As they made their way into the hallway, her gaze fell upon the last two members of her family standing back. Izzy wore her usual badass outfit. Leather shorts. Tight black tank. The red ink of the thorny rose peeked over the curve of her breast. She used to have the same crazy curls Gen sported, but she had had her hair straightened. Long choppy strands entwined with purple framed her face. They were twins, but had never looked so different. Again, the distance between them panged. Gen opened her arms. Her sister responded but remained stiff, as if not used to physical affection. “You sure know how to make an exit,” Izzy said. “You okay?”
Gen choked out a laugh. “About time I caused the excitement around here. I’m hanging in.” The comment brought a tentative smile to her twin’s face. Gen looked over her sister and met her father’s gaze. “Hi, Dad.”
Jim MacKenzie blinked, his blue eyes filled with raw emotion. “Genevieve. We were worried.”
“I know. Sorry, Daddy.”
He swallowed, then closed the distance to give her a hug. Even though he’d broken her heart when she was young, he was her knight in shining armor. A tarnished knight, yes. But he’d come back for his family, fought for redemption, and never allowed her to doubt him again. She hated disappointing him, but he also allowed her to see the possibility of making mistakes and recovering.
When he turned his head, his eyes iced. “Wolfe. What are you doing here?”
“Jim! He’s welcome in our house,” her mother said.
“I didn’t say he wasn’t. Just wanted to know why he’s here. In fact, I’d like to know how my daughter ended up in your car in the first place. Did you plant this seed in her head?”
Gen gasped. “Dad, cut it out! Wolfe took care of me—it isn’t his fault. This was my decision. I’m the one who ran out of the church, and he happened to be outside. I asked him to get me away.”
“Convenient.”
“Jim. Enough,” Maria snapped.
He fell silent. Wolfe didn’t say a word. Gen didn’t know why her father was always suspicious of Wolfe. From the early days of their friendship, a scowl would come over her father’s face when she spoke about Wolfe, and he’d urged her many times to be careful of him, even though he was family to Alexa and Maggie.
“Let’s go into the living room and talk,” Maria said.
Jim grumbled something but followed. Her mom had set up an array of pastries, coffee, and tea. Everyone grabbed something to eat and sat down. How weird. Usually they had family meetings regarding a crisis, which usually involved Izzy. It had never been about her.
Wolfe perched in the chair farthest away, but his presence pulsed around her in an almost physical manner. She relaxed, reminding herself they were here to support her decision. She just needed to tell them the truth.
“First off, I can’t say how sorry I am for doing what I did. I know I left everyone without an explanation. I stuck you with a mess and I never meant for it to happen. I just . . . panicked.”
Alexa spoke up. “We don’t care about the fallout. We’re more worried about why you ran.”
Jim cut in. “You heard what she said. She panicked. She had a bad case of bridal jitters and didn’t handle it well. We can fix this.”
Lance nodded. “I loved Gina, but getting ready to say your vows is a big deal.” He grinned when she punched him in the shoulder. “Look, I know how the hospital can get when you’re a resident. Crazy hours, little sleep, and planning a wedding. David explained he’s been worried about you for a long time.”
Her inner voice woke up from sleep and bellowed in protest. David was talking to her family about her? What was going on?
Gen shook her head. “Wait. What did David say about me? This was more than a regular panic attack, Dad. There’s been a problem between us for a while but I haven’t wanted to deal with it.”
Her parents shared a pointed look. Alexa looked sympathetic. Izzy frowned. But there was something strange going on, an aura of anticipation as they were listening to her story. Jim cleared his throat. “Honey, I just wish you would’ve shared things with us. We could’ve helped you. David said you’ve been having some panic attacks. He said you’re constantly questioning if you’re good enough at the hospital, and started to feel you didn’t deserve him as a husband. He’s been honest with me and your mother about the issues, but he loves you. Why won’t you take the medicine?”
Her breath got trapped in her chest. Warning bells clanged madly in her brain. “What medicine? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”