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“It is,” Evie answers. “As long as you are sure of your heart, then ride the waves until you find balance.”
“I’m not sure I’ll ever find balance,” I whisper. “Leaving Andrew was the hardest thing I ever had to do, but I did it because I realized that I wasn’t in love with him. Being in love with one person and married to another would have been a fate much worse for him than being left at the altar.”
“You’re in love with someone else.” Evie latches on to my words.
“I am.”
We stare at each other for a long moment, and I have a feeling she understands what I’m not saying.
“Penny,” Evie says slowly, her brow furrowed. “Did you cancel your wedding because of Liam?”
I swallow. This is my chance to come clean with the truth, or I can keep it to myself and lie. I open my mouth to lie through my teeth, but the truth comes out instead.
“Yes.”
“What?” Evie’s eyebrows shoot up past her hairline, and her mouth forms an O. It takes a lot to shock Evelyn O’Connell, but right now, she’s shocked and speechless.
“I left Andrew at the altar because of Liam.”
Chapter 15
Liam
As I walk toward Evie’s office, I hear her talking to someone.
“I left Andrew at the altar because of Liam.”
At those words, my feet stop moving, and my hand freezes over the doorknob. I’d recognize that voice anywhere. It’s Penny. I feel a jolt through my body, and contentment comes over me. My heart pounds against my ribcage. She told me this herself. But hearing her talking about it with my sister, her voice vibrating with honesty, might be one of the most monumental moments in my life.
I knock on the door and push it open, startling both ladies. They look at me with stiff smiles and wide eyes. I smile, pretending like I didn’t just hear them.
“Hey, Evie. Penny. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything.”
Penny sighs with relief. “Umm…” she glances at Evie. “We, umm—”
“Penny was just telling me how much she loves the doughnut she was eating,” Evie says lamely. She’s always been a terrible liar, and everyone can see right through her. “She enjoys eating it a lot.”
“The doughnuts are pretty amazing.” I take the chair next to Penny and smile at her. She’s so beautiful it’s impossible for me to keep my eyes off her. It feels like forever since I’ve seen her; I realize I’ve missed her. I didn’t know I would run into her here, but now that I have, I feel a sense of peace I haven’t felt in a really long time.
“Long time no see.”
“So long,” she teases, returning my smile. “How have you been?”
I shrug. “I’ve been okay. What about you?”
“Good.” She nods. “What about Tex? Where is he?”
“I dropped him off at home. He’s been coming to work with me, and the kids are wearing him out. They adore him, but his energy is no match for theirs. By the end of the day, he’s beat.”
“That’s great, Liam. I’m happy Tex is happy,” she says. I notice she left me out of that statement. My heart feels like it’s caught in a vice. I turn my attention to Evie.
“How’s it going, Evie?”
“Good, little brother, I’m glad you stopped by. I usually have to twist your arm to get you to visit me. What brought you here today?”
“I thought Sean was the actor in the family,” I needle. “I’m too tired to make dinner, so I thought I’d stop by to grab something quick to eat.”
“I knew it.” Evie reaches across her table and pushes my arm. “You can never just stop by for a visit. It’s always about me feeding you.”
