Free Her Unexpected Family by Ruth Logan Herne Page B

he corrected himself in a long, dry tone, “and shopping for a dress. Awkward.”
    â€œIt won’t be awkward at all—it will be nice. Caroline’s excited that Christa’s getting married and can’t wait to pull dresses that might work. And she’s hooking up the computer to a bigger screen so we’ll actually be able to see Christa if all goes well.”
    â€œThis is only one of the many times I wish my mother was here.” Grant layered sauce and cheese on the rolled dough. “She should be here to do this stuff, to see her daughter get married. My father left because he wanted to. Mom didn’t have a choice.”
    â€œFamily stuff gets hard, doesn’t it?” Emily bent to fill the lower dishwasher tray. “I used to be so jealous of my big brother. Dave was good at everything he did. Sports, music, school. And then he was gone and I couldn’t get over the guilt of being jealous for a long time. Forgiving someone who hurts you or the ones you love is tough. And the more important they are, the harder it is to forgive and forget.”
    â€œNo sense worrying about forgiving someone who abandons you, is there?” Grant shrugged. “My father made a choice and stuck by it. I can’t imagine wanting anything to do with him. He had his chance to be part of the family. He blew it. End of story.”
    * * *
    Ouch.
    Emily took a mental step back.
    Wasn’t forgiveness part of life? Part of being a good person?
    Can you honestly say you’ve forgiven Christopher for dumping you and having his father dismiss you from your job?
    A part of her knew he’d done her a favor, but she hadn’t felt that way eighteen months ago. Time and prayer had helped heal her.
    But Grant was talking a three-decades-old hurt. Harboring a grudge that long couldn’t be healthy, but what did she know? Her parents had been together nearly forty years. Hers was only the second divorce in their family in two decades, and that wasn’t a sought-after distinction.
    Besides, she wasn’t privy to the details. In that case, erring on the side of caution was best, but his rigid attitude concerned her. Forgiveness was a part of life, and a huge part of reconciliation. Relationships without forgiveness were doomed before they started.
    You’re not looking for a relationship, remember? You’re looking for respect, recognition and appreciation for a job well-done.
    Her goal wasn’t easy when her older sister was a paragon in the event industry, while Emily was more like a fledgling. But she was learning. “Done.” She finished loading the dishes and wiped the counter as Grant spread more cheese over the sauce-covered fresh dough. “That smells wonderful and it hasn’t even started baking yet.”
    â€œIt’s this.” He held out the bowl of fresh mozzarella and Parmesan. “This blend is perfect, and I get it hand done at Luigi’s.”
    â€œBest Italian food on the lake,” she declared. “Their ravioli alone are enough to die for.”
    â€œNot much romance in killing your date,” he supposed with a wink as he slid the tray into the top side of the double oven. “But the food is great. Or was,” he corrected himself. “Our food tasting last week was the first night I’ve been out to eat since these guys were born.”
    â€œOver two years?”
    He winced a little. “Put that way, it sounds awful, doesn’t it?” He shrugged. “But life’s busy and I’d rather spend my time with the kids. But of course—” and this time he aimed a very direct gaze her way “—those things take on a different spin if you’re in very special company.”
    She pretended to misread his meaning intentionally. “Good company is never a bad thing.”
    â€œA bestseller on a rainy night is good company.” He leaned over and smiled at her, unafraid to make his