“Excuse me,” I say, looking at the floor, the tears making it difficult to see. “I need to …” Walking toward the stairs, I run up them and barely make it to the bathroom before a foot is shoved in right before I can close the door.

“Oh, no, you don’t,” Jacob says. I don’t say anything because his arms go around me, and I sob in his arms. “She is never going to talk to you like that ever.” I can’t say anything. “I swear, Kallie, she won’t.”

Pushing off from him, I leave him standing there, looking at me, as I close the door. “She isn’t the only one who is going to think that or has thought it,” I say, wiping the tears from my face, “and I know I shouldn’t care, and I know it isn’t the truth.”

“It’s not the truth.” He comes to me. “I’ve loved you my whole life. I’ve loved you when I didn’t know what love was. I wish I could make it all go away. But …”

I raise my head. “I know, and I would never let you put Ethan in that position or take you away from him.”

“Now with regard to my mother, she will never ever say those words again. I promise you that,” he takes me in his arms. “I agree with your mother. I’m going to tell her to come here. No way will you walk.”

“No,” I say loudly, “she will not make me walk with my head down.”

He smiles. “Okay, but I want her to come here. I want her to be the one walking with her head down.”

“Okay, fine,” I say softly. “I didn’t think of it like that, but yeah.”

There is a knock on the door, and we both look over as the door creaks open. “Hey,” Olivia says softly, “so no pressure or anything, but Casey is foaming at the mouth, and I think he said something about fixin’ to and a hill of beans, and I swear I have no idea what he’s saying.”

Laughing now, I look over at her. “It doesn’t amount to a hill of beans?”

“Yes.” She points at me. “That’s the hill of beans.”

“It means it doesn’t amount to anything and is hog wash.”

“That’s what your father said,” Olivia now says, and I hear my mother calling my name.

“If I don’t get some food on the table,” she starts to say, “they are both going to get madder than a wet hen.”

Olivia looks at me. “Beans, hog wash, and now a wet hen.” She shakes her head. “It’s like I’m on another planet.”

“Tell my mother we’ll be right there.” I look at Olivia, who nods and closes the door.