Nausea crawled into Mitch’s stomach. “What new products?”
“Jaye’s been bugging me to look at your proposal. She told me you were right about offering more than just stemware to grow our business. When I finally read your report, I was convinced.” Nick slid his hand over his mouth and shrugged. “She’s been badgering me for weeks about taking you seriously. Two days ago, she sat me down and told me I might lose my glassblowers if I keep asking them to make stemware day after day. I hadn’t given much thought about how boring such repetition must be.” Nick met Mitch’s gaze. “I can’t tolerate the thought of losing you.”
Mitch felt his bruised heart splat onto the studio’s hard concrete floor. On numb legs, he walked to the window, gripping the sill so tight his fingernails dug into the wood. Struggling to breathe through the knot of emotion constricting his throat, he closed his eyes against the glare of the sun. All along, he believed Jaye would condemn him to a lifetime of monotony. Truth was, she stood up for him the whole time—even after he ripped her apart like a rabid bear.
“I hate to pile something else on your plate, Mitch, but I want you to start adding new products to our line. Bowls, vases, candlesticks—start making whatever you can for the Christmas rush. The sooner, the better. Your mother will say it’s long overdue.”
Mitch glanced over his shoulder. “What do you mean?”
“She kept telling me you and the boys in the studio could do so much more, but I didn’t listen. I rarely did. Thought I was right about everything.” A sad smile touched Nick’s mouth. “No wonder she left.”
The muscles tightened across Mitch’s shoulders. “Don’t blame yourself, Dad. That damned consultant talked her into leaving.”
Nick frowned. “What consultant?”
“The efficiency expert. Don’t you remember? They left the same day. She ran off with him.”
“No she didn’t, son.” Nick’s expression filled with remorse. “She left because I didn’t love her like she deserved. We worked together for so long, I started treating her like a business partner and not a wife. I had no idea how unhappy she felt until she admitted a friend of ours tried to kiss her and she almost let him. Even though nothing happened, she felt like she betrayed us. She felt so guilty, she couldn’t look you or me in the eye.”
“I remember.” Every conclusion he’d drawn was wrong. Mitch touched his brow, surprised to find a layer of slick sweat clinging to his skin. He wiped his hand on his T-shirt and muttered a soft curse.
“Your mother begged me to do couples counseling, but I didn’t want to bare my soul to some therapist. After months of going back and forth about seeking help, I told her I didn’t want to be married any more.” He shook his head. “Unfortunately, she believed me.”
“She didn’t cheat?” The question came out more like a statement. All along, he’d known she couldn’t betray his father.
“No, but your mother felt guilty for wanting more than what I gave her. She feels responsible for tearing apart our family, but the disintegration of our marriage was my fault, not hers.”
Mitch slid his palm over his head, so dazed he hardly felt the familiar prickle of his hair. All along, he feared he was just like his mother. Turns out, he was just like his father—too full of pride to see he was wrong. “I really screwed up things with Jaye.”
“There’s nothing you can’t fix, son.”
“You have no idea what an ass I’ve been.” He thought of how he’d bullied her into making him one last meal just to spend a few more moments in her company. “I behaved like a beast.”
“There’s still time. She hasn’t left yet.” Nick paused at the door. “If you need to take a few days off, let me know.”
Mitch nodded and watched his father go. Shifting his gaze to stare out the window at the meadow, he searched for any evidence of the sled ride he and Jaye took last weekend. Their footprints were long gone, erased by the weak sunshine that had melted the snow over the past week.
Even after he’d made so many disparaging remarks about consultants, Jaye sought to make his life better in a thousand ways—from the simple act of rubbing his back after a bad day to the profound goal of prodding him to forgive his father.
What did he do to thank her for those gifts? He accused her of lying, refused to listen to her explanation, and bellowed like a Neanderthal.
I won’t believe a fucking word you say.
He’d never forget the pale, wide-eyed look on her face when she realized he was a heartless jackass.
Pressing the heel of his palms against the pain pulsing in his temples, he wondered if Jaye would ever forgive him.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Jaye paused in the packed church sanctuary and scanned the pews, hoping to catch sight of Sarah’s familiar gold curls.
“Are you looking for dinosaurs?”
She jerked her gaze toward the voice. The blue hue of a nearby stained glass window reflected off a pair of smudged glasses. “Brody? What are you doing here?”
“It’s time for church.” He scratched his head, pushing a hunk of brown hair toward the vaulted ceiling. “Want to sit with us?”
No, she didn’t. Spending time with any Blake—especially one with blue eyes—reminded her of Mitch. “I’m supposed to meet Sarah.”
“I know where she is.” With a gap-toothed smile, he gestured toward the narrow aisle running along the side of the room. “Follow me.”
She hesitated, chastising herself for accepting Sarah’s invitation. Had she known the Blakes attended this church, she would’ve steered clear of the simple white chapel. Throwing a desperate look
