“We had a bet,” I tried.
“I’m not ready to forgive you, Greyson. I’m terrified to trust you again, okay? If–if you touched a stovetop and it burned you twice, would you be in a hurry to touch it a third time?”
“I know I fucked up, Harper. I don’t want to make excuses; I just want to–”
“No,” she said quickly, cutting me off and peeling off her apron. “I just can’t right now. I’m sorry.”
I thought about stopping her as I watched her rush out of the kitchen, but I knew this was a mess I’d caused. I hung my head and tried to think about what I could do to make it right. What the hell could I do?
48
GREYSON
The restaurant at the inn was in full blown dinner rush. Every table was packed and there was a pleasant din of conversation and the clinking of silverware on plates. I could hear Harper saying something from within the kitchen but couldn’t quite see her. I just saw Lin and Farrah, who had grown so used to seeing me around that they hardly paid me any mind.
I took a few deep breaths. This was going to be the most embarrassing thing I’d ever done, but I honestly didn’t care at the moment.
I’d asked Gramps to line up If I could Turn Back Time by Cher on the inn’s sound system. I was decked out in my best suit and tie, and I was absolutely going for the full-blown cheesy apology move. I looked toward the inn’s lobby and caught my grandpa’s eye. I nodded and he gave a quick thumbs up. I watched him fumble with my phone. All the man had to do was press “play” on the laptop behind the desk, but he was getting confused.
Shit.
Harper was setting down a plate at the counter when she noticed me kneeling in the middle of the dining room. Maybe I should’ve waited to kneel until Gramps actually got the music playing.
I winced, then held up a finger. “Just a moment,” I said.
Harper rolled her eyes and folded her arms, almost as if she was enjoying watching me squirm. Lin, Farrah, and Gabby all watched with rapt attention. Most of the dining room was turning in their chairs, too, and the silence that followed amplified my discomfort several times.
I cleared my throat. “Gramps, any time now,” I said through tight lips.
He was now frantically tapping my phone–not the laptop like we’d practiced. I knew I should’ve just kept the phone near me, but I’d underestimated his old man ability to screw up simple technology.
“Well,” I said in the complete silence. “I was supposed to have some musical backing for this, but I guess that’s out the window.” I took a deep breath and licked my lips. Suddenly, practicing felt like it might not have been the worst idea in the world. “I was a fucking idiot. I don’t expect you to forgive me. The way I handled everything between us was cowardly and I regret all of it. It’s not an excuse, but you made me crazy. I’ve–” I stammered when I saw Katie, Matt, and both the kids come into the lobby. A moment later, Zack and all my cousins followed behind them.
What the hell are they doing here?
“Mommy, look! Daddy is crawling in the restaurant!” Molly pointed and suddenly there were far more eyes on me.
I looked at Gramps, who was still in full-blown panic mode and appeared to just be pressing any button he could.
Suddenly, Baby Got Back by Sir-Mix-A-Lot started booming over the sound system.
I put my palm to my forehead. Jesus Christ. This couldn’t possibly go any worse. Molly was dancing happily, pumping her fists and jumping up and down as she cheered. “This is awesome!” She yelled over the music. “Is it somebody’s birthday?”
There were murmurs and stifled laughter from the guests in the dining room. Lin, Farrah, and Gabby were all watching me like I was a train wreck unfolding in slow motion. Harper’s face was unreadable.
“You made me crazy,” I said more loudly, wishing I didn’t have to do this in front of my ex and every fucking person I’d ever met. What made me think this was a good idea?
“What?” Lin shouted. “Can’t hear you over the music! Gotta speak up, Greyson! Apologize louder!”
I gritted my teeth. Gramps finally figured out how to turn the music off.
“You made me crazy, Harper. Every time I tried not to fall for you, I just fell harder. I thought if I put enough miles between us and enough time, I could move on. But I couldn’t. Every day made me realize I was even more of a fucking idiot than I thought.”
“Language, Daddy!” Molly said. My family and kids had inched closer so they could hear better, and she was close enough that I could see her bouncing in excitement now that she realized what I was doing.