| |
“You called her Hannah?” John asked with a scowl.
Mitch had caught up with him by the bar inside the pub and he was looking for a little advice but so far John had been shocked and appalled—in that order.
“Keep your voice down, all right?” Mitch looked over his shoulder back at the booth and saw Christopher was suitably distracted by talking to Dale. Thank goodness for small miracles. “I feel bad enough. I was worked up and emotional. I felt contrite. And it tumbled out. I wish I could take it back.”
“Did you tell Ally that?”
Mitch shook his head. Nope, he sure as heck hadn’t.
“Did you chase after her at least?”
“No.” When John threw his hands into the air, Mitch felt defensive. “I thought it best to give her some space before I said something else I’d regret, okay? Everything I said was wrong. I didn’t want to mess things up even further. It was a train wreck. If you had been there, you would’ve dragged me away. Trust me.”
John sighed and paused, a look of thoughtfulness in his eyes. “Is this because of the baby? I wondered if telling everyone about her name was a good idea. I thought....I’m sorry, man. I didn’t mean to make things hard on you.”
It was part of it, truthfully but Mitch didn’t want to put his disaste onto John. “That wasn’t it. Don’t apologize. Truth is....” Mitch’s voice trailed off. “Truth is I’ve been thinking a lot about her as the wedding approaches. So yeah, maybe I am having a hard time but it isn’t your fault. Not Ally’s either. I gotta get my head on straight.”
And fast.
“Talk to Ally. She’ll understand. If she doesn’t right away, she will.”
“She offered to postpone the wedding,” Mitch admitted.
John shook his head. “Don’t let her do that. Don’t. It won’t make matters any better. You’ll still need to deal with this one way or another. You can’t let Ally walk away because...darn, Hannah’s my sister but you know what I’m trying to say.”
Mitch did. He couldn’t live with only the memory of a ghost and he didn’t want to. He loved Ally and their lives together. He needed to get his head right and stop thinking about the past and what once was. He also had to stop feeling like the baking show was going to tear Ally away from him. Mitch had seen the look in her eye when he stormed in like a jealous lunatic.
It wasn’t something he wanted to see again. It made him realize how stupid he had been. And how crazy he was to think Ally would chose glitz and glamour over him. There was no reason Ally couldn’t have everything she wanted. A career and him. Life in Sweet Falls with beautiful children running circles around them.
Now he just had to fix it.
*****
WHEN MITCH ARRIVED at the condominium building it was raining and Logan Sinclair was sitting on the front brick steps—waiting for him. It was pretty typical that he’d try to interfere, and Mitch wasn’t in the mood to get into it with Ally’s father. Mitch ran over and stood under the canopy covered entrance so he wouldn’t get soaked.
Logan stared up at him with furrowed eyebrows and rubbed his hands together. “I knew you’d show up tonight, eventually.”
Irritated, Mitch shoved his hands into his pockets. “I get you’re upset with me. I get why too but it’s between me and Ally. I’d really like to see her.”
Logan rose up and Mitch had forgotten how imposing the tall man could be. Even without his power suite, he was formidable. “You don’t get to issue orders at my home, Dressen. Still, Ally’s asleep and she needed it. She was tired, emotional. Things will be clearer for both of you tomorrow after a good night’s sleep. Come by then.”
Mitch certainly didn’t want to wake Ally if she was sleeping—and if she had really been that upset. It wasn’t what Mitch was trying to do. Couldn’t anyone understand he loved her and didn’t want to lose her?
“And for the record,” Logan’s tone softened, “I understand you love my daughter. I understand you suffered a great, tragic loss. Ally does too. She needs a little time and some tenderness from you. Neither my wife nor I want to see this wedding called off. And it has nothing to do with money. Money’s not everything but you and Ally are. Understand?”
He headed up the stairs toward the front door. Mouth agape, Mitch stared after him. Had Logan given him advice and actually been on his side? He had heard of people changing their lives around but Mitch never expected that. He hadn’t expected that at all.
He headed back toward his car in the rain, hoping in the morning everything would be clear and he could talk to Ally. Right now though, he needed some advice. It might’ve been late but he fished out his phone and speed dialed his sister’s number.
“I’ve messed up,” Mitch said. “Can I head on over? I could really use your advice.”
*****
THE SPRAWLING HOME Lauren shared with her daughter and husband, Leo was quiet as a pin drop. Mitch hadn’t realized how late it was until Leo let him in. “I’m sorry. I should’ve waited for tomorrow.”
“Nonsense,” Leo said as he led him into the living room. He picked up the few scattered toys on the floor and stuck them into a pink bin against the wall. “How was the bachelor party? Sorry I had to miss it.”
“Nah, it was fine. I mean fun. Lauren needed a night out with the girls and Ally, I’m guessing.”
Leo grinned. “She sure does. And the clock is ticking on that with the new baby on the way.”
New baby? Mitch couldn’t believe. “Well congratulations! That’s wonderful. I can’t wait to be an uncle the second time around.” It sure would be much easier this time. When his sister had Maggie, her first husband had abandoned Lauren and the new baby. Though he lived back in town now, Mitch rarely saw him.
And that was a good thing. A really good thing.
“Want a drink? Coffee, beer, water?”
“Nah, I’m fine,” Mitch said as Lauren entered the room and Leo exited. Lauren was dressed down in a pair of yoga pants and a cozy long sleeve shirt. She sat beside Mitch right away.
“What’s all the fuss?” She patted his leg.
Mitch felt better already being with her. He explained how he left the pub, stormed into the coffee shop, and later called Ally by his dead wife’s name.
“Well,” Lauren said breathlessly with wide eyes, “that’s quite the trifecta of mistakes you made, baby brother.”
“Yeah. I—.”
His words were cut off as she slapped his cheek. “Hey!” Mitch called a bit louder than he should’ve and rubbed his face. “I came here for support.”
Lauren pointed a finger at him and her cheeks were puffed up angrily. “Support you? Honey, I always support you but you are getting close to ruining the best thing that’s happened to you in a long time. A really long time. And Ally? You hurt her and I’ll have to slap you again. Harder this time.”
Glumly, Mitch hung his head. “What do I do?”
“You talk to her. Tomorrow. You put all your cards on the table and you stop hiding things. Ally knows something is going on with you. She’s known for a few weeks. Everyone can see it on your face. You’re not fooling anyone. Or protecting them either. You’re making things worse.”
It figured. Everyone had him figured out before he had figured out himself. “Guess I’ve been a fool then.”
Lauren’s eyes narrowed. “Since when has that changed? I’m tough because I love you. You have so much more to offer than you know, Mitchell. It’s always been that way.”
Mitch appreciated when she talked like that but he also hated it. “You think there’s much hope for me and Ally? I can still save this, can’t I?”
“Of course you can! Ally wants to marry you. And for the record, baby brother, there is always hope.”