friends.”
His dad stopped. “But you want to be more than friends.”
Was he really having this conversation with his dad? It wouldn’t have surprised him if his mom had confronted him about Meg, but his dad had never been the touchy-feely type.
“Maybe,” Taylor admitted. “At one point. But she’s dating someone and seems happy with him. She’s not interested in me.”
His dad crossed the room and grabbed Taylor’s arms. Taylor looked up at him—a rarity for someone who was over six feet tall—and froze at the gravity on his father’s face. This whole interaction was like something out of the Twilight Zone.
“If she’s important to you, tell her how you really feel. And if that doesn’t work, move on.” He studied Taylor. “Life is too short to be unhappy. I know your career is important to you, but I want you to know you’re always welcome here if you want to look for another job a little closer to home. We’d all love to have you around more.”
He pulled Taylor to him, hugging him fiercely. When they parted, Taylor could have sworn there were tears in his father’s eyes.
“Thanks, Dad.” From down the hall came the sound of a minor squabble and Taylor sighed. “Looks like we’re in trouble.”
His dad laughed. “Don’t worry. I’ve got a secret weapon.” He walked into the kitchen and returned with a bag of Hershey’s Kisses.
Taylor raised an eyebrow. “Candy?”
“If I bribe them enough, they’ll be as good as gold during the ceremony.” He winked at Taylor. “Just don’t tell your mom or Cammie.”
Taylor laughed, feeling closer to his dad than he had for a long time. “My lips are sealed.”
Taylor didn’t have much time to dwell on his father’s advice in the next few hours, which flew by as they got the boys a snack, dressed up in their wedding finery, and drove to the church located a few towns away. Waiting for the ceremony to start, however, was a different matter.
Seeing his family pull together to make Diana’s wedding a success reminded him of how much he’d missed since he’d left town. His nephews were growing up so fast, and soon Diana would probably have children too. He wouldn’t be a part of any of that.
Was his job at the Lodge worth the sacrifice? He loved having his own kitchen, and loved planning the menu and managing the restaurant. It was everything he’d always aspired to do. If he left, there was no guarantee that he’d ever find anything like it again. And although he hadn’t given his parents a full run-down on his life in Willa Bay, he did have friends. He had a few buddies in Seattle that he saw once in a while, and through working at the Lodge together, he’d become friends with Cassie, Zoe, and Meg.
Meg. His father’s advice to tell her how he felt wouldn’t work because she was happy with Theo. So, where did that leave him? He couldn’t keep torturing himself by being friends with her while he had feelings for her. Either he had to somehow forget about his attraction to her, or he had to leave town.
His eyes blurred with tears as he watched Diana walk down the aisle. Her smile was so brilliant that there was no doubt of her love for her husband-to-be, and from the look on the groom’s face, the feeling was mutual. Would he ever get the chance to be that happy in love?
He swiped at his face with his fingers before his parents, seated next to him, could see him crying. Of course, they would probably be written off as happy tears, but he knew the truth. He smiled as his sister and her new husband walked back down the aisle, hand-in-hand. When they had reached the back of the church, the wedding party followed and everyone else filed out after them.
Taylor went through the receiving line to congratulate the bride and groom. He gave his sister a hug. “You look beautiful,” he told her. To her husband, he said, “Welcome to the family,” and shook his hand.
He meant it. Being back home had given him space to think and finalize his decision to leave Willa Bay. Now, he was looking forward to getting to know Diana’s husband and spending more time with his whole family.
Later, Susanna joined Taylor for a pre-dinner drink. She sipped her Chardonnay and gazed over at the newlyweds. “They look happy, don’t they? Her wistful tone caught Taylor’s attention.
He smiled at her. “They