“Listening to him was the biggest mistake of my life.”
“So, why are you really here? Because your life sucks and you thought I’d just wait for you? It’s been over ten years.”
“My husband has been cheating on me. When I mentioned it to my mother, she said a lot of men do and that I should just accept it like she has. I was upset because I thought my parents were the perfect married couple. I wanted to emulate them. Everything I thought I knew was wrong. I went to a coffee shop when I was upset and sitting on the table was you. On the cover of that magazine. I read the article, cancelled my appointments, and saw the movie. It was like the perfect storm. I had to come. I don’t expect you to love me again, Riley. I just need your forgiveness. And I need to start living my life for me.”
“I loved you. You walked away and never looked back.”
“I couldn’t have looked back, or I wouldn’t have had the strength to do it. I filed for divorce yesterday. I know it might seem like I did all of this on a whim, but it’s been a long time coming.”
“Finally taking responsibility for your actions?”
“Yes. I’ve been blaming my parents for the decisions I made about my life. Keatyn and Maggie both reminded me of that.”
“How?”
“They said I was an adult when I left, and I was an adult when I got married. That my parents may have influenced me, but I chose my path and I need to start owning up to it.”
“They’re smart women,” I say, completely agreeing with them.
Ariela reaches out and grabs my hand.
“Owwww! Don't touch my hand!”
She leans back, holding her hands in the air. “Why?”
“I think it's broken.”
“Broken? How? It was fine a few minutes ago.”
“Grandpa told me to punch a tree.”
“And you listened to him? That was stupid of you. You had to know it was going to hurt.”
Looking into her eyes, I say slowly, defeatedly, “Sounds like what happened when you listened to your dad. You had to know it was going to hurt.”
“It broke my heart,” she says, tears filling her eyes again.
I touch her face with my good hand.
She grabs it tightly, leaning her cheek against it. When she closes her beautiful eyes, teardrops leak out and roll down her face.
And for the first time since she came back into my life, I feel like maybe things could be okay. I’m soaking up her love. The pain in my hand going away and leaving me feeling lost in time.
“I want to tell you something,” she says, her hand still firmly pressed against mine. “I'm going to live in California regardless of what happens with us. Keatyn says once people know I did her wedding, I'll get other jobs. I don't know if that's true, but . . .”
“Don’t,” I tell her.
“Don't what?”
“Open a business yet.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m not convinced you’ll stay.”
“I’m staying, Riley, no matter what. Can you at least learn to tolerate my presence?”
“Maybe we should do something about that.”
“Like what?”
“Eastbrooke’s Homecoming is next weekend.”
“I’ve never been back there.”
“Neither have I.”
“I don’t know if I can do it, Riley. It would be so hard to go back. There are so many memories there.”
“I know there are, but I think we both need to. Maybe if we go back to where it ended, we can figure out where it's going.”
“Where do you think it's going?” she asks, barely a whisper.
“I don't know, Ariela. I don't know if I can be your friend or not but, if nothing else, maybe this will give us both some closure. Maybe we’ll finally be able to put the past behind us.”
“I’ll have to work my ass off this week getting stuff ready for the wedding in order to go.”
“I have a dinner meeting Monday. Maybe we could go get dinner Tuesday night.”
“Like a date?” she asks.
“More like a meeting.”
She hangs her head. “Okay. A meeting on Tuesday night, it is.”
“Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go get some ice for my hand and apologize to everyone else for my behavior.”
“Riley, wait!” she says, grabbing my chin and turning it toward her.
Our lips softly touch in a kiss.
A kiss that isn't like the passionate one we shared at Keatyn’s the night she showed up for dinner. This is more like our first kiss, tentative and unsure.
But her lips feel exactly the same—soft, sweet perfection.
Keatyn & Aiden’s home - Asher Vineyards, Sonoma County
KEATYN
Riley comes back in the house without Ariela, which can’t be good.
He stops to look at the dining room table, which is still littered with remnants of the dinner party he interrupted.
He peeks in the kitchen, finding me, Aiden, Knox, and Jennifer standing around the island, chatting.
“I wanted to say I’m sorry,” he says. He looks horrible. I don’t know what’s happened since Grandpa took him out back and since he went looking for Ariela, but I haven’t seen him look this bad in years.