“Anyway, I went to the bar and got drunk because, screw your grandpa. No one was ever good enough for his daughter type of thing. Anyway, the alcohol wasn’t an excuse by any means, but there was a woman there who was hitting on me, and I was feeling sorry for myself. When she leaned in for a kiss, I didn’t say no.”

Is it ridiculous that despite all the years that have passed, I gasp when he says that?

“It was just a peck, but when I looked up, your mom was there with fire in her posture and hurt in her eyes. It was that moment with her chin trembling that I knew I’d move heaven and earth to figure out how to be the man her dad thought she deserved. The man she deserved.”

“I don’t understand why you’re telling me this, Dad.”

“Because if Gunner’s worth it, then fight. Fight for what you have. For the relationship. The friendship. For the stolen moments that make you miss him the most right now.” He puts the picture frame down in front of me so that I am forced to look at the image of my mom. “If I hadn’t fought to apologize, to redeem myself, to win her back after my stupid mistake, none of this would ever have been.”

“It’s not the same. It’s—”

“Isn’t it, though? You live in a black and white world, sweetie. It’s okay to fight for the one who adds color to it.”

“I can’t fight for someone who doesn’t want to be fought for.”

He smiles and nods. “It’s hard asking someone with a broken heart to fall in love again. Especially when you’re the one who broke it in the first place . . . but if the person means that much to you, you’ll fight like hell to salvage what you have.”

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

Gunner

“WHAT CAN I GET FOR you?” I ask the cute little brunette, who sidled up to the bar while I was in the back getting more ice.

“Water, please.” She laughs and turns to rub her pregnant belly.

“Sorry. I didn’t see there were two of you,” I say, wondering why a pregnant woman came into a bar by herself. “One water it is.”

I pour her a cup of iced water and then slide it across the bar to her.

“Thanks.”

“Waiting for someone else tonight or just need to get off your feet for a bit?” I ask, making conversation since the bar is slow tonight, something I’m more than fine with.

“I was heading into work—at the hotel—and I thought I’d stop in to see how Chase was.”

Her words startle me. “Chase?”