothing else to do. Then we can take the boat out this afternoon. What do you think?"
"Not sure I should take my kid waterskiing after he wrecked my car."
"Huh." Garrison waited through a long pause, figured Nate was building up to something. "I don't pretend to know how to parent a teenager, but I can tell you, no matter how mad my father was, he always got over it fast, especially if there was something fun for us to do together." He said the words with a hint of laughter, then added more seriously, "Honestly, those times with my dad are some of my best memories. Maybe you two need to keep making good memories."
Good memories. Could there be any from this terrible week?
Did it hurt to try?
"Yeah. Okay. After I get the rental, there's something I have to do. And then, boating sounds great."