Page 113 of Lost Truth
Cady looked back at Sawyer and smiled, then stood.
“I can sit with Sawyer to give you privacy if you want,” Hayden said.
“No. Stay with me.” She clutched his hand. “Unless you’d rather not be here.”
He looked deep into her eyes. “I’m in this for the long haul, honey. For better or worse.”
He hoped he didn’t frighten her by quoting a marriage vow when they would just be starting to date, but her soft smile told him he hadn’t stepped wrong with her.
“I’m so thankful God brought you into my life, Hayden Kraus. I’m not thrilled about the circumstances we met under, but it’s a perfect example of God turning hardship into something good.”
He wanted to hug her. To hold her. But with the urn, that was impossible. The hugging and holding would have to wait until later, after he revealed his surprise.
Cady had thought she would feel such a deep sadness after releasing her father’s ashes and would want to go home. But when Hayden invited her to come back to the inn, she eagerly agreed. He had something he wanted to show her. Something he was very cryptic about.
In the lobby, he turned to look at her. “Have I ever shown you the ballroom?”
“Ballroom? How fancy.” She watched him for any hint of what was to come.
“It’s nothing fancy and definitely not a grand space. Honestly, it’s about the size of our conference room—but big enough to host a small wedding reception. The downside? It’s still stuck in the sixties, and not the cool mid-century vibe you like—more like your grandma’s basement.”
Was he thinking about a wedding already? His “for better or worse” comment on the boat and then mentioning the ballroom as a small wedding venue seemed as if he was heading in that direction. Surprisingly, the thought didn’t shock her. Sure, she certainly wasn’t ready to get married, and he couldn’t be either, so her overactive imagination was running away with her.
Time to find out. “Is that what you wanted to show me?”
“It is. Come on.” He took her hand, which he’d been doing a lot lately, as if he worried she would get away from him. She could understand that too. Neither of them had wanted a relationship, but this thing between them was inevitable, and they couldn’t spend their entire lives running from it.
Well, they could, but it wouldn’t be any kind of life.
He started through the lobby in the direction of the conference room and passed the kitchen. She thought she heard voices coming from the door next to the kitchen, but maybe someone was playing a radio.
At the door, he turned to look at her. “If this is too much and you want to leave, just tell me. You don’t have to feel obligated to stay. We all understand.”
We?She swallowed. So maybe there were people inside. Probably the team, but what was the purpose of this get-together?
He opened the door and led her inside. A small group of people were gathered in a large room, talking to each other. Reece hovered behind a long table with refreshments and a big punch bowl holding cherry-red punch. Cady spotted the rest of the team in various locations, talking to townspeople she’d met, but there were also many people she hadn’t met before.
She shot a look at Hayden. “What’s going on?”
He turned her to face a large photo display perched on several easels just inside the door. Above it, a banner read,In Honor of Percy Vaughn.
“I know you weren’t able to arrange a memorial service for your father.” Hayden’s voice came from behind. “So I wanted to do it for you.”
Tears in her eyes, she spun to face him. “You did this for me?”
“I hope it’s not too much after the emotional boat ride.”
“Too much?” She looked around the space. “All these people knew my father?”
“Yes, and they were glad to have a chance to meet you and say goodbye to their friend.”
“Oh, Hayden.” She started to cry, and she looked up to try to stop the tears, but she couldn’t.
He pulled her into his arms and held her head against his chest, then gently caressed her hair. “I didn’t want you to cry, but I wanted you to have a chance to meet all of your dad’s friends so they could tell you how wonderful he was.”
If she stayed in this room, she was going to completely lose it, and she didn’t want that to happen at what should be an event meant to celebrate her dad’s life. She pulled free, grabbed Hayden’s hand, and plunged through the door to the hallway.
“You don’t like it,” he said, a worry line forming on his forehead.
