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I nodded, and once he left the room, I shifted the phone to my other ear and said to Della, “Looks like he turned up here.”
She sniffed. “I guess that makes me feel better. At least he didn’t turn to someone else...”
Part of me thought it was just a matter of time before he went back to his old patterns. Someone couldn’t just spend their entire adult life going to bed with a different woman every night just to settle down and devote themselves to only one.
“What are you thinking?” Della asked me, then sniffed.
I gritted my teeth, knowing I couldn’t lay all my feelings on her. Not when she was feeling like this. “I’m pissed that he just ran out on you,” I said. “For starters.”
“He said he needed time,” Della replied.
I frowned at her defense of him. It was hard to see Hayes through her eyes when I’d known him all my life. He was six years younger than me and grew up on the neighboring ranch. When Maya Madigan died, he seemed to soak up all the oxygen in that family. He threw tantrums. Destroyed things. Was constantly in the principal’s office at school. And then when he got older, it was all about fast cars and women. I watched a parade of women go in and out of his driveway on my way to work every morning.
He was nothing like I’d pictured Della’s person would be.
But I let out a sigh and said, “I know he was upset, but you’ve been dating for such a short time. How could he expect to know all your future plans off the bat? That’s not fair to you.”
“We said I love you,” Della whispered sadly.
My heart clenched for her and all her pain. “Oh, Della...”
“I know.” She sounded so heartbroken.
I kneaded my brow. “Do you really think Hayes could be your person?” The doubt was clear in my voice. But Della was like a sister to me, and I worried about her like one. She didn’t have a hint of cynicism in her heart, and that was both a power and a weakness.
“Liv,” Della said sharply. “You’re the one who was so desperate to keep me in town you were setting me up on dates! Now the guy I love isn’t good enough to meet your expectations?”
She’d never spoken to me like that before, and I instantly wanted to fix things. “Della, I?—”
“No, I’m sorry he’s not a doctor, and I’m sorry he doesn’t have a past you approve of, and I’m sorry he’s not a good-natured bump on a log like Bennett!” Della’s voice was rising with each word, growing with her emotions.
I gritted my teeth, feeling guilty. “Della, you know I love Hayes. He’s my brother-in-law and a great uncle to my kids. He’s just the last person I expected for you. I think you deserve a prince. I have always thought that.”
“Maybe that’s the problem,” Della whispered, almost like she was speaking to herself. “I’ve spent my whole life waiting for Prince Charming, waiting for a relationship that looks like my parents’. But I haven’t thought about what actually makes me feel good.”
At the truth in her words, I tugged a little too hard on a thread and a small hole appeared in the quilt. “It’s your life,” I finally said. “You have to decide for yourself and deal with the consequences too.” I hated the truth in those words. I wanted to save her from all her pain.
“It is my life.” Her voice only shook a little. “But you’re my best friend. I want you to support me.”
“I can support you, but I can’t always agree with you,” I said. “We promised we’d always be honest with each other. Even when it was hard.”
Della’s voice shook as she said, “If I’m being honest, I wish I wouldn’t have called you at all tonight. I didn’t need you to say I told you so.”
“Della—”
“Goodbye,” she said and hung up. I stared at my phone in disbelief. Della had to know I was just trying to protect her. And she had to know how it looked for her to be dating Hayes—she’d grown up in the same town!
The front door of the house opened, and I hoped Hayes wasn’t coming in or I’d be taking out some frustration on him. Instead, my husband walked into our room, a troubled look in his eyes.
“Did you ream him out?” I asked. “I can’t believe he ran out on Della like that.”
Fletcher gave me an incredulous look. “You’ve got to be kidding me. He’s devastated. I’m worried about him. And I’m pissed Della didn’t tell him sooner.”
“He’s devastated? What about my friend crying on the phone because Hayes couldn’t handle a hard conversation?”
Fletcher gave me a disappointed look. “There’s more to it than that, and you know it.”
Maybe he was right, but I was also frustrated. “Fletch, you know it was a bad idea for them to date. I told him so in March!”