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I went for a run, showered, and cooked breakfast alone. At eleven, Heath texted to ask if I was ready to talk, and I quickly responded that I was.
We planned to meet at his cabin. I didn’t even care that it was the day after his wedding and he should be with his wife. I was a selfish bastard, and I’d take all the help I could get.
When I pulled up, Heath stood on the porch with a mug, he handed it to me as I approached. “Are you ready to fix this?”
I trudged up the steps, my boots feeling heavy. “I don’t know what to do.”
“First, you need to apologize for blaming her for what went down last night.”
“Fiona’s not responsible for my parents’ actions. They did shit like that long before she was in the picture. But what if she won’t see me or talk to me?” I sat in one of the rocking chairs.
Heath turned and leaned against the railing. “That’s a real possibility you need to be prepared for.”
I dropped my head into my hands. “How can I make it up to her? How can I show her what she means to me?”
“You’re working on a grand opening for the movie theater?”
I lifted my gaze. “That’s in a few days.”
“Maybe you could do something with that,” Heath suggested.
“I don’t want to let this go that long.”
Heath’s brow furrowed. “You might not have a choice. She’s probably spending the day with her family. What are you going to do? Show up at her family’s dinner and make a public apology?”
“Isn’t that what Cole did on Thanksgiving?” I asked, the tension between my shoulder blades intensifying.
Heath nodded. “You can’t do the same thing.”
I let my head fall back. “I don’t know what to do. How can I show her that I love her and want to spend the rest of my life with her?”
“You’re on the right track with that question. Whatever it is, it has to be big.”
The door opened, and Marley stood there. “Why are you talking outside? It’s cold.”
Heath gestured toward me. “We’re talking about guy stuff.”
Marley sighed. “You’re going to need all the help you can get, and I’m not standing out here. Come inside.”
I followed her inside where she handed me a fresh mug of coffee. Then we sat in the family room where the tree was lit. There were no wrapped presents under the tree.
“I wonder what you bought your new wife for Christmas,” I said to Heath.
“Heath’s taking me to Hawaii. After the grand opening, we’ll go to California to spend some time at my house, and then on to Hawaii.”
“That was your Christmas present?” I was impressed.
“Wedding and Christmas present wrapped in one,” Heath said as he rested his arm over the back of the couch where Marley sat. “What do you get for the woman who has everything?”
Marley’s hand rested on Heath’s thigh. “Time together. That’s the most precious gift.”
Both looked relaxed and happy. As if waking up together was the only thing they needed in life. I wanted that for myself.
Heath kissed her softly, then turned his attention to me. “But we were talking about your situation with Fiona and how you were going to fix it.”
“I think it should be the day we open the movie theater. We’re already planning a party, and it’s her project. She has to be there.”
Marley raised a brow. “You hope she’s there. What if she goes back home early?”
