but…”
Debbie sighed. “Deep down, I know that.” She sniffed. “Oh, Mom, I had no idea it would hurt this bad. I never meant to hurt him. I thought I was doing the right thing, but Mick was right. I should have trusted him and the love we shared together.”
Silence came over the phone. “Mom, you still there?”
“Yes, Deb.” Static sounded in her ear. “Honey, hang on. Your dad is yelling from the other room that he wants to speak with you.”
She dug through her purse, found her keys, and unlocked the driver’s-side door. After tossing her things inside, she sat down in the driver’s seat and then shut the door. Now that her mom and dad had discovered the pleasures of traveling, she couldn’t just pop in on them at their house and discuss her problems whenever she wanted. She missed having everyday interactions with her parents.
“Sweetheart?”
“Hi, Daddy.” Deb smiled. “How’s your vacation going?”
“Good, but I’m anxious to come back and see you. I’m worried about you.”
“I’ll be okay.” She sniffed. Hearing her dad’s voice was comforting, and she’d love to receive one of his big bear hugs. He had a way about him that solved all her problems. “It hurts. I love him, Dad.”
“Then go talk to him.” Her dad chuckled. “Did I ever tell you about the time your mother threatened to have her older brothers beat me up?”
She wiped her eyes. “No.”
“ Evie got mad because she thought I was trying to control her.” He scoffed. “I was, but that’s beside the point.”
Debbie shook her head. “You two are made for each other, Dad.”
“What I want to say is…I acted that way because I was afraid of losing her.” Frank Nordall cleared his throat. “In my head, I figured that if I could dictate our lives, I’d keep her with me forever. Fear of losing someone you love plays havoc with the way you act sometimes.”
“What did you do?” She pinched the bridge of her nose to keep the tears at bay.
“I didn’t do anything. Evie came back to me a couple of days later and demanded we talk it out. The smartest thing she ever did, because it gave this ol ’ fart a chance to make it up to her for my insecurities. Age doesn’t always bring wisdom.”
Debbie leaned her head back on the headrest and closed her eyes. “You think I should apologize?’
“Is the split-up your doing, Deb?”
She swallowed. “Yeah.”
“You do what makes you happy, sweetheart. I just wanted you to realize that even men who are supposed to have more maturity in a relationship will often screw up in an effort to protect themselves from getting hurt. I know I’ve done it. It’s human nature, and something I’m sure everyone does at one point or another in life.” He smooched into the phone. “You know we both love you, and no matter what, we’re here if you need us.”
“I love you too.” More tears fell. “Bye, Daddy. Give Mom a kiss.”
She tossed the phone over on the passenger seat. Her stomach flipped. She missed Mick so much. Life wasn’t the same without him. She wanted their long conversations into the night, the way he took care of everything, and she missed cuddling with him after making love. They could work this out. She only needed to apologize, and Mick would see that they had both acted out of fear.
Debbie slipped her seat belt around her and started the car. Looking over her shoulder to enter traffic, she made up her mind. Tomorrow morning she’d make Mick listen to her and beg him to take her back.
* * *
Rain splattered the dock at Mick’s feet, and he heaved his bag onto the yacht. He hurried on board, picked up his things, and climbed down the stairs to the bedroom. He looked forward to battling the water on his trip and hoped the storm continued. With his life in shambles, taking control of the thirty-six-foot boat would take his mind off going on this trip alone.
He kicked his bag off to the side, opened the liquor
Debbie sighed. “Deep down, I know that.” She sniffed. “Oh, Mom, I had no idea it would hurt this bad. I never meant to hurt him. I thought I was doing the right thing, but Mick was right. I should have trusted him and the love we shared together.”
Silence came over the phone. “Mom, you still there?”
“Yes, Deb.” Static sounded in her ear. “Honey, hang on. Your dad is yelling from the other room that he wants to speak with you.”
She dug through her purse, found her keys, and unlocked the driver’s-side door. After tossing her things inside, she sat down in the driver’s seat and then shut the door. Now that her mom and dad had discovered the pleasures of traveling, she couldn’t just pop in on them at their house and discuss her problems whenever she wanted. She missed having everyday interactions with her parents.
“Sweetheart?”
“Hi, Daddy.” Deb smiled. “How’s your vacation going?”
“Good, but I’m anxious to come back and see you. I’m worried about you.”
“I’ll be okay.” She sniffed. Hearing her dad’s voice was comforting, and she’d love to receive one of his big bear hugs. He had a way about him that solved all her problems. “It hurts. I love him, Dad.”
“Then go talk to him.” Her dad chuckled. “Did I ever tell you about the time your mother threatened to have her older brothers beat me up?”
She wiped her eyes. “No.”
“ Evie got mad because she thought I was trying to control her.” He scoffed. “I was, but that’s beside the point.”
Debbie shook her head. “You two are made for each other, Dad.”
“What I want to say is…I acted that way because I was afraid of losing her.” Frank Nordall cleared his throat. “In my head, I figured that if I could dictate our lives, I’d keep her with me forever. Fear of losing someone you love plays havoc with the way you act sometimes.”
“What did you do?” She pinched the bridge of her nose to keep the tears at bay.
“I didn’t do anything. Evie came back to me a couple of days later and demanded we talk it out. The smartest thing she ever did, because it gave this ol ’ fart a chance to make it up to her for my insecurities. Age doesn’t always bring wisdom.”
Debbie leaned her head back on the headrest and closed her eyes. “You think I should apologize?’
“Is the split-up your doing, Deb?”
She swallowed. “Yeah.”
“You do what makes you happy, sweetheart. I just wanted you to realize that even men who are supposed to have more maturity in a relationship will often screw up in an effort to protect themselves from getting hurt. I know I’ve done it. It’s human nature, and something I’m sure everyone does at one point or another in life.” He smooched into the phone. “You know we both love you, and no matter what, we’re here if you need us.”
“I love you too.” More tears fell. “Bye, Daddy. Give Mom a kiss.”
She tossed the phone over on the passenger seat. Her stomach flipped. She missed Mick so much. Life wasn’t the same without him. She wanted their long conversations into the night, the way he took care of everything, and she missed cuddling with him after making love. They could work this out. She only needed to apologize, and Mick would see that they had both acted out of fear.
Debbie slipped her seat belt around her and started the car. Looking over her shoulder to enter traffic, she made up her mind. Tomorrow morning she’d make Mick listen to her and beg him to take her back.
* * *
Rain splattered the dock at Mick’s feet, and he heaved his bag onto the yacht. He hurried on board, picked up his things, and climbed down the stairs to the bedroom. He looked forward to battling the water on his trip and hoped the storm continued. With his life in shambles, taking control of the thirty-six-foot boat would take his mind off going on this trip alone.
He kicked his bag off to the side, opened the liquor
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