Page 93 of Upon an April Night

“What do you mean?”

Dréa sighed. “I’ve been trying to ignore it, hoping it wasn’t true, but it is.”

“What is?”

“You’re in love with her.”

Duncan snorted. “What? That’s crazy.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “I wish it was, but I saw it with my own eyes. All day long, you kept watching her. And if Nana hadn’t interrupted you two by the fire …”

“There was nothing to interrupt. We were just talking.”

“Duncan, I need you to be honest with me, okay. Life is too short to waste time with the wrong person.”

An unease settled over him. “What are you saying?”

“Are you in love with Jamie?”

“No.” He shook his head adamantly. “No. I’m … I don’t …”

The look in her eyes and the almost imperceptible shake of her head told him she knew he wasn’t being honest.

He stared out the hotel window into the parking lot below, unable to look her in the eye any longer. It was no use. He felt more for Jamie than he had admitted, especially to himself. Even Dréa saw it.

“I’m sorry, Dréa. I’m really confused right now.” He ran his fingers through his hair.

“I know you are. I saw you go off by yourself for a while. Were you praying?”

“Yeah. I’ve been avoiding talking to God for a while now and everything sort of came to a head today.” He paused to consider his words. “What happened between me and Jamie, it was a moment of weakness. I knew she wasn’t the kind of woman you settle down with and marry. She wasn’t a Christian, for one thing, and then I met you, and … you were everything I wanted—the perfect Christian girl, passionate, driven, beautiful, good family. You checked off all the boxes.”

Dréa’s face lacked any emotion. “Nobody’s perfect, Duncan. Not even me. And I don’t want to be the girl you marry because I meet all the criteria of what you think a good Christian wife should be. I want someone completely and unconditionally in love with me, someone who wants to build a life with me. I was willing to overlook your night with Jamie and the aftermath it’s brought into our relationship because I love you, and I thought you loved me too.” Her chin quivered.

“Dréa.” He stepped toward her, but she held a hand out to stop him.

“I won’t settle for less than I deserve, and I deserve more than this, Duncan. So much more than the small part of your heart you’re willing to give me. Because the rest of it doesn’t belong to me, does it?”

Duncan shook his head sadly, realizing she was right.

Dréa straightened her back, took in a deep breath and let it out. She pulled Duncan’s jacket back out of the closet, and handed it to him. “You need to go.”

He reluctantly took the jacket. “I’m sorry.”

“I know you are.”

“I don’t know what else to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything.”

He stepped into her space, and she folded her arms across her chest again. “You are an amazing woman, Dréa. The best. And I pray you’ll find the right man because God knows it’s not me. I wish I’d figured all of this out sooner and not dragged you into it. I never meant to hurt you.”

“I believe you. We all make choices in our lives, and we have to live with the consequences. Mine was saying yes to you.” She twisted the engagement ring from her finger and held it out to him.

Duncan hung his head as he took it.

“I don’t regret knowing you, Duncan. You’re one of the good ones.”

“I don’t know about that.” He felt like the lowest of the low.

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