Page 54 of All It Takes

The school meeting was actually okay. Although I felt Wes’s questioning gaze on me a few times, we both played it cool. Ross was doing well in school, so the meeting was mostly a formality.

At the end of the meeting, his teacher glanced back and forth between us. “I have to say, the two of you have done an incredible job. It sounds like this was unexpected for both of you, and while this is an unconventional arrangement for guardianship, it’s working out well for Ross. He has a support network between both of your families and both of you working together. I’m really grateful you didn’t hesitate.” She paused, glancing toward Wes. “With your job, it’s an ideal situation since you’re gone for stretches of time.”

Wes nodded, clearing his throat before he replied, “I am. We’re kind of doing this by the seat of our pants, but we’re glad it’s going okay.”

When he glanced at me, all I could do was nod. Emotion felt lodged in my throat. I managed to thank the teacher and was grateful she didn’t have time to linger. I felt the urge to bolt when we were walking down the hallway. The bell rang just as we reached the door. The hallway went from quiet to the doors opening and kids hurrying out to go wherever they went next. I was almost relieved for the interruption because it masked my urge to flee.

I arrived before Wes, but he’d parked his vehicle beside mine. There were only so many spots to choose from, but I felt frustrated. I wanted to escape.

Get a fucking grip. No matter what, you have to deal with him.

All these years later, I wondered if this was how my mother used to feel about my father. I would never know if she actually loved him.

A voice whispered in the distance.You love Wes. Give him a chance. Give yourself a chance.

I blinked, willing the sting of tears away.

Stopping by my car, I curled my hand around the door handle when Wes’s voice caught me, snagging like a hook along the ragged edges of my heart.

“Tiffany.”

I turned, my hand still curled around the door handle. As if it could keep me from flying away and spinning into the storm of my emotions.

“Yeah?” My voice came out a little rough.

He studied me for a moment before stepping closer and lifting a hand to brush a loose lock of hair off my cheek and tuck it behind my ear. His fingertips were warm. The subtle brush of them along the outer shell of my ear and the sensitive skin behind it sent a fiery shiver through me.

His hand dropped away as his gaze coasted over my face. My heartbeat drummed a nervous echo.

“I’d ask you if you got my message, but I think you did. You don’t have to reply. I just wanted to say it face-to-face. I love you.”

His words fell softly between us. He waited for a beat, and I couldn’t even speak.

“I’ll let you think about it. I’d like to give us a chance to give this a chance.” He curled his hand in a fist, pressing it to his chest before unfurling it and placing his palm directly over my heart.

“Okay,” I whispered through the thick knot of emotion in my throat, praying I didn’t burst into tears right in front of him. I felt split in two inside—one part of me nearly jumping for joy at his words and the love held in his eyes, and the other part nearing a panic attack, overwhelmed with fear and the desire to run away from all of this.

He waited for another moment before he stepped back, saying, “I know what you mean about Ross, and I’ll give you space. Just think about what I said.”

I watched as he walked away, feeling utterly bereft and gutted. That restless urge to flee thrummed through my body, mingling with a desire to chase after Wes, to grab him with both hands and tell him I loved him too, tell him he was everything I wanted.

Instead, I held the door handle and watched as he climbed into his SUV and drove away.

ChapterThirty-Seven

TIFFANY

I studied at my computer screen at work, playing shuffleboard with Alice’s and the new vet tech’s schedule. Farrah had fit right in here. She picked up many of the appointments for routine shots and other issues Alice could pass off. We were busy enough that I knew we needed to look into getting a second vet tech and possibly hiring another veterinarian. Alice wasn’t ready to go there yet, but I was prepared to talk her into it sometime soon.

The chime above the door in the waiting area rang out. I finished making one change before glancing up to see Mr. Green, my favorite high school teacher, walking through the door with a cat carrier in hand. The moment I saw him, bitterness chased through me.

I deeply resented the fact that Mr. Green, a man I’d looked up to and trusted, ended up having a fling with my mother. I also hated that I knew this. It was only one weekend, but it still happened.

I had long ago come to terms, even before she died, with my mother. When my father actually spoke to me about my mother, he acknowledged that he hadn’t taken her two flings as anything other than her tendency not to be able to be committed, or tied down, to anything or anyone.

I understood that, but Mr. Green had broken my heart. He met my eyes as he walked across the waiting area, setting the cat carrier on the counter. I’d learned about the affair from his daughter, an old friend from high school. She lived out of town now. Beyond telling me about it and being furious at her father and my mother, we had never discussed it again. I felt pressed to actually apologize to her, which was ridiculous.

Not that she’d expected it. I’d constantly felt like I had to apologize for the woman my mother was and the mess she left in her wake. Mr. Green dipped his chin, offering, “Hello, Tiffany. I’m here for”—he peered into the cat carrier with a soft smile—“Chester’s appointment.” His eyes met mine again.

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