From what Sawyer could tell, Shari had a few expectations, too. This wasn’t just about her parents wanting more for her.
“Hey...” Sawyer said, keeping his voice low. “So there have been a few surprises, but that’s how life goes. You two are about to be parents, and that’s terrifying. I get it. I’m a dad, too, and it scares me every day. But it’s also the best thing you’ll ever do. My wife died, and I’m pretty sure that wasn’t part of my plan for raising my kids, either. But you do what you have to do, and it’s worth it. A wedding is just one day...”
“It’s more than a day, it’s a woman’s rite of passage!” Shari retorted. She was getting angry now, from what Sawyer could tell.
“I got kicked in the head by a cow,” Sawyer said bluntly, and Shari blinked at him. “My memory is still coming back, but I remembered my daughters’ birth. I still don’t remember my wedding. A wedding is nice. Don’t get me wrong. But it’s just one day.”
Shari sucked in a shaky breath.
“Vows last,” he added. “A marriage matters. If you love him, don’t let dreams of a dress and catering hold you back, because that’s the kind of regret that will last longer that wedding photos.”
Olivia shot Sawyer a grateful look, and she reached over and squeezed his hand under the table. It was a quick movement, and she pulled away just as fast, but the warmth of her fingers over his had felt nice. She wanted to fix this—he could tell. And for her sake, he sure hoped these two would patch it up, grow up, and make a life together. But some things couldn’t be forced.
“Now, Shari, what do you want?” Sawyer softened his tone.
Shari turned her tear-filled gaze toward Brian, and she shrugged weakly. “I need to talk to my parents. I can’t just break their hearts and push them away.”
Brian nodded. “Yeah, you should do that.”
“I’m going to call my dad,” Shari said, sliding out of the booth and standing up. “He’ll give me a ride, and I’ll call you soon, okay? I just need...a bit of time.”
“What do you mean, he’ll give you a ride?” Brian asked, standing up, too.
“I want to go home for a bit. Talk to them.” Her lips trembled. “My dad will come pick me up and I can hash this out with them.”
“I should come—” Brian took a step forward.
“No.” Shari shook her head. “You shouldn’t. I need to talk to them alone.”
Shari leaned into his arms, and they clung to each other for a moment, murmured a few things. Then she pulled away, leaving Brian standing there looking empty and frustrated. Shari pulled out her phone and headed for the door, glancing back once with tears in her eyes.
Was this the end for them? Sawyer couldn’t tell, but there was an ache in his chest, and this all felt rather familiar somehow.
“For what it’s worth, man,” Sawyer said, “you can’t just cut her family out. I tried that, apparently, and while I don’t remember much of it, they don’t just go away. She’s got a family, and you’re going to have to deal with them.”
“Yeah? Well, I’m not enough for them,” Brian said curtly. “And they figure I can’t provide for her.”
“Prove them wrong,” Sawyer retorted. “Find a way. You’ve got a child to take care of now.”
“I don’t think I can.”
Young. That was all Sawyer could think, looking at Brian. He didn’t blame him for not being ready for this. The order was all wrong. Marriage was supposed to come first, then kids. But regardless of the order of events, Brian wasn’t going to be able to just brush her family aside. Shari obviously loved them deeply, and they were protective of their daughter, even if that was manifesting itself a little intensely right now.
All normal, as far as Sawyer could see. He had two daughters he was protective of, too.
“I’m going to head out,” Brian said hollowly. “Thanks for trying, Olivia.”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “She had to know about the debt, though.”
“I know,” he said. “I should have told her sooner. Never seemed like the right time to bring it up, though.”
“You’ve got a baby coming. There are a lot of things you’ll have to talk through that might have waited a bit longer otherwise,” Olivia said. “I’m sure you’ll work it out.”
“I hope so. Thanks anyway.”
Brian headed toward the door, his shoulders slumped. Shari was standing where they could see her out the window, and Brian joined her. They both crossed their arms, and didn’t touch each other. Olivia rubbed her hands over her face, then looked over at Sawyer.
“Life is never simple, is it?” she asked softly.
Her eyes looked tired and sad, but his gaze kept tugging down to her pink lips. No, it wasn’t. Because right now, all he wanted was to kiss her and for just a moment take all that pressure off of her shoulders.
But that wouldn’t be right, either. He had to keep his focus here—he had a lot to make up to his daughters, and getting entangled in a romance wasn’t going to let him put his focus where it belonged. Besides, she’d made it clear that she wasn’t going to be sticking around, and he respected her reasons. He had to stop this. They’d agreed that friendship was where they needed to stop—and they’d been right about that.
“No, it doesn’t seem to be.” He reached forward and touched her cheek with the back of his finger—the one brief contact he’d allow himself. “It’ll be okay.”
“You sure?” she asked.
“Eventually,” he said, dropping his hand. “One way or another...”
And he meant that about more than just her brother’s situation. He meant about his own, too. Now that he knew where he’d gone wrong in the past, he could fix it. And he wouldn’t mess it up
