“You made an adult decision, baby. But I know it hurts you. And it hurts him too.”
“I love him so much.”
“I know you do.”
“How will I live without him?”
She strokes my hair and kisses my forehead. “One day at a time, my love.”
***
Two days later.
I’ve never been on a plane before. I don’t come from a poor family, but we just never went on vacations that required air travel. And now here I am, only a few months past my eighteenth birthday and on a plane.
Without Mark.
I pull my phone out of my pocket and reread his text from last night. The one I didn’t respond to.
Please don’t do this to us. We can make it work. I love u.
God, what did I do? I’ve cried nonstop for two days. Can I get off this plane? Shit, they just shut the doors. Maybe they won’t card me if I order a drink. I’ve never drank a day in my life—too many calories—but I need something to calm my nerves now.
I need Mark.
I need Mark!
I am about to stand up and make a big scene when his voice fills my head. Just breathe, M. Just breathe with me. I take a deep breath and close my eyes and focus on his voice, wishing with all my heart he were really beside me, talking me through this.
Just breathe, M.
Chapter One
Ten years later
~Mark~
“Hey, man. Come on in.” My brother, Luke, steps back as I walk through his door and see my beautiful sister-in-law, Natalie, snap her new son, Keaton’s pants shut and lift him into her arms.
“Unca Mawk!” Olivia, Keaton’s older sister exclaims and toddles toward me with her arms up and a wide smile on her perfect little face.
“Hi, troublemaker,” I say and lift her high into the air, then snuggle her in my arms.
“My baby,” she says and points to her brother.
“She’s claimed him,” I say with a laugh and lean in to kiss Nat’s cheek.
“Indeed,” she replies dryly. “Keaton is hers, along with all of his toys and clothes.”
“It’s okay, you can have anything you want,” I tell her and blow raspberries in her neck, making her giggle.
“I’m just about ready,” Luke says and pats his pants and suit pockets, looking about the room with a frown. “Where’s my wallet, baby?”
“On the kitchen counter.” She points it out to him and then laughs. “He’s more forgetful since Keaton has arrived than I am.”
Natalie is a gorgeous woman, with long dark hair and wide green eyes and curves that go on for days. My brother is a lucky, lucky man, and I make sure to do my part and flirt with her as much as possible, just to make him crazy.
“Run away with me,” I say and wrap my arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to my side. “He’s ugly and he stinks most of the time.”
“Get your hands off my wife, dude.” Luke scowls at me and shakes his head.
“She loves me. Don’t you, darlin’?”
“I do.” She pats my chest and I smile proudly. “But I love my husband more.”
“Killjoy,” I whisper loudly and sigh in mock despair. “What will I do now?”
“I’m sure you’ve got a few dozen women lined up who’d love the same invitation.”
I smirk and nod, but the truth is, I don’t have as many women on the line as they’d all like to think.
And I’m about to come face to face with the one woman who can bring me to my knees for the first time in ten years.
“I’m so sorry to hear about Adelaide Summers, Mark.” Nat kisses my cheek and rubs my arm soothingly. “She was a good woman.”
“She was.” I nod as the pain pierces my heart all over again. Meredith’s mom lost her fight with breast cancer just a week ago, and I’m going to her funeral today. “She sure was good to me.”
“I would go with you guys, but I’m on baby duty today.”
I grin down at her and kiss Livie’s cheek again. “It’s fine. Luke, you don’t have to go either. It’s no big deal.”
“Yeah, it is,” he says and frowns at me. He can read me too well. “I want to come. I liked Addie.”
I nod, secretly relieved that I won’t be going alone and set Olivia on her feet as Luke leads me to the front door. Halfway there he quickly turns back and pulls his wife in for a long, deep kiss.
Dear Jesus, you’d think they were still dating.
“You’re going to see her in a couple hours, Romeo.”
“Bite me,” he says with a grin. “You’re just jealous.”
“I’m nauseated,” I reply and lead him to my Jeep.
“How are you really?” Luke asks quietly as I pull out of the driveway of his new home toward Bellevue, where the funeral will be held.
“I don’t know, man. I knew she was sick, so it’s not exactly out of the blue.”
“I mean about Meredith, Mark. Jesus, you’re stubborn.”
I shrug my shoulder and rub my hand over my face. I’ve had ten years to get used to the idea of seeing her again, and now I’m nervous as hell.
“She’s probably married,” I reply.
“We both know that isn’t true,” he says calmly.
“Look, it’s been a long time. I’m just going to pay my respects to a woman who I loved. Seeing Mer is part of that.” I swallow hard and Luke catches it.