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She didn’t answer.
He pulled her closer. “Luce … it’s going to be okay.”
Again, she caved to letting herself be hugged, embraced, comforted in his warmth. Matt Townsend was a good man, a god-fearing man. She wanted to have her own children with him. She wanted them to grow old together.
He squeezed her tighter for a second, then kissed her forehead and released her. “It’s going to all work out. You’ll see.”
Unable to stop herself, she said, “How, Matt? You’re moving two hours away from me. I own my business here. You used to own your construction company here, but now you’re going to work for someone you don’t even know.” She threw a helpless hand into the air. They’d gone over it so many times. It was all so stupid that he was leaving South Port.
He frowned and scrubbed a hand over his face. “I don’t know, but it will work out.” His tone was stubborn.
“Do you see us working out?” Lucy motioned between them. It was the question she’d avoided asking, but she had to know.
He looked shocked. “Of course. You know I love you.”
He tried to take her hand, but Lucy yanked it away. “Then how, Matt?”
The man had no practical skills in some ways. Give him a house to build, a building—heck, a whole city—and Lucy was pretty sure he could build it, but ask him to talk about feelings and Tatum and Charlene, and the man was useless.
“Tatum is a child. I have to put her needs first. We’ve talked about that.”
Irritation pulsed through her. “I know that.” How dare he act like she was asking him to do anything different? “Is her mother really the best thing for her? Is she?”
Matt’s face turned stoic again. “Look, Luce, I can’t do this right now.”
“Are we ever going to get married?” she blurted out.
His eyebrows shot up. “I’ve always been up front about the fact that I don’t know if I can get married again.”
Matt had been very clear when they’d started dating that he wasn’t interested in getting married for a long time. Things with Charlene had been bad, and Lucy knew that, but …
“So you run off to Raleigh to be with your new family and you can’t even tell me where you and I stand?” Dang, had Lucy becomethatgirl? This desperate, out-of-sorts, ‘I need a man and I need to know that I’m going to get a ring on my finger’ kind of woman?
Matt didn’t respond.
She stomped her foot again, keenly aware of how stupid she probably looked and that she would hate herself for it later. Finally, she fell into the ugly cry.
No. She didn’t want this.
Matt didn’t move to hug her. After what felt like forever but couldn’t have been more than a couple seconds, his phone buzzed again. This time, he answered it. “Hey, sweetie.”
Lucy sucked in a breath and calmed herself.
“I can’t wait to see you too. I’ll be there in just about two hours. Love you.” He hung up.
Lucy turned to face him, the realization of this whole situation finally hitting her.
Matt let out a slow breath. “That was Tatum.”
“I know.”
“I have to go, Luce. I’ll see you next weekend.” He didn’t move to get into the truck.
For a long time, they both stared at each other. Finally, she wiped at her face and said, “I’m done.”
His eyebrows knitted together. “What does that mean?”
She couldn’t believe she’d actually said the words.
