Page 92 of Tempting the Heart

I believed in her, but I didn’t believe in myself.

Or I never would have let her go.

It wasn’t that I had my parents actively in my life, but I had let them push me away from things and people I enjoyed. In a sense, I gave them a power I didn’t even know existed.

I flipped open my laptop outside on my patio and stared at a flood of work emails.

The Wisconsin breeze picked up from the lake, and the view was gorgeous. It wasn’t like Marigold Island. It was different, still beautiful and fulfilling in its own way, but different. Various shades of green surrounded the waterfront. The light green of the grass and clover shimmered while medium shades of green from the deciduous trees and forests sparkled from the sunlight. Pops of wildflowers surrounded the woods along the shoreline in between the beaches.

The beaches… the sandy beaches. Something I didn’t believe until I stepped foot on them. Things here were gorgeous, and I wasn’t ready to let go of any of it, but I knew in my heart that I wouldn’t have to.

I’d been back in Wisconsin for a few weeks and kept in touch with Mae. Every call, text, and email made me certain of one thing.

I would fight for her to the ends of the earth, but first, I wanted to prove to myself that I deserved her. That I could set boundaries that protected us.

Paul knocked on the open French doors as his phone rang and rang.

“Are you going to answer that or just pretend you’re a super successful PR guy?”

My brother laughed as I stood and gave him a hug. “It’s Mom.”

“Oh, geez.” I shook my head. “Who knew my email would set off so many alarm bells for them?”

“I’m glad you did it.” Paul nodded, glancing toward the lake. “But are you sure you’re ready to return to Marigold for good? They’re only a ferry ride away.”

“I’m going back for Mae, and I would hate myself for the rest of my life if I let her slip away.” I shook my head. “And we both know that Mom and Dad have no intention of ever visiting me. It would have to be me going to them, and that’s not happening. Besides, our parents made a game out of our emotions, but I will win.”

Paul nodded in agreement. “You can’t lose Mae. You’ve been head over heels for her since you were a kid. The fact that she’s even more amazing now that she’s an adult is really… lucky.”

I laughed. “She’s everything and more. When I left, we’d kind of broken things off.”

“I know.”

“But I never stopped calling and texting.” I pushed my lips into a frown and looked at my brother. “I’d never purposefully bring her into this mess with my parents, and she knew that. I knew that. It was up to me to untangle myself from them before I could move forward with her. She told me it didn’t matter, but I knew what could happen if I didn’t remove myself from them.”

Paul nodded and stretched his arms behind his head. “I can say with certainty that your letter did just that.”

“Did it screw things up for you?” I asked, but I already knew the answer. Paul had set up boundaries long ago. He’d written them off in his twenties and performed the bare minimum of duties without allowing his emotions to get tied up in any of it.

That was the problem. My head was still in the game of it, but ever since I wrote them the email, it was like I felt lighter and free for the first time. I’d won. Merely leaving Marigold Island didn’t do that for me. Telling them what I needed to say had.

I had Mae to thank for it.

“Marigold Island has really changed. It will be fun for you to see it.”

Paul flashed a wry grin. “Once I know there’s some wedding bells on the horizon, I’ll fly out.”

“Deal.”

“I pulled my suitcases into the living room. I wasn’t sure which room to take.”

“Take the primary bedroom. I emptied all my clothes from the dresser, and the closet is also cleared out.”

“Wow. So, you’re serious about this.”

I nodded, feeling the excitement course through my veins. I couldn’t wait to see Mae again and hold her in my arms.

“What if she doesn’t give you the answer you’re hoping for?” he asked, sitting across from me.

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