There Goes My Heart (The Sullivans #20) - Bella Andre Page 0,81
day. Lola doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”
“Yes, I do.”
“No, you don’t.”
Beth regarded her daughters with raised eyebrows. “I suggest the two of you resolve things before I get out The Forgiving Tree and make you sit together and read it.”
Both women groaned. “Anything but that,” Lola said at the same time as Ashley said, “Forget we said anything.”
Beth laughed as the door closed behind them. “All seven kids can recite that Berenstain Bears book by heart. As you can imagine, they’ve read it many, many times after getting in loads of scrapes when they were little. They all still get into plenty of scrapes, come to think of it. Of course, as their mum, I love them no matter what.”
It was Zara’s turn to respond…but the force of the blow to her heart was so sudden, and so enormous, that it was all she could do not to utter a keening cry of pain and double over.
And as the storm clouds came rushing back, thicker and darker than ever, Zara had the fleeting thought that she should have seen this coming. Not only was she still desperate to be forgiven for the last words she’d said to her mother—but sitting here with Beth, and watching her interact with her daughters, made Zara long with every piece of her heart for her own mother.
“Zara?” Beth’s voice seemed to be coming from a distance. “Is everything okay?” A hand covered hers. “Tell me what’s wrong, and I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
But Beth couldn’t help her. Not when Zara’s grief, and her guilty conscience, would forever steal her chances for true happiness.
Because even if the Sullivans weren’t as perfect as she’d once assumed, the more time she spent around Rory’s family, the more she longed for what they had.
Unwavering support.
Unconditional love.
And, most of all, a great mom whom they all clearly adored.
Zara had so desperately wanted to bury her head in the sand. And when she’d been floating on a love cloud with Rory, she’d managed to stuff the pain away for a little while. But Brittany had been right when she’d said that the longer she tried to pretend she hadn’t screwed up, the guiltier she ended up feeling.
Now, at the worst possible moment, with nearly Rory’s entire family present to witness Zara’s breakdown, she finally understood that she would never again be able to pretend the way she had for fifteen years. She’d never be able to stuff her guilt, her pain, her regrets, down deep. She’d never be able to go about her daily life without being stabbed in the chest by the painful memories.
Not when all it had taken was a few minutes with Rory’s mom for Zara to completely fall apart.
“I’m sorry.” She abruptly pulled away from Beth’s touch. “I need to go.”
The silly face Rory had asked her to warn him with if she started freaking out was the last thing on Zara’s mind as she jumped up from the outdoor couch, ran through the kitchen, then out the front door.
As she dashed through the square, a bolt of lightning struck the town hall’s tower out of a sky that had been blue only minutes before. By the time she reached her cottage, it was pouring. She fumbled for her keys, let herself in, and slammed the door shut behind her.
But though she was now safe from the storm raging outside, she’d never be safe from the one raging inside of her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
From the moment Zara walked into his parents’ kitchen, it was obvious to Rory just how much everyone in his family liked her. In fact, Turner and Hudson had both commented on how impressed they were that Rory had managed to snare her.
He felt exactly the same way—whatever lucky star he’d been under the day she walked into his life, he’d be forever grateful.
Just a few minutes ago, Rory had been pleased to see Zara chatting with his mother on the backyard patio. If anyone knew how to make sure his girlfriend felt welcome, it was Beth Sullivan. No one was immune to her Irish charm.
Still, Rory wished he and Zara had had a chance to talk more before coming to dinner tonight. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel like his family was coming on too strong—even if Zara had given him every assurance that she was well up to meeting most of them at once. Work had been crazy today, though. She had been slammed with orders,