Page 62 of All You Need Is Love

“Me? Nothing.”

“Nothing? That’s not what I expected from you.” Tyler cocked his head. “You afraid what people around here will think?”

“No.” Especially if he knew Shannon felt the same way he did—which she obviously didn’t. He shrugged. “I just don’t think it’s going to work out. She wants to stay here, and I’ve got a job in New York. Possible promotion coming. There’s nothing here for me.”

“Nothing but love.”

He scoffed. Right. “Love might not be enough.”

“Then maybe it’s not really love.”

Marshall eyed Tyler. “Agreed.” He pushed himself upright. “Thanks for the pep talk, man, but I’ve decided to focus on my career right now. It’s just not a good time to get involved with someone who lives three thousand miles away.” Turning, he walked down the dock.

Footsteps pounded the pier and Tyler was beside him again. “I was where you are once.” Tucking his hands in the pockets of his khaki shorts, Tyler turned and walked backward next to Marshall as they headed toward the Berry Street house. “And I know what it’s like to be afraid.”

“Afraid?” Marshall shook his head, but his heart picked up speed. The sputter of the water from a nearby sprinkler filled the silence of the dark night. “I’m not afraid.”

“Well, I was. And even though I’m not really a ‘talk about your feelings’ guy, I’m man enough to admit it.”

Now he had Marshall curious. “Afraid of what?”

“I almost lost out on a life with Gabs because I worried that I wasn’t enough for her. That I needed to somehow buy her love. Which was idiotic. Because all she wanted from me, was … me.”

A sharp pain needled Marshall’s ribs and spread across his chest. He coughed.

But no, he and Tyler weren’t the same. After all, Tyler and Gabrielle had dated in high school. They’d had a history. Marshall and Shannon, well … their relationship was super new. An unknown. And unknowns left a person open to rejection. To betrayal. To all sorts of unpleasant feelings Marshall would rather not experience. It was better to end things now, before he had a chance to feel even worse than he already did.

He stopped underneath a tall lamppost, looked hard at Tyler. “And what if Gabrielle had decided a few months in that she didn’t want you after all? Wouldn’t you have wanted to know then? Save yourself the grief and heartache?”

Tyler ran his fingers along his stubbled jaw. “I’m not gonna lie and say it never crossed my mind. There’s always the risk of getting hurt. Still is. But there’s also a lot of joy in finding love. In being loved.”

That was true. The feelings he’d had when Shannon was in his arms were life changing. But even more than that, her acceptance of his past, her listening ear, the calming effect she had on him, the beauty she’d already brought to his life in one short week—those had given him more joy than any promotion or sense of satisfaction he’d experienced at work.

And yet … “I just don’t know how to get past the what-ifs.”

“The what-ifs will kill any peace of mind you have, man.” They started walking again, Tyler in the street and Marshall on the sidewalk. “It’s like Gabrielle being pregnant. There are times I wake up in the middle of the night sweating, terrified that something has happened to her or the baby. And then there’s the thought … like, what if I’m not going to be the dad she needs?”

“I’m sure I’d feel the same way.” Especially given the crummy example of a father he’d had.

“Right? But here’s the thing. Just because I’m worried about what might happen or all the ways I might fail, does that mean that it would have been better for Gabs to have not gotten pregnant at all?”

“Of course not.”

“Well. There you go. It’s that simple. Either love is enough, or it’s not.” Tyler lifted his eyebrows. “Either Shannon is worth it, or she’s not.”

“That’s not fair. It’s not about her being worth it.”

Tyler grunted. “All I can tell you is that I’m totally not worthy of Gabrielle. Not one bit. But somehow, I’ve been given this amazing gift. She loves me, dude, though I can’t really tell you why. And I’m just living my life trying to be the best man I can be for her and our daughter. That’s all I can do. That’s all any of us can do.”

Marshall blew out a tight breath. “I’m glad she loves you.”

“My sister loves you too. Or at least cares for you more than any man she’s ever known. I can see it in her eyes.”

What could Marshall say? Her actions simply didn’t reflect that. She’d had the chance to stop him before he left with Quinn—he’d practically begged her to with his eyes—and she’d looked away.

“Fine, man. Be stubborn about it. Don’t believe me.” Tyler pointed at Marshall’s chest. “At this point, it’s your choice whether you push her away or not. That’s on you. And if you walk away, then you really don’t deserve her.”

Ouch.

The men arrived at the Berry Street house where the outside lights warmly welcomed them home. Tyler strode through the gate and whisked inside, probably headed straight for the arms of his beautiful wife—the one he wouldn’t have if he’d stayed on the same course, stubborn and unwilling to bend toward the unknown.

To lean into the potential for hurt.

Marshall held onto the pointy posts of the picket fence, staring up into the night sky. He shut his eyes against the truth, but it still prodded at him.

Because Tyler was right. It was Marshall’s choice. He could blame his dad all he wanted for his trust issues, but really, at this point that was on Marshall’s shoulders too—the decision to forgive or to let his dad’s actions steer Marshall’s own.

As far as he could see, there was only one way to proceed.

And he didn’t like it one bit.

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