Page 73 of No Going Back
Amelie’s lips slowly lifted at the corners, her expression turning victorious. “Do you see my dad doing any of those things?”
If she was a marksman that would’ve been a kill shot. One that took down every argument he was trying to make. But it still didn’t make him believe he was a good dad, which meant maybe nothing would. Maybe he was destined to always feel like a fucking failure in everything he did. Maybe there was no escaping something you’d carried for so long.
“So now that we’ve established you can be more than just Troy’s dad,” Amelie’s expression softened, “what happened with Dianna?”
He wanted to keep it in. To hold back the truth. To hide yet another of his failings from Amelie in the hopes that her delusions of his fatherhood skills would continue.
But he was fucking miserable. The most miserable he’d ever been in his life.
“I fucked up.” Griffin raked one hand through his hair, leaning forward, elbows on his knees as he hung his head. “I ruined it all the same way I always do.”
And then he did what he should have done before. He flayed himself open and bled, pouring it all out.
She sat quietly, listening to every word he said, no sign of judgment or disappointment on her face. When he was done, she took a deep breath, blowing it back out again. “That sucks.”
That’s all she had to say? He was dumbfounded. After hearing all he confessed, how was Amelie not glaring at him, questioning how she could have ever considered him decent? “That’s it?”
Amelie shrugged. “What did you expect me to say? That you’re an awful person for fucking up?” She shook her head. “I’m not going to because we’ve all done it. Me included.” She rested both hands on her belly, relaxing a little deeper into the sofa. “So how are you going to fix it?”
“Fix it?” He snorted. “I can’t fix it.”
“Well, maybe not alone.” She held his gaze. “You weren’t the only one who fucked up.”
Griffin pressed his lips together. She couldn’t be suggesting—
“If I were you, I’d start by talking to the other person who fucked Dianna over. Maybe apologize for whatever made her hate you so much.” Amelie paused, eyes staying on his. “She might even give you some insight that might come in handy in the future.”
* * *
GRIFFIN STARED AT the front porch of The Inn at Red Cedar Ranch, still uncertain Amelie’s plan was a good one. But for the first time since leaving The Baking Rack after Dianna discovered he and Janie shared a past, he felt hopeful.
More than that, he felt understood. Accepted.
Loved.
When he told Amelie what happened she didn’t judge him or seem let down. She didn’t think he was a piece of shit for holding back the truth of who Janie was. She didn’t think he was terrible for falling in love with Dianna when he was supposed to be being a dad.
She definitely saw him as better than he saw himself. Which was one reason he was here. To prove he was the kind of man his daughter-in-law believed he was.
Griffin straightened his shoulders and crossed the gravel lot, going up the steps to the wide porch flanking the front of the bed and breakfast where he’d stayed when he first came to Moss Creek. He pushed open the door and stepped into the familiar space, hesitating just a second at the sound of female voices carrying into the front hall from the open kitchen. He barely had the door closed when Mariah, the chef who handled most of the meals, peeked around the corner, her brows lifting.
He raised a hand in greeting, feeling less comfortable around her now that he knew Janie’d probably given her an education on all his shortcomings as a man. “Hi.” He glanced over her shoulder. “Is Janie here by any chance?”
Mariah slowly disappeared behind the wall and the voices he’d heard earlier lowered to soft murmurs that were most likely jabs at his expense. A few long minutes passed before Janie came around the corner, her glare trained right on him. “It’s you.”
He decided to move right past her less than encouraging greeting. “Can we talk?”
Janie’s dark brows lifted. “Youwant to talk?” She snorted. “Never thought I’d see the day.” Her scowl deepened, arms crossing tightly over her chest as she continued to stare him down. “What do you want to talk about?”
“Dianna.” He’d relegated her to a level of importance in his life she didn’t deserve. Convinced himself, and her, she would always be less important than his son. And that hadn’t been fair of him. Not to her and, surprisingly, not to Troy.
Apparently, Troy and Amelie weren’t thrilled to find out they were the reason he’d been keeping Dianna at arm’s length. And they were even less thrilled he was willing to give up on the possibility of a happy relationship of his own for their sake.
“I love her.”
Janie’s head tipped back a little, eyes displaying the full extent of her shock at his statement. “You love her?” She huffed out a little laugh. “I don’t believe you. In order to love someone you have to have feelings, and I’m pretty sure you don’t have any.”
She wasn’t cutting him any slack, which was fine. She had every right to still be mad at him for the way their relationship dissolved.
