Page 82 of A Summer Mismatch
“What’s this?” she asked, then sucked in a deep breath. “Laugh and Liveby Douglas Fairbanks.”
“It’s one of the first self-help books out there, and I know how much you love those. This is a first edition, and signed.”
“How in the world did you find this?” She flipped gingerly through the pages, pausing to read a line here and there.
“I had some help from Harry,” he replied. “I gave him the title, and he took it from there.”
“I don’t know what to say.” She blinked a few times.
“You don’t need to say anything,” Horace said. “But I sure do. I’m sorry, Winnie. I’m sorry I didn’t see how stressed you’ve been, and that I played a role in adding to it. I’m sorry I messed things up for Julia, and any heartache I caused. I’m sorry I’ve had my head stuck in my nether regions for an inexcusable amount of time.”
Winnie let out an unexpected chortle. She covered her mouth, and he had to bite back his own matching smile. He wasn’t done apologizing.
“I let Smitty get to me, and I let my old grudges color my judgment.”
“You stole Sweetie and ruined the Watermelon Gala.”
He winced. “Not one of my greatest moments.” He had immediately regretted that one. He’d had no idea people would react in such a panicked state, and hadn’t even considered that Sweetie might get injured. Luckily, Aaron, Sweetie’s keeper, and his girlfriend Cocoa were in attendance at the gala, and he quickly corralled Sweetie and Bear and got them back to The Palms. “I’m sorry for keeping secrets from you.”
“That’s the most I’ve ever heard you apologize,” Winnie said. She stared at the cover of the book, and oh, how he wished she’d look at him. He gave in to the urge to touch her soft skin. He placed his palm on her cheek, and when she looked at him, he felt that familiar quilt-like warmth wrap him up.
“I mean every word. And I’m going to prove it by my actions too. I love you, Winnie, and even though I can be a dolt sometimes, I really do want to make you happy.”
“You do make me happy, Horace.” She took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. “I’ve been keeping a secret from you, too, and it’s time I came clean.”
“What is it?” His heart skipped. He couldn’t imagine what it might be. Something with her health? With her past? She never did like to talk about her time in college, before they got married.
Her voice was resolute, unapologetic. “I’ve been matchmaking the grandchildren of our friends, and now I’m trying to bring Julia and Logan together. I’ve enlisted my friends’ help to do so.”
A flame of irritation flared and then sputtered out just as quickly. He had to hand it to her. All the times Julia and Logan accidentally ran into one another at The Palms. All the times he’d been conveniently distracted while Logan and Julia grew closer.
He’d known his wife was smart, but he hadn’t given her credit for just how driven she was.
“So while I’ve been trying to break them apart, you’ve been trying to get them together?”
She nodded, and for some reason, in that moment, the situation struck him as inexplicably hilarious. He tried to hold back his laughter. He really did. This was a serious moment of remorse and reconciliation. People had been hurt. Hearts broken.
But how in the world had they looked at the same situation and come to two completely different conclusions about what needed to happen?
And how in the world had Horace gotten it so, so wrong?
His laughter must have been contagious, because Winnie started laughing as well, and then smacked him on the shoulder lightly with the book. “You’ve been making my job extra difficult, I’ll have you know.”
“Me and Smitty always were a good team,” he said.
“You and Smitty talking?” She pretended to faint. “Has the world ended? Did I die the other night and just not realize it?”
“Not funny,” he said. He didn’t even want to think about the other night, much less the d-word. “But, yes, Smitty and I are pretty unstoppable together.”
“Unfortunately,” she said.
He nodded in agreement.
“You two always did work better together than apart,” she mused and patted his arm.
“What if we join forces?” he asked.
She raised an eyebrow. “What do you have up your sleeve?”
