Page 96 of Can't Fight the Moonlight

"I feel like we had a similar conversation last year when I thought Brodie might be moving to LA or I might be going to Nashville, and my very wise sister told me not to let geography get in the way."

"This is different."

"Is it? If you want to be together, one of you has to compromise."

"There's no compromise to be made now. There's nothing. Justin is furious. And I understand, because he really opened up to me, and I let him down. I'm sure he's already on his way to the airport. He's gone, Chelsea, and I have to accept that."

"What can I do?"

"Nothing." She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. "This is still a party, and I am still the host, so I need to mingle and make sure everyone is having a good time."

"Can you really do that?"

"I have to do it. This is business, and I shouldn't be mixing business and personal."

"But you always mix business and personal. That's why the inn is so special."

"Well, I might need to change that."

Her sister frowned. "I don't like what I'm hearing."

"I can't help that. And I can't talk about this now."

"All right. I'm going to take off then. But call me later—anytime. Or come by. You can always spend the night at our place, if you want to get away from the inn."

"I'll be fine." She gave Chelsea a hug and then walked over to the picnic table, forcing a smile onto her face. "Who's ready for dessert?"

At the chorus of ayes, she got Victor and Shay to help her pass out angel food cake topped with strawberries and cream. She took a tray holding the last four plates over to Marie and Ben and Justin's parents.

"Thank you, Lizzie," Marie said, as she handed out the dessert. "I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have involved you."

She gave her a tense smile. "Justin took your car back to the inn. If you need a ride, I can take you in my SUV."

"We'll go with Grant," Marie said, waving her hand toward her son. "You all didn't officially meet. Katherine, Grant, this is Lizzie Cole. She runs the inn."

"Hello," she said, trying not to let her feelings show. She hadn't had a great impression of Justin's parents last night, and she had even less of one now.

"We didn't mean to make a scene," Katherine said. "But with Justin, everything gets very dramatic very quickly."

"Justin is probably the least dramatic person I've ever met," she couldn't help saying. "But when he's cornered and blindsided, he's going to come out swinging." His parents seemed taken aback by her comment. She turned to Marie. "I'm sorry I promised to keep your secret. I didn't know anything about the situation with Justin and his parents and his brother. But he filled me in on the family history last night. I thought about telling him then, but I didn't. I made a mistake. So did you. This wasn't the way to handle this."

"I wanted to bring the family together. But I knew Justin wouldn't come if I told him his parents would be here."

"We actually weren't that happy with the surprise visit, either," Grant put in. "I told you, Mom, that Justin wouldn't like it. Dad said the same thing, but you wouldn't listen."

"I'm getting old, and I'm tired of all the anger and unspoken words," Marie said passionately. "It has to stop. We have to talk to each other." She paused, her gaze moving back to Lizzie. "I'm surprised Justin told you about Sean. He never talks about him."

"Did he tell you that he blames us for not being there for Sean, for not seeing what was happening to his brother?" Katherine asked. "Did he even explain at all that we were both working and traveling, and it wasn't just about being selfish? We were working for the greater good."

"He did say that you were both involved in medicine and charities."

"Well, I guess it's something that he can admit that," Katherine said. "We loved both our boys, Lizzie. It broke my heart when Sean died. He was my child. Of course I had guilt. Of course I blamed myself. I just can't believe that I had to lose Justin, too."

"Lizzie doesn't need to be in the middle of this," Grant said wearily.

"I just want her to understand. She seems to be close to Justin."

"It doesn't matter," Grant said. "Justin is gone. Maybe we should go, too."

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