A Silken Thread - Brenda Jackson [89]
“Yes, but once word gets out that Erica has put off her wedding everyone will wonder why.”
“Then don’t put it off.”
April rolled her eyes. “Can you honestly see Mr. and Mrs. Sanders standing alongside of Brian’s mother in a receiving line?”
“It would be rather strained,” he said.
“To say the least.”
Griffin checked his watch. “Do you want to take a walk on the beach before we head back to your place?”
She gave him a huge smile. “That’s a wonderful idea. Let’s do it.”
“All right.”
He always made even the simplest things such a joy whenever he came to town. She appreciated every single thing about him and he liked telling her every chance he got that he was hers. Other than Nana, and her friendship with Erica, she’d never felt anyone or anything was truly hers before. He was making her believe that dreams did come true and that she deserved love and happiness in her life like everyone else. And that she didn’t have to settle for less.
Now if she could get rid of this nagging fear that it was all a dream and one day she would wake up and he would be gone, that she had only imagined the whole thing, or even worse, that someone would come between them and tear them apart.
Her prayer every night was that it wouldn’t happen but her nagging fear just wouldn’t go away.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Erica opened the door to find her father standing there. “Dad? What are you doing here?”
“You’ve been avoiding me. May I come in?”
It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him that she didn’t want him to come in, but for some reason she couldn’t do that. And he was right. She had been avoiding him.
It had been five days since those pictures had been sent, and all the arrangements had been made. She and her mother would be leaving in the morning to fly to Barcelona for a twelve-day Mediterranean cruise. Then they would spend an entire month at Lake Tahoe.
She and Brian talked every night and, now that they had officially postponed their wedding and sent notices informing family and friends of their decision, phone calls had begun coming in. Everyone wanted to know the reason but she had refused to go into any details.
She let her father in, closing the door behind him. “I really don’t know why you came, Dad. You’ve admitted to the affair and as far as I’m concerned there is no excuse for what you and Ms. Lawson have done,” she said. “And now to think she is breaking up your marriage. Mom told me you’ve asked her for a divorce and—”
“Oh, come on, Erica, you’ve known the state of our marriage for years. Your mother and I were existing in a loveless marriage. I had made up in my mind to ask Karen for a divorce even before meeting Rita, but decided to wait until after your wedding.”
Erica crossed her arms over her chest. “And that’s supposed to make what you did right?”
“No, but for once I wanted to know how it felt to love and be loved in return.”
She dropped her arms and her mouth practically fell open. “Are you saying you love Rita and she supposedly loves you?”
“Yes. Although she’s willing to end things between us. She figures you and Brian will never accept us being together and that we’ve caused you and him too much pain.”
“What about the pain you’ve caused Mom?”
“Your mother has been aware of the state of our marriage for years and—”
“Of course you want me to believe she gave you her blessings to go ahead and indulge in affairs. She said you would probably try to convince me of something so ridiculous. She also told me she suspected you of other affairs in the past, but she didn’t want to believe it. What do you have to say about that?”
“Your mother is filling your head with lies.”
“Then what’s the truth?”
“In all my thirty years I’ve never been unfaithful to your mother.”
“Until now?”
“Yes, until now. I’m not going to divulge the personal business between your mother and me because it really doesn’t concern you, Erica. All I’m asking is that you believe that this affair with Rita was my first and it wasn’t just a fling. I love Rita and, yes, if she will have me and I hope