Page 87 of The Backup Bride Proposal

Chapter

twenty-four

Kane loved Thanksgiving.Everything about it, from the morning breakfast casserole to the smell of the turkey roasting in the oven, which drove him crazy for hours on end.

He’d gotten up early. So had everyone else, because on Thanksgiving everyone pitched in.

They invited everyone who worked on the ranch over for Thanksgiving dinner—at least everyone who was staying—so it was a big to-do. Kane and his dad and grandpa brought extra tables in from the storage barn, cleaned them off and put fresh linens on while Mae and Tess helped Donna with the cooking.

Whatever anyone needed, they did it. Kane chopped onions and celery, Dad peeled regular and sweet potatoes and Grandpa set the tables.

And throughout all the prep, the smell of turkey filled the house, making his stomach rumble.

Kane noticed that his dad had stepped out back and hadn’t come back inside, so he went outside to see if he was okay.He heard him talking around the side of the house. He started around the corner, then stopped.

“I told you I was going to the ranch for Thanksgiving, Helena,” Dad said. “I even invited you to come along and you said no. Did you know Kane’s here?”

He was talking to Mom. Kane paused, listening for the next thing his father would say.

“It’s not my fault you don’t listen. It’s not my fault we don’t talk anymore or that you’re completely unreasonable about everything. If we could just meet somewhere, have one conversation without fighting—”

Mom was obviously saying something, because Dad had stopped talking. Kane felt like a rock had dropped into his stomach.

They had never fought. Ever. And Mom and Dad weren’t talking to each other? Was that the gist of the conversation? What the hell was going on?

“You can still fly out here. Kane would love to see you.” He waited a beat, then said, “No, of course I haven’t told him anything. Don’t you think we should do that together?”

Tell him what? His legs felt weak. He backed up and took a seat at the table on the porch, having heard enough. It was a while until his dad rounded the corner, his eyes widening when he caught sight of Kane.

“How long have you been out here?”

“Long enough to overhear you talking to Mom. So what’s really going on, Dad?”

His father sighed, raked his fingers through his still-thick, dark hair. He pulled up a chair next to Kane. “I didn’t want to tell you like this. I wanted your mom and me to be together. The problem is, she’s avoiding the conversation.”

“What conversation? Just tell me.”

“Your mom and I have split up.”

Kane frowned. “What do you mean, you’ve split up? Like, separated?”

“It started out that way. We tried counseling, but then it became clear there’s no salvaging our marriage. Our lives have moved in opposite directions. We want different things. I’m sorry, Kane. Your mom and I are divorcing.”

For a minute he lost the ability to use his voice as he tried to soak in what his dad had just told him. “A divorce? But you two have always been so happy.”

“Not for years, actually.”

“What? I had no idea.”

“Of course you didn’t, because we didn’t want you to know.”

Kane leaned back in the chair. “And that’s why I haven’t seen much of the two of you. Avoiding my premieres, not visiting the ranch here. All so I wouldn’t catch on to your struggles. But why? I’m hardly a kid anymore, Dad.”

He shrugged. “We both feel like we failed you. We set up an example of a perfect marriage, and now this.”

“Do you think I care about you two having a perfect marriage? I care about you. About Mom.”

“Yeah, I know. I’m sorry.”

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