My Silver Lining: A Small Town, Fake Dating Romance (Rosewood River Series Book 2)
My Silver Lining: Chapter 26

I sent a few designs off to the team I’d be working with in Paris and remembered that I had a missed call from my father when I was in the meeting.

Rafe had worked at the office today, and I was surprised at how much I missed him.

It was actually a little terrifying how much I missed him, if I were being honest.

Henley told me not to overthink it, but my brain couldn’t shut off these feelings lately.

This was not part of the plan.

And now I was missing a man that I wasn’t supposed to miss.

I tried to push the panic away as I dialed my father back.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he said, but there was an edge there.

“Hi, Dad. How are you doing?”

“I just saw that your ex-boyfriend has gotten a woman pregnant, and it’s all over the news.”

For once, I wasn’t part of Beckett’s story, yet my father still sounded irritated.

“Yes. I heard about it. I think it’s great. Hopefully, he’s moved on.”

“Your name was mentioned in the article. People suspect he isn’t marrying her because he still has feelings for you.” He sighed. “I don’t know what the public’s fascination is with this young man. He’s nothing but trouble. It bothers me that people think of you every time his name is mentioned.”

“It’s not really my problem, Dad. I’m not sure what you want from me regarding Beckett. I dated him in college while he was studying jazz and I was studying dance. We had a lot in common back then. And he turned into a big, famous rock star, and we grew apart. He changed, and if I’m being honest, I probably changed, too. It happens all the time.” My tone was much harsher than I intended, but I made no attempt to tone it down. “But it’s been over for a very long time, and I’m tired of constantly worrying about him being in the press. Not because I care if my name is mentioned. I don’t. I’m worried about getting an angry call from you after you hear about it. I can’t control what Beckett says or does. All I can control is what I do. So you don’t need to tell me every time he’s interviewed. And you don’t need to remind me that you’re disappointed that I dated a guy you didn’t approve of when I was younger. I’m more than aware. But I’ve moved on, and I would appreciate it if you would do the same.”

It feels good to get this off my chest.

“You think I’m disappointed in you?” He sounded wounded, and it made my chest squeeze.

“I know you are. And I understand it to an extent. I should have left the relationship much sooner than I did. I embarrassed the entire family. But young people make mistakes, Dad. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I haven’t made all that many if you take a look at my track record.”

“Lulubelle,” he said, his voice softening now. “It was never about being disappointed in you. It was about being scared for you. Wanting more for you. Do you have any idea how proud I am of the business that you’ve built?”

No, I can’t say I do.

“I don’t know, Dad. We don’t really talk about my business. You’ve been pretty focused on my ex-boyfriend and the media this past year. I’ve been doing everything I can to make it go away, and I’m just ready to move on to new things.”

He was quiet for a few beats, and I knew my father well enough to know that he was processing what I said. He would normally bark at me and defend himself, so he clearly knew that there was truth to my words.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I am so proud of you, and I’ve failed you if I haven’t shown that. You’re correct. You have been doing all that you can to separate yourself from a bad situation, and I should have praised you for it and not made you feel like you’d disappointed me. And as far as the media goes, it’s out of your control. I know that better than anyone. I’ve lived in that light most of my life in this family.” He sighed. “Let’s talk about Paris. Mom showed me the products that you’re going to be launching, and we were both blown away.”

“That means a lot to me. They believe in the MSL line, and I think it’s going to do big things in that market.”

“You’ll stay for at least six months to start?” he asked.

“The Paris apartment is in the city, so that will make things very convenient for you.”

My parents owned a gorgeous flat in Paris, and that’s where I’d be calling home for the next several months. I loved it there. I spent summers and holidays in Paris growing up, and it felt like my second home.

“Yes. I need to polish up on my French over the next few weeks.”

One month.

I was leaving at the end of March, and my time here was winding down.

“You’ll pick it up fairly easy,” he chuckled. “So what happens with Rafe? Mom and I really liked him. And obviously, Francois thinks he’s the real deal.”

I cleared my throat. I was tired of lying. Of pretending I was someone that I wasn’t just to please my father. My family. To not feel like the black sheep. The screwup.

I was kicking ass professionally. It was time to hold my head up high and own it.

“He’s great. I’m lucky to have had this time with him. He’s made me realize that I can trust again, you know? I thought I’d never get there, but Rafe has really changed my perspective.” I took a beat to swallow the lump in my throat. “But Rafe lives here, Dad. He loves this town, and his whole family is here. I’m moving to Paris, and I may never come back. I just don’t know what my future holds, so I think we’re going to just enjoy this time we have together and then wish each other well when it’s time for me to leave.”

“You’re really making MSL your priority, and I respect it. But life isn’t only about work, Lulu. Your mom and I have expanded Laredo’s growth together. We’re a team. You can have both. You know that, right?”

“You can if you’re both on the same page. We have very different plans for our lives, and Rafe is the one who has taught me that that’s okay. We can enjoy the time we have together, and then we’ll go off and chase our dreams on our own. When I was with Beckett, I lost sight of my dreams, and I won’t do that again. I worked hard for this partnership in Paris. So freaking hard. I chased it and didn’t give up the first four times they rejected the line. This is my priority right now because, in a way, I’m finally focusing on my own dreams, and I’m proud of that.”

After all I’ve been through in the last year, I was ready to spread my wings and fly.

“I’m proud of you for building something from the ground up and believing in it. But most of all, I’m proud that you are so focused and determined to accomplish the goals you set for yourself. I’m sorry I didn’t notice sooner.”

I swiped at the single tear rolling down my cheek. It had been a long time since I not only heard my father say he was proud of me but actually felt it.

“Thank you, Dad.”

“Well, give our best to Rafe. Hopefully, we can FaceTime with you both this weekend again.”

We’d started doing these calls together, and my parents loved him.

“Yeah, he told me he’s going to keep the weekly calls going with you even after I leave,” I said with a laugh.

My chest squeezed at my words.

At the thought of saying goodbye.

I had a hunch we’d keep in touch for a while. And then he’d probably meet someone, and it would be awkward to continue talking on the phone at that point, so things would eventually change.

It was part of life.

I hated the thought of Rafe with another woman.

The irony was not lost on me that I’d dated Beckett for years, and I felt nothing but relief about him having a child with another woman. I’d been desperate for him to move on for a long time.

But Rafe, a man I’d known for just a few months, a man who’d started out dating me on a lie to help me out—he was the one that I couldn’t stand to think of with another woman.

It made no sense.

I shook it off, pushing it out of my mind when the doorbell rang.

I hurried over and pulled the door open to replace Henley on the other side.

“Hey,” she said, as she stepped inside. “I got off work early and thought we could go look for some outfits for all the events this weekend.”

It was Emerson’s wedding, and there was a bridal shower, a rehearsal dinner, and then the actual wedding.

“Yes! I need three outfits, and shopping is always a good idea,” I said. “I also wouldn’t mind a burger from the Honey Biscuit Café.”

“I’m starving. Food first. Clothes after.”

“Perfect,” I said, grabbing my purse as we made our way out to her car. We could have walked, as the sun was out and we weren’t too far from downtown. But we knew we’d have a ton of bags to carry, and this was just an easier plan.

We parked at the café and would leave the car there while we shopped.

“Well, well, well,” Oscar said. “My two favorite gals are here.”

“Who’s the one flirting now?” Edith said, her voice all tease.

“Woman! Are you out of your mind? I’m old enough to be their grandfather. It’s your mind that’s always in the trash when it comes to those Chadwick boys.”

Edith rolled her eyes as Henley and I laughed.

I loved this town.

This place.

These people.

“Hey, I’m just a woman with good eyesight. I can’t help it if they’re pretty to look at.” Edith led us to the booth in the back and took our drink orders before leaving us alone.

“I wish you weren’t leaving in a few weeks. It’s been so fun living close to one another,” Henley said, and we paused to place our lunch order when Edith set our drinks down.

“I know. But you’re coming to Paris once I get settled, right?”

“Yep. I can’t wait,” she said as she took a sip of her soda. “Do you think you’ll miss it here?”

I thought it over, even though I already knew the answer. “I mean, of course, I’ll miss you.”

She quirked a brow. “Come on, Lu. It’s me. You can tell me that you’re going to miss Rafe. He’s being as tight-lipped as you are about it. You’re both acting like it’s no big deal, yet you basically live together.”

“That is only because we were faking it at first,” I whisper-hissed. “And then it seemed silly to have him move out, seeing as we spend so much time together. But we both knew what we were getting into. It’ll be fine.”

“I’ve just never seen you like this with anyone. You and Beckett were always so volatile, you know? You never seemed all that happy. You seemed like you were—” She tapped her chin as she thought it over.

“I was what?” I pressed as our plates were set down in front of us, and I bit off the top of a french fry.

“Stuck. You seemed like you were stuck. Long before you ended things with him, I didn’t think you were happy. I just thought you didn’t know how to get out of the relationship.”

“That’s because you know me. And in a way, I was stuck for a long time. I’m not proud of it because I don’t believe in allowing someone to have that much control over your life. But it happened slowly. So, you’re spot on, bestie. I was stuck. And now, I’m proud to say that I’m officially unstuck. I have been for quite a while,” I chuckled. “Even my father finally believes me. He apologized for how hard he’s been on me about it.”

“That’s because he can tell you’re happy now. And I think a lot of that has to do with Rafe. I like seeing you so relaxed with someone. And he’s so adorable with you, the way he’s so protective and proud of you.”

I rolled my eyes. “You just want me to date your boyfriend’s brother.”

“Not going to lie, I don’t mind the sound of that. But that’s not it. I didn’t think much of it when it first started, but I’ve been watching the way you interact. Like you’ve known one another your entire lives. Like you speak your own language. And don’t even get me started about the way he put you up on his shoulders last night at pickleball because you nailed the game-winning point. It was kind of adorable.” She shrugged before cutting her burger in half and taking a bite.

“Those Golden Girls are no joke on the court. And they were flirting their asses off with Rafe, so I just had to distract them with my pickleball moves.”

“I just wanted to say that sometimes you replace what you’re looking for when you’re not expecting it.” She put her hands up to stop me from jumping in. “I know you were derailed once in your life. I know this Paris opportunity is a big one. I know that Rafe has a life here, and he’s happy. I’m just saying, sometimes we replace something worth changing course for.”

And sometimes when you put all your eggs in one basket, it blows up in your face.

Fool me once, shame on you.

Fool me twice…

I wouldn’t be a fool twice.

I had a plan, and I was sticking to it.