“Seems to me you’re suffering deeply right now, and I doubt Seth is in any better condition.” Jack pulled her into a hug, and ran a gentle hand down her hair. She burrowed into him to soak up the solace he offered. “How is this any better than a hypothetical heartbreak in the future? Which might never happen? Why give up the chance for happiness when you have nothing to lose? Do you think it’ll be harder than what you’re going through now?”

“Jack, I broke his heart. How could I have broken his heart just because I was scared?”

“Because you were scared, Tara. People make foolish decisions when they’re afraid.”

Something that felt like life fluttered in Tara’s chest. She’d chosen wrong because of her fears, but maybe she could change that. Maybe she deserved another chance. She stepped back from the hug and said, “Hey, are you calling me a fool?”

“If the shoe fits.” Her lovely big brother grinned back at her. “So what are you going to do now?”

“Fix my monumental mistake, of course.” Hope and fear were duking it out inside her. “What if he doesn’t forgive me?”

“Are you going to let ‘what if’ make the decision for you again?”

“No.” Tara shook her head resolutely. “Never again.”

“There is the little sister I know and love.” Jack tousled her head. “Now go and do whatever you need to do. I have you covered with the fam.”

“Thanks, oppa.”

She ran for the back office. There was no time to drive home right now. Tara needed to get to Paris as soon as possible. She woke the sleeping computer with a jiggle of the mouse, and jumped on the web. Heart pounding, she searched for the earliest flight to Charles de Gaulle. Luckily, there was a redeye to Paris tonight. It would take a chunk of her savings to buy a one-way ticket, but she would deplete her unborn child’s future college savings to get to Seth. Without blinking an eye, she hit buy.

Tara didn’t bother with a return ticket because she had no idea when she would be returning. She planned on staying there as long as necessary to win Seth back. She didn’t want to leave her family in a lurch, but Weldon Brewery would be fine with the four of them for a while. With her decision made and her ticket bought, her urgency to go to him only grew. Almost a month had passed since Seth had left. Why the hurry now? Who knows? But every fiber in her being was telling her to go to him. Now.

“Jack,” she yelled out to him. “I’m going home to pack.”

“Okay,” he said nonchalantly. “Bring me back some macarons.”

The drive home was slow because she was shaking and had to pay extra attention to the road. She wouldn’t be able to handle the long drive to the international airport.

“Call Aubrey.”

Her car obediently dialed Aubrey, who picked up on the second ring.