Page 22 of A First Sight

MAGGIE

I turned twenty-seven today,and tomorrow we're heading to California for my brother Brody's wedding with Carson and London. Dale and I both had tonight off due to how early our flight was in the morning.

At least, that was the plan up until a few minutes ago when we sat down for lunch at Ben & Jack’s Steakhouse. Without looking at me, Dale announced he planned to take a nap this afternoon so that, after tonight’s concert, we could go out with some business partner of his father’s.

“We’re not scheduled to play tonight,” I said. “Or at all this weekend.”

He looked at me, his eyes narrowing.

“Right?” I added, hoping that turning it into a question would make it seem less like I was arguing with him.

“I talked to Nehemiah yesterday afternoon,” Dale said, turning his attention back to the menu. “He said it wouldn’t be a problem to sit back in.”

I stared at him. In the three years we were together, sometimes we had to cancel plans with my family for one reason or another. But those were holidays and flukes.

Not my brother’swedding.

“Dale.” I struggled to keep my voice calm and even. “Brody’s wedding is this Saturday.”

“I know that,” he snapped. “And we have performances tonight, tomorrow, and Saturday.”

“Performances that were approved for us to miss months ago,” I reminded him. “Because my brother isgetting married.”

“Look, Maggie, I just don’t feel like getting on a plane at the ass-crack of dawn to fly across the country to spend time with people who don’t like me.” Dale waved for a waitress. “We’re not going.”

There were a thousand things I wanted to say, but I could only think of one to get him back on track without getting him pissed at me.

“The tickets are non-refundable.”

He shrugged, and I knew he wouldn’t change his mind. If losing all that money didn’t sway him, nothing would.

But I wasn’t done.

I might not convince Dale to go with me, but I would not miss Brody’s wedding.

Apparently, I did have a line I wouldn’t cross, and this was it.

“I’d love to have you with me,” I said, “but I understand if you don’t want to come.”

Dale’s head snapped around from where he was checking out our waitress’s ass. “That makes it sound like you still think you’re going.”

I recognized that look in his eyes and the tone of his voice.

“I’m sorry if you feel like my family doesn’t like you,” I said softly. “They just don’t know you. I wish you’d come. Everyone will be there, and you can spend some time with them. It’ll be a nice way to spend Valentine’s Day weekend.”

Color crept up Dale’s neck now, a surefire sign he was past angry to furious. My hands were shaking, and I pressed them together under the table so he wouldn’t see.

“You better think long and hard about what you’re saying,” he said.

I hated every word that came out of his mouth after that, but I let him talk. He liked to talk and hear himself rant because being outraged gave him a sense of significance. I still had that sick, knotted feeling in the pit of my stomach, adrenaline still coursing through my system and the taste of fear in the back of my mouth, but I had something else now too.

Resolve.

Many things that happened these past few months made me rethink my life and where it was heading. I was entertaining ideas I didn’t dare think of before. This afternoon, however, for the first time, I made a bold decision, and I was going to stick with it.

“My brother’s getting married,” I repeated. “I’ll call Nehemiah and tell him I’m still going. And that means we’ll only have to throw away one unused plane ticket.”

His fingers curled into a fist, and the muscle in his jaw bunched and relaxed.

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