Squeezing her back even as she set one foot out, ready to run, Ollie laughed. “Love you, too.”
And off she went. It was time to make sure Ollie’s future wasn’t something Andrew could toy with.
Jillian
I’ll meet you at Cora-Belle’s Diner at two. I’ll have groceries so you have a half hour max.
If she caught the next ferry, she could do the Costco run first, meet with Andrew, and get home. Her mom was in the kitchen chatting with her dad when Jilly walked in, her purse slung over her body, a sweater wrapped around her waist.
They stopped talking the second she walked in the room.
“Hey.” She stared at them, wondering what they’d been talking about.
“Hi, honey,” her mom said, pushing the spatula through the scrambled eggs she was making. “Want some breakfast?”
“I have to head out, actually. I’m going to the mainland. I’ll be back this afternoon.”
“Your mom and I want to talk to you and your brothers,” her dad said. He leaned on the counter next to the stove, a cup of coffee in his hand, his legs crossed at the ankles.
Her stomach cramped. She couldn’t do this right now, too. One thing at a time. Ollie came first, so that meant Andrew was at the top of the list of things to deal with.
She looked at her watch. “Can we do it tonight? I really have to go.”
Her dad’s expression shifted, a hint of disappointment crossing his features, but he gave her a small smile. “Big sale at Costco or are you hoping to grab some samples for breakfast?”
Hoping her laugh came through somewhat genuinely, she kissed both of their cheeks and headed out.
During the ferry ride over, Jillian busied herself making lists, answering emails, and responding to group chats with Presley and her brothers, one with just her brothers, and one with her family. She also texted with Levi and Lainey.
When she was sure everything was as organized as it could be, she walked to the back of the large ferry and stared out at the water as Smile faded away. The day she’d left with Andrew had been a hard one, but she’d been filled with so much love and certainty, she pushed down the sadness and focused only on him.
They’d headed straight for the airport, catching a plane to Pittsburgh, where he had a job at a prestigious loan management company. He was older and seemed so sophisticated and charming. In truth, she’d only spent a couple of weeks with him while he was vacationing on a houseboat. She’d naively thought she knew him. That she loved him. By the time they settled in his Pittsburgh bachelor pad, she already had concerns. When she got pregnant with Ollie immediately, marriage seemed like the right thing to do. Her and her stupid optimism and blinders. Never again. Not for him.
The shopping trip seemed endless because Grayson kept texting her and adding things to the list. She kept reminding herself that it was good that they were about to be so busy. Everything would be fine. With her car packed fuller than it’d ever been, trunk, back seats, and passenger seat, she found a spot to park in front of the little café she and Lainey liked to visit when they came over for the odd girls’ weekend.
The smell of bacon and eggs turned her already nervous stomach when she pulled the door open. Andrew sat in the first booth, facing the door. His smile widened and looked genuine when hesaw her. Jillian clutched her purse with one hand and her keys in the other. He stood as she came to the table.
Jillian froze when he put a hand on her waist and leaned down to kiss her cheek. The familiar scent of his piney, earthy cologne was worse on her stomach than the food smells. Years ago, she’d thought it was so sexy. Now she knew, just like so many other pieces, it was a façade. He didn’t love the outdoors like he’d claimed. Didn’t love connecting with nature or small towns, hiking, swimming, or any of the things he’d said that summer.
“You’ve lost the weight you carried after Olivia was born. You look stunning.”
The keys dug into the delicate skin of her palm painfully. She moved back, slipped into the opposite side of the booth.
Like he was in a high-end restaurant with maître d’s, Andrew lifted his hand to signal for the waitress. She gave him an amused glance and went back to what she was doing.
“I’m so glad you agreed to see me,” Andrew said. Jillian took in the changes that had occurred with time. His dark hair was still perfectly styled, despite being a little thinner. His sharp, angular jaw was clean shaven, of course, but there were subtle lines around his eyes, his mouth, and he looked tired. Cocky as hell but worn out.
“You didn’t leave me a lot of choice,” she said, forcing her fingers to loosen so she could set the keys and her purse down.
“Jillian,” he said, his tone nearly chiding. “I know I owe you an apology.”
She started to speak but he held up a hand. “No. I know. An apology isn’t enough. I owe you more than I could ever say.”
Surprise that he’d admit to any wrongdoing wasn’t enough to break down her walls. “You owe me nothing. I don’t want anything from you.”
Hurt flashed in his gaze but Jillian’s focus on what was best for Ollie made it easy to ignore.
“I don’t want it to be like this between us. I let you down in too many ways to count. But I’m back on my feet and I want a fresh start.”
