Ada has avoided Bud all week. She’s visited Glory daily, but she’s declined Bud’s invitations for trail rides. She hopes that distancing herself from the situation will appease Stuart. Perhaps he’ll come around, and over time, accept her.
Late Sunday afternoon, she and Enzo are at Primo Vino, unloading cases of wine and organizing them on the new shelves, when Stuart texts her an image. She enlarges the image and gasps at the sight of Stuart with one arm around Glory’s neck and a syringe in his opposite hand. She’s still staring at the pic when another message from him appears on the screen. Disclaim your inheritance or else.
“I gotta go. There’s a problem with Glory,” Ada says to Enzo as she retrieves her purse from the back office.
Enzo follows her to the door. “Do you want me to come with you?”
Ada hesitates. She very much wants him with her in case something drastic happens. But she’s used to fighting her own battles, and for the sake of her self-esteem, she needs to stand up to Stuart herself.
She pecks his cheek. “You finish up here. I’m sure everything’s fine. I just need to check on her.”
Ten minutes later, Ada is pulling into the equestrian center when Siri announces a text message from Daniel Love. The message reads, I’m summoning the family for a meeting at five o’clock today. I realize it’s last minute, but I have important news to share that can’t wait.
Ada parks in front of the stable and thumbs off her response. I’m no longer a member of the family, remember?
Daniel texts back. You will always be a part of the family. My news is devastating. I need you here for support.
Devastating? Is he sick? Or broke? Or is this a ploy to get back in her good graces? She texts back. I’m in the middle of something. I’ll make it if I can.
Ada enters the stable and is relieved to see Glory munching on hay in her stall, seemingly healthy and unscathed. The syringe is lying on the ground in front of her stall. She picks it up and examines it. Fortunately, there’s no needle attached. It’s a warning from Stuart intended to scare her.
Picking up the syringe, she turns to leave and runs straight into Bud. “Hello, Ada. It’s nice to see you. I’ve missed riding with you this week.”
Ada slips the syringe into her pocket before he sees it. “I’ve been busy at Primo Vino.” She checks the time on the clock above the stalls. She has five minutes to make the ten-minute drive to Love-Struck. As much as she dreads seeing Daniel, curiosity can’t keep her away. “I need to run. I have to be somewhere.”
Bud follows her outside to her car. “You’re avoiding me. You’re upset about what happened with Stuart.”
Ada lets out a sigh. She can’t put him off forever. “I’m not upset with you, Bud. I’ve been trying to sort through some things. I’d like to talk to you about something, though. Are you free in the morning?”
“I plan to be here all day. Come whenever you can get away.”
“I’ll try to get here before noon,” Ada says, slipping into her car and speeding off.
Ada is the last of the Love siblings to arrive at The Nest. Her half brothers and Casey are lined up on the velvet sofa in her father’s wood-paneled library, the venue for all important family meetings. Laney is the only spouse in attendance, and she’s seated in a wing chair looking uncomfortable, as though she’d rather be anywhere else than here.
Sheldon moves over to make room for Ada on the sofa, but she chooses the matching wing chair opposite Laney.
“Thank you all for coming on such short notice. I don’t want to take up too much of your time on a Sunday evening.” Daniel paces back and forth in front of them. “I hope you don’t mind if I remain standing. What I’m about to tell you won’t be easy.”
Sheldon narrows his pale olive eyes, the same hue as their father’s and Casey’s. “You’re scaring us, Dad. Whatever it is, just say it.”
“All right then. I have stage four colon cancer.”
A collective gasp spreads across the room. But everyone, including Ada, is too stunned to speak.
Daniel goes on, “Typically, metastasized colon cancer spreads to the liver and lungs. Unfortunately, mine has spread to my pancreas.”
Ada knows enough about cancer to understand this is terrible news. She glances around the room. Her siblings are staring at the floor and wiping at their eyes. She appears to be the only one not crying.
Casey jumps to her feet and crosses the room to Daniel. Taking hold of his hands, she says, “We’ll fight this! You’re strong. You can beat it. I assume you’ve seen an oncologist. Is surgery an option?”
Daniel’s lips part in a sad smile. “I’ve seen several oncologists. There are no options. I’ll be lucky to make it until Christmas.”
“No!” Casey sobs. “This can’t be happening. I just lost my mother. I refuse to let you die too.”
Daniel pulls her in for a half hug. “I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he says, kissing the top of her head. “But you don’t have any say in the matter. This is up to God.”
He walks Casey back to her seat. “I’ve known about this long enough to accept my fate. I want to enjoy what little time I have left with the five of you.” His eyes circle the room, landing on Ada.
“Can’t they at least try chemo?” Sheldon asks. “And what about clinical trials?”
“They can try. But it won’t work. Why would I put myself through a grueling regime of chemotherapy when I have so little time left?”
Hugh looks incredulously at him. “What’re we supposed to do, just sit by and watch you die?”
“On the contrary. I have no intention of moping around. We’re going to be busy. I have many goals to accomplish, and I need your help.”
“What sort of goals?” Charles asks in a suspicious tone.
“We can talk about those later, once everyone has come to terms with my diagnosis. I’ll be speaking with each of you individually in the coming days.” Daniel walks over to the wet bar and fills a tumbler with brown liquid. “Now leave me in peace to enjoy my fifty-year-old scotch. I’m sure your significant others are waiting for you.”
Everyone stands at once, eager to be alone with their thoughts. Ada is on her way out of the room when Daniel calls her back in. “Ada, may I have a word with you?”
She turns to face him, but she’s too overcome with emotion to speak.
“Close the door and sit down,” Daniel says in a stern voice.
Ada does as she’s told. The years shed away, and she’s thirteen years old again in trouble for lying to her mother about a poor grade.
Daniel sits down next to her at the end of the sofa. “I realize you and I aren’t on the best of terms. And I have only myself to blame.” He crosses his legs and sips his scotch. “I can’t leave this earth until I’ve made things right with you. I very much want to see you married to Enzo. I hope you’ll let me host your wedding. Walking you down the aisle is my dying wish.”
Ada studies her father’s face. He doesn’t look sick. In fact, he’s never looked healthier, fit and tan from hours spent on the tennis court. “I don’t see how we can possibly make a wedding like that happen in such a short amount of time.”
“Why not? We have everything we need at our disposal. We’ll meet with the event planner tomorrow to see about our options for dates.”
Ada stands to leave. “I can’t make any promises until I talk to Enzo.”
“Of course. Bring him along tomorrow if you’d like.” Daniel walks her to the door. “I’ll check everyone’s schedule and text you some potential meeting times in the morning.”
Ada flees the house as the first tears stream down her cheeks. The anger she’s felt for Daniel for so long has vanished, replaced by a deep sorrow she’s only known once before in her life—when her mother died suddenly from a brain aneurysm thirteen years ago.
She gets in her car, but instead of returning to town, she heads in the opposite direction. She drives aimlessly through the mountains, crying and screaming and pounding the steering wheel. How can this be happening? Daniel is so young, so vital, with so much living left to do. This will be his last Thanksgiving. He’ll never get to meet her children, never again see the summer sun disappear beyond the horizon.
Enzo is waiting at home with a chilled bottle of pinot grigio and marinated chicken breasts, ready for the grill. “Have you been crying?” he asks when she enters the kitchen.
Ada grabs a napkin and wipes her eyes. “Wait until I tell you why.” She declines his offer of wine. “I need something stronger.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Stronger as in . . .”
“Tequila.” She pours two fingers of Casa Dragones over ice and leans against the kitchen counter. “I’ve just learned Daniel has terminal cancer.”
Enzo lets out a whistle. “Oh boy.” He pauses a beat while the news sinks in. “This must be very confusing for you, considering what you’ve been through with Daniel these past months.”
Ada shakes her glass, rattling her ice cubes. “Strange how none of that seems to matter now. All my animosity toward him evaporated into thin air,” she says and drains the tequila.
Enzo lifts the platter of chicken breasts from the counter. “Let’s start the grill. If you’re going to drink tequila like that, we need to get some food in your stomach.”
On the terrace, while they wait for the grill to heat, Ada fills him in on Daniel’s prognosis and his desire to see her married before he dies. “I didn’t know what to say to him. How can I deny a dying man his last request? He wants us to meet with the event planner tomorrow morning to see what dates are available. I know this is sudden, Enzo. And I totally understand if you’d rather wait. We can tell him together tomorrow.”
“I have to work at Foxtail in the morning. But you know how I feel, Ada. I’ll marry you anytime, anywhere. If this is what you want, I’m all for it,” Enzo says, forking the chicken breasts onto the grill.
“That’s just it, though. I’m not sure what I want. I was warming up to the idea of a small wedding.”
Enzo lowers the grill’s lid. “Then agree to a small-scale wedding at Love-Struck. If he truly wishes to make amends with you, he’ll be willing to compromise.”
Ada snorts. “Daniel Love doesn’t compromise.”
“Maybe not with other people. But you have the upper hand. Hold your ground, Ada. This is your wedding. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”
“That’s easier said than done,” Ada mumbles. Daniel can be very persuasive, and now that he has terminal cancer, how can she possibly refuse him anything? She’s worked so hard to cut ties with Daniel. Now, in a blink of an eye, she’s fallen back into his trap.