Wish I May (34 page)

“Call Brandon,” she says. “Call him and tell him we need money for the house. He’ll give it to you.”

I squeeze my eyes shut. I’ve limited Drew’s understanding of my relationship with Brandon on purpose. I wouldn’t want her to know the truth about her big sister. But as a result, she sees him the way he sees himself, as a knight in shining armor who swept in and saved my family from a life on the streets. “We can’t ask Brandon,” I say carefully. “I’m not with him anymore.”

“Well, it was stupid. Really fucking stupid moving us here. Gabby’s finally acting like a normal kid and now she’s going to be homeless.”

I swallow, but I can’t choke down the guilt and regret clogging my throat.

She shrugs, picks at the carpet with her big toe. “Does this mean we have to leave New Hope?”

“No, of course not,” I say in a rush. “You’re staying. I have to figure out what to do about the house, but you’re absolutely staying.”

She flicks her eyes up to meet mine. “What about you?”

“I can’t,” I whisper. And the words tear my heart in two.

I
AM
head over heels in love with William Bailey, and it hurts like a bitch.

When I was a little girl, I believed I would grow up and fall in love. I believed that loving would be as natural as breathing. I believed love was inevitable and that it would feel like being wrapped in a warm fleece blanket on an autumn day.

I was right about everything but the last. I had no idea how much love could hurt, and it feels like it’s done nothing but hurt me for seven years.

For the last four hours, I covered the floor for Will at the gallery while he set up the new exhibition for opening night this weekend. His muscles bunched and stretched under his T-shirt, and when he caught me watching, I pretended not to be hot and bothered.

Every stolen glance, every time he passes me and stops for just a second to kiss my lips, every squeeze of my hand or pinch of my ass, fills me with hope and breaks my heart all at once.

I haven’t told him the sordid truth about my past. Though if someone hired Carl to find out, Will’s going to find out soon, whether I tell him or not. I haven’t told him about Dad’s house either, and time’s running short on that too.

William positions another painting and turns to me with a grin, his baby blues sending my girly bits into a whining fit of,
Please!
and
I want that
. “You okay?”

“I’m fine. Good. Great.”
I’m a babbling idiot incapable of constructing an intelligent sentence in your presence.
I’ve been like this since I found out about the foreclosure yesterday. Because the only choice I have is to take Meredith’s money. It’s pretty ironic that she’s offering, since I was planning to leave anyway, but it still kills me to take it. Because if Will doesn’t hate me when he finds out what I did seven years ago, he’ll hate me for taking her bribe.

He steps closer and takes my face in his hand, tilting my chin up as he studies me. My heart slams in my chest, and my whole core is filled with the push-pull, pain-comfort that comes with loving someone you have to let go. “I think you’re working too much.”

“I’m fine,” I promise.

The bell over the front door jingles, and Hanna and Lizzy Thompson stroll into the gallery.

“We’re here to kidnap Cally,” Lizzy announces.

Hanna nods. “She works too much, and we’re dragging her along for martini night with the girls.”

“You guys—”

“We won’t take no for an answer,” Lizzy says, cutting me off.

“I have to close up for Will so he can finish putting up the fall exhibition.”

“Stop being such a workaholic and
live
a little,” Lizzy says.

“Back us up, Will,” Hanna says. “She works constantly. It’s not healthy.”

Will’s studying me, and I duck my head under his assessing gaze. “They’re right,” he says. “You need a break. And it’s slow today. I’ve got this. No problem.”

“I told you I’d stay and—”

He waves away my objection. “It’s not a big deal. The twins are right. It’s not healthy to work all the time. You’ll burn out.” He tugs me against him and lowers his mouth to my ear. “Or you could take me up on my offer to run away with me for a weekend. Cancel your appointments? Spend next weekend in bed in our hotel suite?”

My stomach flips—because, if I take Meredith’s money, by next weekend, I’ll be gone. I turn to the twins. “Fine. I’ll go for one drink.”

Lizzy grabs my arm and pulls me toward the door. “Let’s get her out of here before she changes her mind.”

“Bye,” I call lamely over my shoulder as I leave.

“Hello,” William calls back.

“Hello,” I whisper.

Lizzy pushes me through the doors and rolls her eyes. “I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.”

Her Charger is parked out front and she doesn’t release me until she’s opened the passenger door and shoved me half inside.

I rub my wrist. “Man, you weren’t kidding when you said
kidnap
.”

“Are you okay?” Hanna asks from the back. “Lizzy doesn’t know how strong she is sometimes.”

“She’s fine!” Lizzy slams my door and comes around to climb in her side. “Brady’s for margaritas, or The Wire for martinis?” she asks as she slides her key into the ignition.

“Martinis,” Hanna says.

Lizzy turns the car in the direction of The Wire, and I’m almost relieved that they came for me. This might be the only chance I have to say goodbye.

“Would you stop thinking so much?” Lizzy asks. “All you’re doing is sitting there, but those wheels in your brain are so busy cranking away, it’s making my brain feel like a slacker.”

Hanna taps my shoulder. “Thank you for coming with us. We’ve missed you.”

Something squeezes in my chest. “I’ve missed you guys too.”

Lizzy flashes me a sad smile before returning her gaze to the road, and I know there’s something they’re not saying.

At the Wire, it appears every table is taken, but I follow the girls back to a booth and am surprised to see Maggie waiting there.

“I didn’t know you were joining us!” I slide in next to her and grab the martini menu.

Maggie exchanges a meaningful look with her sisters, who have taken their positions in the booth across from us.

I set down the menu. “What is it?”

Again with the secret sisterhood of exchanged glances, then, Lizzy: “We need to talk.”

“Drinks first!” Hanna protests.

Maggie nods. “Hanna’s right. This calls for vodka.”

So I sit there with anxiety tearing up my stomach as we wait for our drinks to arrive—Grey Goose with olives for Maggie, chocolate for the twins, and a vodka tonic for me.

“Enough with the suspense,” I say after we get rid of the waitress. “What’s up?”

“There are some rumors,” Hanna hedges.

“And we think you should know about them,” Lizzy finishes.

I smile but I don’t need a mirror to know it’s shaky and doesn’t reach my eyes. The PI. Whoever he was working for has told everyone the truth about me. I was hoping it wouldn’t get around until after I left. I wince, thinking of my sisters. No. I was hoping it would
never
get around. “What is it?”

Again, the girls exchange looks. Lizzy clears her throat. “Meredith is pregnant.”

“Everyone is saying it’s Will’s,” Hanna continues, “and…the timing is right.”

I take a swig of my drink. “Pregnant,” I murmur.
Holy shit.
No wonder she wants me to leave town.

“She’s not coming out and
saying
that it’s his.” Lizzy puts her hand on mine.

“But she’s not denying it either,” Hanna adds.

“People are starting to whisper about you,” Lizzy admits. “They’re calling you a home wrecker.”

“Because apparently men in this town aren’t responsible for their own dicks,” Maggie mutters.

“We’re telling them what’s what,” Hanna assures me. “Despite how she likes to spin it, Will and Meredith were
not
an item when you got to town.”

“We don’t think Will knows,” Lizzy says softly. “But we think you should tell him before she does.”

Maggie clears her throat. “Ladies, would you let me and Cally speak privately for a minute?”

The twins scoot out of the booth, leaving me and Maggie alone.

“Listen,” Maggie begins, “I like you, and I like how happy Will is when he’s with you, so I’ll tell you something I wouldn’t tell anyone else. There’s no way that baby is Will’s.”

My mouth is dry, and I down half of what’s left in one gulp. “I’m pretty sure they slept together,” I say. “Even assuming they used protection, nothing is one-hundred-percent effective.” What was it Maggie said after I first moved back? That all Will wanted was to get married and have a family? If I hadn’t shown up, would he and Meredith be happily pursuing that dream by now?

She gives me a sad smile and drops her eyes to her drink. “Would you just trust me on this one? Meredith may be pregnant, but it is
not
his baby.”

Slowly, I nod. I’m sure she’s trying to reassure me because she sees the panic on my face. But she doesn’t understand that I can’t give William what Meredith can. And I love him enough to let him have with her what he can’t have with me.