3. Caro

THREE

Caro

I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. But this was a clusterfuck of epic proportions.

I shouldn’t have blurted it out. Maybe I shouldn’t have come and said anything at all.

But I couldn’t stand seeing him walk away and think that I’d wanted to go. That we didn’t have anything at all. Him not knowing that I had a reason, a very good reason.

I loved him. Love him. But I can tell that that argument is going to get me nowhere.

I left him. I knew that he had issues with women and I walked away even though it was for a good reason.

He doesn’t know that reason and he never can. Nobody can. I’ve got to keep my secret if I want to keep my son happy and healthy.

I sigh and scrub my hand down my face. This is hard. It’s always so hard when you care about someone and you know you’ve fucked up. God knows, I saw it over and over again with my sister and her constant stream of boyfriends.

“I’m really sorry, Ricky. So sorry. But I had to help a… a friend. And then it just wasn’t the right time to come back to explain what happened.”

He turns around and the anger on his face kills me. “You couldn’t be bothered to come back and tell me that you were pregnant with my child before you lost my child. That’s what you’re telling me. And you expect me to just smile and say that’s okay? That’s not okay, Caroline. Not at all. I understand if you say that you didn’t want to be with me anymore and for some reason you ran. People are too selfish to tell important people shit all the time.”

I flinch. Jesus, this is hard. “I really needed to get to my friend. They… they were really sick. They needed me.”

“I needed you, Caroline!” He didn’t raise his voice but he might as well be shrieking at me. My eyes sting with tears.

He pulls himself up short. His broad shoulders straighten. “But between you and Vera, you’ve taught me a very important lesson. Never trust a fucking woman. Have a good life.”

He turns away and this time he doesn’t stop and I don’t attempt to keep him here. Tears pour down my cheeks and I fight hard to hold in the sobs threatening to rip out of me. A soft hand touches my arm and I turn around to see a sympathetic Margot and Louise.

“Well, that didn’t go as well as I’d hoped, dear.”

“Yeah.” I wipe my tears away with the tissue she hands me. “It’s my own damn fault. I should have come sooner to explain where I went and what happened.”

Margot cocks her lavender head. “Honey, I didn’t notice you explaining anything. You just kinda dropped a bomb on him and expected him to understand. You two are terrible at communicating.”

I sniffle and keep wiping the tears away. “I really hate what I did but it’s not really my story to tell and I can’t just blurt out someone else’s truths.”

She nods her head. “I get that. We all have secrets. But Ricky especially is touchy about that thanks to Vera.”

“I know. I wish I could tell him. I’m sure that once all this stuff gets straightened out, I will be able to, but not yet.”

“Do you have any idea how long that’s gonna take?” She asks.

I wish I freaking did. I really wish I did. But my sister’s problems have only gotten worse and it’s taking everything in me to keep her situation private.

I shake my head. “I don’t.”

She grins at me. “Well, I’ve got a few ideas how you can get him to forgive you that could buy you some time.”

That grin on her face! A trickle of unease runs down my spine. But I’m desperate. I need to help my sister and I need to win back Ricky. It’s not even really an option. Not if I ever want to be happy again.

I nod my head slowly, my uneasy gaze studying the way her crocodile-smile keeps spreading. How the hell can she smile that big without getting that red lipstick all over her huge-ass earrings? There’s nothing subtle about Granny Margot.

“Alright, Caroline. Let’s go have a talk about how you can get my grandson to see that you made a few mistakes but you love him. Because you do love him, right?”

I nod my head, easy tears slipping from my eyes. Hell yeah, I love him. I can’t live without him in fact.

Okay. I can. I just don’t want to. I wish I hadn’t had to run but my sister’s freaking problems are a disaster of epic proportions and if I hadn’t stepped in who knew what the hell she would have done. She’s not thinking clearly that’s for damn sure.

Margot cocks her head. “You sure you can’t tell me what’s up that had you tearing out of town like your ass was on fire?”

“Nope.”

She nods but I think the curiosity is killing her. “Okay. Well, we’ll save that for another day. For now, let’s work on Ricky because I know that boy loves you but he’s stubborn as the day is long. He’s never going to admit to what he thinks is a weakness without a little push over a cliff.” She chuckles wryly. “You being the cliff.”

My cheeks flush as hot as a nuclear blast and I can’t help it. I gasp, shocked. Which only seems to make her happier. I can tell that she loves to shock people. She’s damn good at it.

“At least tell me that the reason you left is a good one.” Her shrewd brown eyes lock on mine.

I nod my head. “Yeah. It’s really bad. Hopefully, it’s going to be settled soon. But I couldn’t risk getting Ricky involved in this mess.”

She purses her lips. “You do realize that that’s probably gonna piss him off too. Men like to do the big, bad protector role. It’s ingrained in them. If you take it away from them for any reason, even a good one they tend to get a little crabby.”

Ricky stomps off to his truck and revs it up, tearing out of the little parking lot bordered by trees.

She holds her hand out. Like she’s showing off a prize. “Case in point.”

“So what do I do?”

She grins. “You come over to my place tomorrow, sweetheart. I’m gonna get some planning done with Louise and we’re gonna get some things lined up.”

I nod my head, not really sure that she can actually help me. Ricky’s pissed and I don’t blame him.

But what was I supposed to do? Leave Angel to fend for herself? She’s terrible at thinking clearly and had the most ridiculous plan that I ever heard. And it got her hurt.

I had to help her. She’s my sister. She’s one of my last few relatives.

There’s nothing that matters more than family. My parents always said that. Told us to look out for each other.

Even when we do damn fool things that cause so much trouble that it’s almost guaranteed to kill one of us.

I need to have everything lined up just right.