Page 76

I groan, because I know exactly the direction this conversation is going. Now that I’m out of the picture and Frank is single, my mom is trying to get Lydia to fill the Rosey-shaped gap in Frank’s life.

“I told her no, but she’s quite persistent.”

“It’s not Lydia’s fault,” I say. “I’m so sorry, Frank, but I’m sure it’s my mom’s idea. If I were you, I wouldn’t give her a job.”

“She keeps finding reasons to drop by. Suggests grabbing a coffee, talks about the latest movie release she wants to go and see.”

I smile, but it’s full of pity. He knows what’s going on. He doesn’t need me to tell him.

Frank nods at my silence. “Yeah, I know. I need to move on. Your mom… she calls me every now and then, just when I’m about to walk away—from youorLydia.”

My heart clenches. I know exactly what he’s saying. “I think she steps in when things aren’t going her way. Most of the time she can use one of us to do whatever she wants. And then I guess she steps in when she needs to.”

He swallows, and I stare over his shoulder at Robert Pattinson, trying to push down the nausea as I realize the full extent of my mother’s horrible behavior.

“Barney at the garage says she’s a manipulator,” Frank says. “I talked to him a little after… you know, what happened with the wedding.” His eyes don’t meet mine. “Your mom dropped by the garage a couple of times. Shared her theories on why you ran away.”

I don’t want to ask. I know all her theories will be bullshit. “I’m sorry.” I can’t think of anything else to say.

“She said I didn’t spoil you enough. Didn’t show my love the way I should have.”

I groan. “Barney’s right. Me leaving didn’t have anything to do with you. I needed to escape my mother and her manipulation.” It’s like all the colors of the kaleidoscope have come into focus, and for the first time I see everything with perfect clarity. I’ve always known. But now that knowledge isn’t buried at the back of my brain. It’s front and center. Frank wasn’t who I was running from. It was always my mom who I needed to escape. “My mother was trying to get you to blame yourself, when she only had herself to blame.”

He sighs and leans back in his chair. I can see his brain processing all this information.

“There are plenty of women who will want you for all the right reasons, Frank.”

We sip our drinks in silence until I remember the trailer.

“I don’t have the trailer documents with me—I mean, obviously, because I left with nothing. But I’m going to figure out how to transfer it back to you.”

Frank shakes his head. “You don’t need to do that. I don’t want it.”

“Of course I need to do that,” I say. “I should have done it before now. It’s just because I don’t have the paperwork, I’ve been…” I trail off. I’ve been delaying the inevitable. If I want those papers, I need to go get them from Oregon. I could ask Marion to find them for me, but I don’t want to get her into trouble. Mom’s so tricky and always at home because she doesn’t work, so she’s bound to find out. Marion has enough secrecy and lies in her life just applying for schools. I don’t need to put her in a more difficult position. I know Mom would never forgive her if she thought we were communicating behind her back.

“I need to come back to Oregon,” I say. “I’ll arrange for an attorney to do everything while I’m there.” But when? The Club opens is in ten days. I have this weekend off, then it’s the party for the residents of Star Falls on Monday night. The Club will welcome members the following weekend. Hart has made it clear that all hands are required on deck; shift patterns kick in properly, and time off won’t be on the table unless there’s an emergency. I don’t know when I’ll next have an opportunity to get away after the Club opens.

“You really don’t need to. It’s not like I want to own the trailer anyway. That was always to make your family feel more secure.”

I reach out and place my hand on Frank’s arm. He’s such a thoughtful man. “It was a lovely thing to do. But I can’t keep it. After I transfer it to you, maybe you can sell it.”

His eyes widen. “What about your mom?”

“She’ll have to pay rent to whoever buys it. Or find somewhere else to live.”

Maybe that would create an opportunity for my sisters to move out and find a place of their own. It could help them see that they don’t need to be at home, paying Mom rent, when they could have a place of their own.

“Do you know how to transfer it?” I ask.

“I have a copy of most of the paperwork. I can set the wheels in motion when I get back to Oregon.”

“I’ll pay all the legal costs,” I say.

He offers me a small smile. “You’re a good person too, Rosey. I’m sorry things weren’t different between us.”

“Me too.” In many ways, it would be easy to love Frank. He’s kind and generous and he loves me. But he’s not where my heart is. That honor belongs here, in the Colorado Rockies, where my heart has never felt more at home.

THIRTY-TWO