Page 63 of Love and Other Trials
Tiffany’s eyebrows flew back to her forehead. “With Mother? Not if hell froze over. And Tricia and Terry would be glad in a way. We all like to think we’re the top sister, you know. We vie for Mother’s approval. When one of us has a problem, it makes us feel better about ourselves. You’re lucky. You don’t have that compulsion. Your dad made all the difference there. Ariel, you’re the only Deverell woman with any true self-confidence.”
Ariel nearly fell off her barstool. Hearing herself referred to as a Deverell woman and self-confident in the same breath was too much. “Is that what you think? I’ve never felt like I belonged with the rest of you. The Three Tornadoes, Stormy’s pride and joy. I’m never included in that. Do you know how hard that is?”
Tiffany sniffed, tears spilling over again, and she grabbed Ariel’s hand this time and squeezed it tight.“I’m sorry.”
There was real contrition in her sister’s voice, and it punched a hole into Ariel’s already battered heart. Ariel took a drink of her beer, reeling from everything they’d just shared. How had it come to this? Sitting in the grungy bar of her sister’s ex-boyfriend, days away from her wedding, and connecting like this? “I’m sorry too, Tiff.”
When her sister leaned her head against her shoulder, she put an arm around her. She caught Bowie coming back in and then immediately stepping back out. Like he was giving them more time alone.
The silence in the bar wrapped around them, and Ariel didn’t want the moment to end. There was love here, and an understanding they’d never had before. For a precious moment, she knew her sister really loved her. Like from her heart loved her. Not the wholeyou’re my sisterorwe’re familykind of love that had never filled her heart space. She hugged Tiffany tightly one last time before finally standing up.
“I’m bushed, and you probably are too. Do you want me to drive you home?”
Tiffany looked around the bar. “Sure, but I can drive.”
Ariel blanched as a thought struck her, and she pointed to the water glass. “But?—”
“I lied about switching to silver,” her sister answered, reading her mind. “It looks like water, and there’s no smell. I take the bottle with me to the bathroom, dump it in the toilet, and then fill it up at the faucet. I haven’t had a drink since I found out.”
Relieved, she almost slumped onto the bar. “Smart.”
“Thanks. That’s a compliment coming from you. God, I’m probably being crazy emotional because I’m pregnant, and I’m sorry for that too. Let me find Bowie, and then we can go home. You’re right. I am tired. So tired I could sleep right here.”
She rose slowly from the bar chair and was halfway around the bar when she turned around. Ariel froze at the panicked look on her face. It was back.
“Ariel, will you promise not to tell anyone about the baby?”
Secrets were corrosive, and yet her family seemed to thrive on them. Why would tonight be any different? “All right, but what are you going to tell them about tonight? Because?—”
“I’ll tell our sisters that I needed some space, but I promise you that I’ll tell Rob the truth about coming here. I know Dax is going to tell him anyway, so I won’t ask you to intervene, butplease, please, pleasedon’t say anything about me being pregnant. I know you two have gotten tight, but I don’t want to see that judgy look in his eyes. He already doesn’t like me.”
She didn’t want to take that on, and she certainly wasn’t going to bring up Dax’s impression that Tiffany had hit on him. Bottom line—she didn’t want tonight to mess up what was happening between her and Dax. He had his impressions of what he’d seen, and she wasn’t sure Tiffany being pregnant would change that. He’d taken a photo for Rob, and he clearly planned to show it to him. In the end, what Dax said to Rob was up to him. How Rob reacted was up to him.
Who knew how that would go? She expected Rob would still want to marry Tiffany, especially with the baby on the way, but in the end, none of that had anything to do with her.
But all the secrets and the shame and accusations made her sad. The waters ahead weren’t going to be easy for anyone. Then she almost laughed. When had it ever been easy with her family?
She met her sister’s wide, frightened eyes. “I won’t say anything to Dax.”
Tiffany grabbed her wrist in a death grip. “Promise.”
“I promise.”
“Good.” Tiffany slumped onto the bar. “Thank you, Ariel! I’ll be right back.”
When she disappeared from sight, Ariel walked woodenly to the front door and let herself outside. Dax was standing on the street, rubbing under Sherlock’s floppy ears, his deep baritone voice muttering encouraging words to her dog. He straightened upon seeing her. “Is she coming with you or is she staying here?”
She realized what he was asking. He wondered if she was going home with Bowie. “It’s not like that that.”
He heaved out a breath. “Ariel, I have to tell Rob about tonight. I can’t in good conscience?—”
He broke off, and it was obvious the weight of love and responsibility felt as crushing to him as her responsibilities did to her. “I know. Tiffany plans to talk to him too about tonight if that means anything. I’m going to drive her back. Can you take Sherlock back?”
A car went by, and a few stragglers came out of a pirate-themed bar a few doors down, talking loudly. Sherlock pressed his head against her side. She wanted to sink down on the ground and gather him to her. Bury her face in his fur and tell herself she was going to get through this week. Because right now, she hurt. And she didn’t know how to make it stop. With Tiffany and her family. Or with Dax.
“Sure, I’ll see you at the cottage.” He stepped close, tipping her chin to meet her gaze. “Ariel, this doesn’t have anything to do with what’s between us. Let me go one step further. I don’t want it to hurt anything between us.”
She wanted to repeat those words, affirming them, but she found she couldn’t.
