Page 86 of Tempest

“Then you’ll learn. I imagine Ryan might want to help you out with that,” Bea said as she stood. “I need to get that enchilada casserole into the oven before I’m too tipsy to care.”

“Let go of your daddy’s story, the resentment, and the anger,” Grams instructed her. “Unlock that heart of yours and see what happens. It’s not going to happen overnight, but if you work at it half as hard as you’ve worked on everything else in your life, then I expect it will happen before you know it.”

“I always thought that I wasn’t good enough for Daddy. Why would anyone else love me if he didn’t? But that’s not true. Daddy loved me in the way he was capable, and that is the end of the story. Maybe I am good enough just the way I am,” Ivy said quietly.

“That is the truest thing you’ve ever said,” Bea told her as she kissed her daughter’s head. “We’ve loved you from the day you were born. Let that be your story. Not the story about the one man in the world who was never capable.”

“Lord have mercy. It’s a lot to take in,” Ivy said.

“If Dolly was sitting with us, she would tell us to have another drink and turn up the radio. We just solved a lot of things in the last sixty minutes that some people don’t figure out in a lifetime.” Grams lifted her glass in the direction of her daughter. “Fill it up.”

Ivy lifted her glass and smiled. “Me too!”

Ryan walked in the back door, and the screen door slammed. Ivy looked over at the handsome, brave and loving man covered in dust and dirt and figured he was worth all the effort she had. “Hi, honey. Want a margarita?”

“Sure.” He came over and kissed her head. “Are you ladies getting drunk at four in the afternoon?”

“I sure hope so,” Grams said as she pushed the chips and guacamole in his direction. “Ivy makes a fine margarita, and I think it’s going to become her signature drink.”

Ivy leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Is that the tequila talking or you?” he said as he kissed her back.

“All me, Ryan. All me.”

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