“Are you sure there was no crossover, no fallout?” Mary Karen gently probed. “When something upsets me at work, if I’m not careful it can easily spill over into my home life.”
“The news about Celeste’s affair has been eating at me,” he admitted. “Until last night, I hadn’t taken the time to process it, to deal with her lies. When I discovered—this thing with July happened—I may have reacted more strongly than I would have otherwise.”
“Talk to July,” Mary Karen urged. “Apologize. Make things right.”
“I did try, Mary Karen. I wanted to hear her side of the story. But she clammed up.”
“You said you reacted strongly. Did you raise your voice to her?” Concern filled his sister’s blue eyes. “I don’t know why, but for some reason confrontation of any kind freaks July out, especially when yelling is involved.”
“I may have raised my voice, but she still could have told me the reason—” David paused, suddenly remembering the way July had shrank back as his voice had grown louder. The puzzle pieces clicked into place.
With Celeste he hadn’t been able to figure out where he might have shut down two-way communication. With July, it had been staring him in the face.
“I didn’t show her that I was willing to listen.” Shame warred with regret. He knew July. He knew her heart. There was a reason she hadn’t told him Adam was his son. And she would tell him that reason, in her own time and in her own way. His heart lifted and for the first time since he’d stormed out of his sister’s home, he felt hopeful about the future.
“The good news is that this is a new day.” Mary Karen smiled as if picking up on his change of mood. “The best news of all is…you get to have a second chance this time.”
July glanced at her watch. Before Mary Karen had left to run errands that morning, she’d asked July to meet her for a walk in the Elk Refuge at two.#p#分页标题#e#
Although Granny and David’s mother were watching Mary Karen’s boys, July had planned to bring Adam along. But when she’d gotten ready to leave, Granny had insisted she leave him with her. Without the baby to get ready, July had arrived at the refuge earlier than she’d planned. Which unfortunately only gave her more time to think.
She couldn’t believe she hadn’t responded to a single one of David’s questions. Still, she hadn’t run. That was a breakthrough for her.
After talking with A.J. last night, July had decided to give David a day or two to cool off. Then she’d contact him and explain. Even if he didn’t forgive her, hopefully at least he’d understand. He was Adam’s father. Her son might not end up with two parents in the same house but he deserved a mother and father on speaking terms.
She sighed and glanced at her watch. She’d sworn Mary Karen had said two o’clock.
Finally at ten past two she heard the crunch of gravel. She turned, her lips already tipped in welcome. “I was wondering where—” Her smile froze even as her heart skipped a beat. “David.”
“Hello, July.” He looked as uncomfortable as she felt, hunching his shoulders inside his jacket, his expression wary, as if he was uncertain of his welcome. He gestured with one hand to the open range land. “Would you go for a walk with me?”
Regret rose inside her. This would have been the perfect opportunity for them to talk. “I can’t. I’m meeting your sister.”
“Something came up.” He slid his hands into his pockets, shrugging one shoulder. “I’m her replacement.”
July paused. Had something truly come up or had she been set up? Did it even matter?
“If that’s okay with you?” he asked, his eyes anxious.
“That’s great,” she said. “I mean, that’s fine with me.”
David seemed relieved, a little of the tension leaving his shoulders. He started to walk and she fell into step beside him. July wasn’t sure what was going on but they were together and there were no raised voices or yelling. That had to be a good thing. Right?
“I wanted to talk to you.” He cleared his throat. “But after how I acted last night I wasn’t sure you’d want to see me.”
How he’d acted?
“I had some things I wanted to say, too.” July wasn’t sure if it was her or him but David seemed more approachable today, and for the first time July knew she could do this. Because standing next to her was her son’s father. The man she loved. “In fact, I was going to call you tomorrow.”
“You were?” He grinned, a quick flash of teeth, gone in an instant.