Page 98 of Under Ground
“You never told me anything about my father. And you knew I was making this movie with Reece.”
“I’m sorry. I always thought it was better to leave well enough alone. That little boy was orphaned that weekend, and you … well, you couldn’t very well meet your father. Maybe I was wrong, but I chose to leave it in the past.” She fiddles with her bangles. “I wasn’t expecting to meet him this way. Seeing Reece in the flesh was a little overwhelming.”
“Ahem.” We look up to find Delaney in the doorway. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but dinner is ready and maybe we could all do with a distraction?”
“That sounds like a great idea.” Lana stands.
Delaney’s right. Now’s a good time to take a break and collect my thoughts.
I can’t undo what’s happened, but I can try and make things right with Reece.
God knows how, but I’ve got to try.
* * *
It’s hard to say what Josh and Delaney think about everything’s that’s happened.
They both keep off the subject over dinner, and afterward, when we’ve had dessert and coffee, they make excuses to leave us alone.
It makes me feel even worse that they don’t feel comfortable being around us in their own home.
And then Mom heads off to bed.
“What am I going to do?” I ask Lana. “We’re at risk of being isolated from our new friends because of this.”
She shakes her head. “Our friendships are more solid than you’re giving them credit for.”
“I hope so.”
“You do look a little like him. Maybe more than a little.” Her lips curl into a smile.
“The better-looking version?”
She squints. “I’m not so sure about that.”
This. This is why I love her so much. No matter how hard things are, she never loses her sense of humour. God knows how. I’ve not given her a lot to laugh about so far.
“So much better-looking than him. I like this face. Love it even.” She drinks me in with her affectionate gaze. We’ve not been together for long, but we’ve already shared a lifetime of secrets.
“I’m sorry.”
Her brows knit. “What for?”
“Everything. For making this out to be some great adventure and then screwing things up. You and Casey are everything to me, and in such a short time you’ve had to deal with so much of my bullshit.”
Lana brushes her fingers against my cheek. “We’re still finding our way. Things haven’t been perfect, but we’ve got through it so far. This won’t be any different.”
“Are you sure? This could damage my friendship with Reece right while we’re making this movie. The timing couldn’t be worse.”
She wraps her arms around my waist. “You two will work it out. You’re both reasonable, grown men. Plus you have these amazing partners who will help you through it.”
I look deep into her eyes. She loves me. It’s written all over her face. I’m not sure I deserve it, but I’ll spend the rest of my life keeping her and Casey safe and giving them everything I can. “You are amazing. Just in case I don’t tell you often enough.”
“I’ll never get sick of hearing it.” She purses her lips, and I can’t help but smile. I have this urge to just take her and Casey away for a week someplace where we can just be a family. Staying with friends has been good, and I know that the support is invaluable for Lana.
I feel crowded and not by my girls. Just by the way life has gone. In the old days, it was easy to take off for a while and just be alone, but now I have responsibilities.
I’m not sure how Reece is dealing with the news he just got.