“And then you left with me.” Luke laughs. “No wonder he was pissed. The thing is, Syl, that there’s one solid candidate for whoever made sure those letters weren’t delivered to Mike. I can’t prove it and neither can you, but I’m thinking you should give Mike the benefit of the doubt here and assume that Patrick was not in your corner.”
“You mean he lied?”
“Somebody did. And though I can be relied upon to cast Patrick as the villain in every production, he might just be the bad guy here.”
“Mike wants to start over, to be friends.”
“But you’re thinking that he’s lying to you is blocking that. Why not let Patrick be the bad guy and see how it goes?”
It’s enticing. “What if he wants custody?”
“Talk to Daph. She’ll sort it out and make it fair.”
That makes sense, but I stare at the vacant shop window in front of me. It sounds stupid to be afraid that she could end up loving Mike more than me, just because he could buy her anything, but that doesn’t stop me from wondering.
Luke stands up and stretches, and I see the exhaustion in his face. His gaze is direct, though, and unswerving. “Want myadvice, Syl? Just so you know, it’s something I’ve been working on lately myself.”
“Okay. Hit me with your best shot.”
He points a finger at me. “Good song. But here’s the point: what if you’re the obstacle between where you are and where you want to be? What if you’re the one keeping yourself from being happy? What if a different choice on your part is all you need to changeeverything?”
I look away, my thoughts spinning. “I’d have to take a chance.”
“Maybe we all do.” He leans toward me. “Maybe that’s how every one of us can help to make the world a better place. It might not be the solution to everything, but I like it a lot.”
So do I.
Luke steps away, then zips up his leather jacket and shivers. “Chilly tonight.”
“Can I give you a ride somewhere?” Merrie and I speculated wildly on what was between Luke and Daphne Bradshaw, though the way they were together on opening night left little doubt. There were practically sparks flying between the two of them, and they looked so gorgeous together that they could have been our local superstars. Ever since, we’ve been wondering whether it was a hook-up or more. (Be aware that it is my solemn duty to gather information for Merrie whenever possible.) “Maybe up to Daphne’s place?” I ask, keeping my tone light.
“No,” Luke says, crushing all the theories – until he continues and revives them again. “It’s too late. I can’t just show up in the middle of the night like that, not when she’s working a regular schedule.” He appeals to me. “You see? There it is. When you care about someone, you want to do better. You want to lift your game to be worthy of whatever is or might be between you. I can’t think that’s a bad impulse.”
I smile, all my questions answered. “No, it’s not.”
“And being afraid isn’t noble. Be brave, Syl. Take a chance on whatever your heart is telling you. I have to believe it’ll come right in the end.”
“Because that’s how all the good stories work out?”
Luke laughs. “You have to believe. And if you’re wrong, hey, maybe you learn something. How bad is that?”
If he’s right, that means letting go of the past, not just for my sake but for Sierra’s.
I jingle my keys. “So, no ride to Daphne’s?”
He sighs, so obviously wishing he could agree that I want to knock on her door myself and argue his side. “I’ll go back to the motel tonight.” He yawns like he’s going to fall asleep on his feet. “Good seeing you.”
“I’ll still give you a ride.”
“It’s just a couple of blocks.”
“Get in the car already,” I say in my bossy mom voice and he grins.
“Thanks, Syl. That would be great.”
By the time I park outside Una’s place, I have a new plan. I’m susceptible to Mike because I’ve been alone so long. I’m curious about whether it was ever as good as I remember. I want something for myself.
I want to feel cherished.
