by Karen Booth
“Thank you for joining us, Autumn,” Pops said.
“Thank you for including me. It feels like a real honor,” Autumn answered.
Grey again felt like such a jerk. Why hadn’t he included her earlier? Autumn didn’t really care about family drama. And if anyone could make an uncomfortable situation better, it was her. “Lunch smells amazing, Giada.”
“Thank you, Grey. Everything is ready. We should sit down and eat.”
Grey and Mack helped bring dishes to the table as everyone got settled in their seats. Pops was at the head of the table, just as he’d always been, every bit the proud patriarch. He began passing food, and Grey had to admit that his dad was looking healthier and stronger every day. The difference between now and when he’d first come home was like night and day.
“So, I have kind of a funny story,” Molly said as everyone ate. “Two of our guests were taking a moonlight hike around the property and saw people skinny-dipping in the pond. A man and woman. It was too dark to get any details or identification. I wonder who they saw?”
Grey choked back a snicker as Autumn elbowed him in the ribs. “Wow. That is funny,” Grey said.
“Good thing we haven’t started renting out the renovated tree house yet,” Mack said, smiling. “Although I suppose this is an argument for putting in more security cameras, eh, Grey?”
Dammit! Mack knew it was them.
“My sons love to spend my money,” Pops said, thankfully oblivious.
“That’s not true. Do you know that the brewery is going to be entirely self-sufficient for electricity? Between the solar panels on the roof and the other energy-efficient measures. It’s going to be amazing. And a big money saver.”
Jameson looked down the table at Grey. “Really, son?”
Grey didn’t entirely understand the question. “Well, yeah, Pops. That’s what I do. Green architecture.”
“I know that,” Jameson said, waving him off and wiping the corner of his mouth with a napkin. “I guess I didn’t realize that it could make that big of an impact.”
“The technology moves so fast. It’s pretty amazing what can be accomplished.”
“I’ve been wanting to talk to you about all of that, Grey,” Mack said, putting down his fork and taking a sip of wine.
“What, exactly?” Grey asked.
“I’d really like to go back and update all twenty-five Corkscrew Craft Beer Brewery locations with solar and wind power. Water reclamation. The whole nine yards.”
“There are consultants who can help you with that. I can connect you with a few people,” Grey offered.
“That’s not what I want. It’s like when I asked you to do the design for the brewery at Moonlight Ridge. I want to work with you. Partner for real.”
“Oh.” Grey was a bit taken aback. “That’s not really what I do, but I’m sure we could work something out. You know I’ll help you with anything you need.”
“I think you know what I’m asking, Grey. And I feel like you’re avoiding the question.” Mack shook his head.
“Just say it, Mack.” Grey looked around the table, hoping someone would see that his brother was making things uncomfortable. Autumn shifted in her seat. Molly downed the last of her wine.
“I want you to move to Asheville permanently and work with me.”
Autumn sharply sucked in a breath then nearly lunged for her water. The ice rattled in the glass.
“We’ve talked about this, Mack. I’m not going to throw away more than a decade of work by leaving behind my business in New York.”
“You don’t have to throw it away. Just hire someone to run that office. Or heck, see if some of your people want to move out here. It’s a lot cheaper to live in North Carolina.”
“And it’s so pretty in Asheville,” Molly added. “People with families appreciate that.”
“If anyone can tell you it’s the perfect place to raise kids, it’s me,” Pops said.
Grey could see this for what it was—an ambush. “Pops, you’re in on this, too?”
The guilty look that fell across Dad’s face was all Grey needed to see. “I’d rather have you here. That should have always been obvious. I love you, Grey. Your brother loves you.”
Grey felt like there was a tug-of-war going on and he was the rope. He was being pulled between his old life and the new. He glanced over at Autumn, knowing she was a big part of this equation. He cared for her deeply. He wanted to see her after he went back to New York. But he also knew that she was looking for a lifetime of love—real commitment. Grey wasn’t there yet. She’d been the first woman to ever question his beliefs about love, but it wasn’t like decades of thinking one thing could disappear in a few weeks. He was someone who thrived on certainty and stability. Love could guarantee neither.
“Tell me you’ll think about it,” Mack said. “An answer before the wedding would be great. Especially since you’re scheduled to go back soon.”
That really irked Grey. He felt like he’d already answered this question. The fact that Mack was asking it again so soon before a momentous event in Mack’s life only made the guilt that much worse. What was Grey supposed to do? Go to his brother the day before his wedding and turn down his offer? Grey would never live it down. Mack said he wanted to heal the fissures between the brothers. It was times like this that Grey questioned whether that was really true.
* * *
Autumn loved the way the Holloway family made her feel at home. Except now, the spat between Grey and Mack had made everyone uncomfortable. Autumn tried to hold on to her smile, but on the inside, she was crumbling. This was the one thing that had been dogging her for weeks—Grey was leaving. It was about to be over. And the fact that even his brother couldn’t convince him to stay, made it even worse.
“I think we should change the subject,” Molly said, winking at Autumn. Thank God for her best friend. She understood how much the affection between Autumn and Grey had grown all summer, and that had left Autumn feeling exceptionally vulnerable. Again.
“Wonderful idea,” Giada said. “Autumn, tell me about your family. I don’t know anything about them.”
Autumn was ready to run out of the room. It was like all of the previous awkwardness had grown exponentially. “I’m an only child. My parents are divorced. My dad lives in Los Angeles, but he’s always traveling. My mom goes back and forth between Santa Barbara and Miami.”
“Oh, I see.” Giada smiled. “And what does your dad do that he travels so much?”
Now Autumn simply wanted to throw up. A headache was brewing. She’d told herself she could ignore her dad’s interview, but now she was confronted with the subject of him anyway. “He works in film.”
Molly reached for Giada’s hand, which was on the table. “Giada, this is a difficult subject for Autumn. Something tells me that you don’t know who her father is.”
Giada looked around the table, surprised. “I’m sorry. I don’t.”
Molly looked to Autumn, silently asking for approval to explain. Autumn nodded, but didn’t say a thing.
“He’s a very well-known Hollywood producer,” Molly said. “He’s also been in the news quite a lot because women have made allegations of sexual harassment.”
Autumn swallowed hard, willing the tears to stay away. She forced herself to smile, but it felt so fake it was torture. “That’s pretty much it. My mom is erratic and not much of a mother, to be honest, but she also had a toxic marriage, so it’s hard to blame her.” Autumn felt like she was shrinking into nothingness. The deep sense of shame she felt for something she’d played no role in was difficult to bear. Most of the time she did a good job ignoring it. But at times like this, when it was unavoidable, it all came crashing down on her.
Grey put his hand on her back. “You okay? Do you want to step outside and get some air?”
Now Autumn wanted to cry twi
ce as hard. Grey was so sweet and kind. He understood. He was also leaving in a week, and he’d just demonstrated during the argument with Mack that he was dedicated to doing exactly that. Why did everything have to be so terrible? “Yes, please. Excuse us for a minute.” Autumn put her napkin on the table and Grey pulled her chair back for her.
Giada rose from her seat and scrambled over to them. “Cara mia, I feel terrible. I had no idea. I don’t know anything about Hollywood. I read romance novels and watch British mysteries on television. I’m as out of the loop as they come.”
Autumn shook her head, not wanting Giada to feel bad. It wasn’t her fault. She was showing an interest in Autumn. She’d been welcoming. “It’s okay. Truly. You had no idea.” She turned to Grey who had just as much pity on his face as everyone else at that table. “I just need a minute outside.”
Grey took Autumn’s hand and led her out through the patio doors to the backyard. Merely stepping outside felt like permission to fall apart, especially when she flashed back to the last time she’d been out here—Mack and Molly’s engagement party. She and Grey had so much fun that night, flirting and dancing, and starting to fall under each other’s spell.
Grey didn’t say a thing. He just had that compassionate look on his face, the one that said he didn’t know what to do to make the situation any better, which was frustrating, because he had the power to make so much of what she was feeling go away.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket, but she ignored it. “I’m a lot of fun at parties,” she said, hoping to lighten the mood.
Grey pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. “You’re the most fun. Everyone else needs to take fun lessons from you.”
She peered up at his handsome face. She wished so badly that he wouldn’t leave. Thinking about it caused a burning pit in the middle of her stomach. But she also didn’t want him to have to be talked into it. She wanted him to decide on his own that Asheville was for him. She wanted him to conclude on his own that she was for him. Because the truth was that she had fallen so hard she didn’t know how she was going to survive his leaving. There would be no quick bounce back this time. Her phone buzzed again. Then again. “My phone is blowing up.”
“Frantic bride?”
It buzzed again. “On a Sunday afternoon?”
One more buzz and Autumn had to look. She fished it out of her pocket, only to see a long string of texts from her old friends in LA.
I can’t believe he used you as a shield.
I’m so sorry your dad dragged you into this.
What a jerk! Just because you still love your dad doesn’t mean he isn’t terrible.
Autumn felt her hand go so cold she nearly dropped her phone.
“What is it?” Grey asked.
She showed Grey the messages, not knowing exactly what any of this meant, but certain it had something to do with her father’s appearance on national TV.
“The interview?” Grey asked.
“It must be.”
He pulled out his own phone and in less than a minute, he had a video clip. “I think I found it.” He pushed play, and there she saw her dad, looking unwell. He’d lost at least twenty pounds. His face was gaunt. His skin was ashen, his eyes drawn. Still, she couldn’t help it. She saw that face and she still saw her dad. He hadn’t been perfect to her, and he hadn’t always been there, but she still loved him, even if she hated the things he’d done.
“What’s your biggest regret?” the interviewer asked.
“That my daughter Autumn got stuck in the middle of this. She’s such a lovely person. I’d like to show you the text she sent me on her birthday. It meant the world to me.”
He handed his phone to the interviewer, then the text was displayed on the screen. The flowers are lovely. Thank you so much. I hope you know I love you. You’re the best dad a girl could ever have.
“That’s not what I said,” Autumn blurted. “Half of that text is fake.”
“Hold on. Let’s listen,” Grey said.
“Some people might wonder how a man who has such a close relationship with his daughter could turn around and harass women,” the interviewer said.
“Maybe you need to ask a different question,” her dad said. “Would a man who adores his daughter ever treat women badly? The answer is no.”
Autumn felt absolutely sick to her stomach.
Grey put his phone inside his pocket. “We need to hire a publicist. Make sure someone knows that you didn’t say those things. Do you still have the original text on your phone?”
“I do, but you know what’s going to happen. People will want to hear my side of the story. And then it’s just more negative publicity because someone who works for my dad will start poking holes in it. Or they’ll say that I’m an ungrateful daughter. It will never end.”
“Shh. It’s okay.” Grey again pulled her back into the comfort of his warm embrace. “It might be hell for the next few days, but it’ll be gone in a week.”
Autumn froze. A rousing round of laughter came from inside the house. Yes, she felt horrible about the situation with her dad. But the real reason this was getting to her was because Grey was leaving. She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked up into his face. “You’ll be gone in a week, too, Grey. So it won’t even matter, will it?”
He rolled his neck and let go of her, then looked up at the sky, seeming exasperated. “Are you going to lay into me just like my family?”
She shook her head, fighting back the tears. She didn’t cry often. She’d always put so much stock in being upbeat. But sunny Autumn was gone right now. She was too damn sad. She loved Grey and she’d been too afraid to say it. To anyone, even herself. What they had was supposed to be a fling. It hadn’t turned out that way. Not in her heart, at least. “I’m not going to lay into you. It’s your choice, Grey. It’s always been your choice to stay or go.”
“Do you not understand how frustrating this is? As far as I’m concerned, it was never a question. I told everyone from the outset that I was going to go back to New York. Everyone knew that all along and everyone’s acting now like I’m the jerk for sticking to what I always said I would do.”
“I can see your point. I also just sat there and watched your family plead with you to stay. They love you, Grey. Do you not see how lucky you are? Do you know how much I wish I could have what you have?”
“They’re not perfect, Autumn.”
“Of course they aren’t. No family is. But if there’s love there, the rest isn’t important. At the end of the day, love is all that matters.”
He grumbled and looked down at the ground. “We aren’t talking about my problems right now, anyway. We’re talking about yours.”
She reached for his arm, and she felt in that one touch that he was already leaving. He was going to follow through on everything he promised—going back to New York. Keeping things fun. Except nothing felt fun right now. “Grey. My problem is your problem. Do you have any idea how hard it was to sit there and listen to Mack and your dad make their case and for me to hear you dig in your heels?”
Grey looked down at her, with the darkest look she’d ever seen in his eyes. “You knew I was leaving, Autumn. Just like everyone else. This was not a surprise.”
She drew in a deep breath through her nose. “You’re right. It wasn’t a surprise. The surprise was how sad it made me. The surprise was how much I feel like the whole world is falling out from under me right now.”
“Of course you feel like that. The stuff with your dad is terrible.”
She shook her head so fast her hair whipped. Overhead, there was a rumble of thunder. The wind had picked up. “It’s not that. I feel like I’m falling apart because of you. The thought of you leaving is killing me and I’ve been convincing myself that I was fine with it. Well, I’m not fine, Grey. I’m not fine with you leaving.” She sucked in one more br
eath for courage. The words were right there on her lips, waiting to come out, and she realized she’d been holding them for days. Weeks. “I don’t want you to leave because I love you.”
Raw disappointment crossed his face. “Autumn...”
“I know. I know. I told you that I was fine with the idea of just having fun, and I was.” She looked back at their summer and realized that wasn’t entirely true. “Up until a point. But my feelings started to change. And I didn’t want to go back on everything I’d said to you.”
“I don’t think you know what you’re saying right now. You’ve just had all of this upheaval because of your dad, and you’re feeling emotional. This isn’t a good time to talk about this.”
A raindrop landed on the end of Autumn’s nose. She looked up and another hit her forehead.
“And see? It’s starting to rain. Let’s get inside,” Grey said.
Autumn stood firm. “No. I don’t want to go inside. I want to stand out here and get soaked. I want to talk about this. Because I’ve spent my entire summer not talking. Not telling you the depths of what I was feeling for you.”
Grey looked back and forth between Autumn and the patio door. “I don’t know what you want me to say. I don’t believe in the same things you do. You knew that about me from very early on.”
“I don’t believe you don’t feel something for me.”
“Of course I feel something for you. But whatever it is, I don’t think it’s that.”
Autumn had her answer. “You don’t love me.”
His shoulders slumped. “I don’t know. I don’t know what you want me to say.”
Autumn pressed her lips so hard together that it hurt, but she had to do something to stem the tide of pain that was welling up inside of her. “Maybe you should just say goodbye.”
“We have six more days together. Why would I do that?”
“Six days or six minutes. Waiting is just going to make the final goodbye that much harder. If you’re really going, I’d rather say it now.”
