13
After her tears dried, Donna noticed the boat had been put back in the boathouse. She’d definitely ruined her chance to get to know Blackwell better. Everything was a mess because she’d allowed herself to wallow in the past. She fished her cell phone out of her back pocket and decided the cost of a call to the states didn’t matter. A few rings later, she heard the hello of the only person who would understand. She sniffled and said, “Beth.”
“Donna! It’s good to hear from you.” Her friend sounded happy and Donna imagined that she’d probably just finished in her garden outside. “I spoke to a Martina Oberlin and she told me you were with herson.”
Good--Beth knew some of her situation then. Tears started, but she sniffed them back. She clutched the phone. “Beth, I messed everything up. Blackwell said he loved me, but all I can do is think about how unlovable I am and I don’t want to fall in love because love sucks. I wish you were here because I don’t know what to donow.”
Beth sighed and asked in a low voice, “How do you feel aboutBlackwell?”
Her heart whispered one thing but she couldn’t imagine it was true. No one falls in love that fast. She rubbed her eyes that had stopped leaking tears. “I don’t know. He’s the most amazing man I’ve ever met, but I just don’t know how to trust him. He has to marry in a few months. I thought we’d have time to get to know one another but now I think I’ve ruinedeverything.”
Themmhmmsound Beth made calmed Donna. Beth said, “You never dealt with Harry’s betrayal. This is all related to that jerk of anex.”
She’d hated giving Harry that power and she’d been proud about not crying over his hurtful actions. She’d simply gone to work without the ring and told Beth over coffee that morning that he was gone. Now she hugged her waist and felt her heart speeding up. “We saw Harry in Venice. He asked me if we could meet once I returned toMiami.”
Beth asked in an incredulous voice, “And you slappedhim?”
His apology had been nice but she’d realized right then that she hadn’t loved Harry. She liked the security he’d offered but it wasn’t love. She swallowed. “No. I walked away withBlackwell.”
Beth made apfftsound like she would have handled everything different. “He only said that because it was obvious you’d moved on. You should have smacked that stupidboy.”
A slap wouldn’t have changed anything. Her stomach clenched from all her crying earlier but the tears threatened to return. She’d made a huge mistake with Blackwell and didn’t see how she could fix it. She took a deep breath. “Beth, Blackwell asked me to marry him and I told him I needed to think aboutit.”
“Oh, well that sounds promising.” Donna heard her opening and closing something in the background and wondered what time it was in Miami—she hadn’t thought, just called, in need of afriend.
“I know nothing about being a duchess, so he brought me to Woodbridge Hall. I wanted to see if I could fit, you know? And I just met this other woman who thinks she’s to be his bride. She was so beautiful.” Classy, perfect, exactly what a duchess shouldbe.
Beth stopped whatever she was doing and said, “So are you. Your parents loved each other and you, sweetie. What happened to them was a tragic accident, but not the norm. Look, I’m Googling flights to Avce now. I can be there in themorning.”
Goodness. Beth sounded like her therapist. “No!” She was supposed to remember the good in her life and stop putting negatives out there but today she’d fallen backwards on her ten-plus years of progress. She wiped her eyes. Part of this trip was to find herself and be stronger about going after what she wanted, but she’d failed that too. “Don’t. I am cominghome.”
Beth quickly said, “Don’t you dare. I’m buying a ticket now and I’ll get a room. We can discuss our next move when I getthere.”
Donna couldn’t continue on a vacation, not like this. She needed to get a job with benefits so she could see her therapist again, not sit and feel sorry for herself while Blackwell asked another woman to marry him. The thought left her numb. “I’ll be better athome.”
Beth typed and clicked something on her computer. “Be honest—how do you feel aboutBlackwell?”
Blackwell was perfect and deserved to find someone who could fit into his life. She was a complete mess. “He’s wonderful but I ruined myshot.”
Beth took a deep breath. “You could lose your chance at true love, sweetie. If you come home now, you could regret it for the rest of yourlife.”
Hadn’t she already? She rubbed her arms and wished she had the hope she heard in her friend’s voice. “There is nothing I cando.”
“We’ll talk about when I get there. I bought myticket.”
Now she had to stay.... Beth was her only real friend, her only ally that understood. She let out a sigh. “Okay. I’ll get us a room then. I can’t stay here. I need to get mybag.”
Beth repeated like she was her mother. “Wait forme.”
Her heart raced. If she had to wait for long she’d drive herself crazy. But it would be good to have someone she trusted close. She nodded. “Thanks, Beth. I’ll text you the address for theinn.”
Beth sounded as if she was walking around her condo. “My flight gets in at six in the morning. I’ll meet you forbreakfast.”
The phone was warm on her right ear but she closed her eyes and tried to breathe normally. If she could figure out what to do, what she wanted to do, then she had a start on beginning again. “And what should I donow?”
“Find a way to sort out how you feel,” Beth said. “If you love Blackwell, can you admit it to yourself? Don’t let Harry’s idiocy destroy your future. Sometimes you have to take achance.”
“She was really pretty.” Donna thought about Chelsea’s blonde updo. She was perfect, right down to her peach leatherflats.
