They Said Man on the Ship Was My Destiny—I Said No Chapter 03
He scoffed and hung up. “So now you’re using your grandfather to guilt-trip me?”
Guilt-trip. Fair enough — I’d done it before.
In the spring, I’d stood outside all night until the cold landed me in the hospital — just so he couldn’t take Audrey berry picking.
By early summer, he’d taken Audrey to catch crawfish in the river, and I’d called him in tears, swearing I was sick.
Come fall, I was showing up at his door with pies, saying my dad needed to see him. And those were just the big ones.
A cut on my hand. A twisted ankle. A stomachache that wouldn’t let up… Every lie, just to steal a few more hours with him.
Seven years of making a fool of myself. I couldn’t argue with that, so I didn’t.
I stepped away from the drawing box. Preston waved Audrey forward, and she walked right up to me.
“Clara, I’ll go first — maybe some of my luck will rub off on you.”
Preston chuckled behind her. “Careful. Clara’s gonna blame you if she pulls a white slip.”
“Well, that’s fate, isn’t it?” Her eyes made a slow pass over me, waiting for me to explode.
But I didn’t. I stood aside and let her reach into the box.
My silence took the fun out of it. She turned to Preston as her hand dipped into the box. “What were you two talking about?”
“Clara’s grandfather is sick. I’ll take her to see him after the boat ride.”
“Oh wow, red!”
Audrey’s face lit up. The smug satisfaction in her eyes was impossible to miss. “Sorry, Clara. Preston’s boat is mine again this year.”
I hadn’t even opened my mouth yet, but Preston already stepped in front of her like a shield. “That’s how it works in Riverbend. You don’t get to throw a fit over it. Audrey’s just lucky. Don’t turn this into something it isn’t, Clara.”
“Nobody bullies this girl,” he added, his voice turning hard. “I don’t care if your daddy runs this whole town.”
Preston’s mother came barreling across the platform, her voice carrying over the crowd. She pulled Audrey into her arms.
“Don’t you worry, sweetheart. I said you’re getting on that boat, and you ARE getting on that boat. Anybody lays a hand on you, they’ll have to go through me.”
The two of them closed around Audrey like a fortress. Something bitter rose in my chest.
Seven years I’d spent trying to win over every person in that family.
I memorized every birthday and showed up with gifts. Every visit, I was the first one cleaning, the first one cooking — anything to make Preston’s mother smile.
I even learned what Audrey could and couldn’t eat — down to the last detail. And for what?
All they ever saw was a woman making a scene. But I was just fighting for what should’ve already been mine.
My father stood behind me and let out a long breath. “This is the family you’ve been running yourself into the ground to marry into? Your mom and I — we just want you happy. But this…”
“Dad. I’m going to draw. And it’s going to be red.”
Something in my voice caught him off guard. This wasn’t the daughter who cried, pleaded, and refused to give up every year.
After a moment, he patted me on the shoulder.”Okay… okay. Dad’s right here. And if it’s not red — that’s fine too.”
I turned to face Preston and his mother. “You’re right. Rules are rules. I’m drawing now. Move.”
I brushed past them. Preston’s mother froze.
She grabbed my sleeve. “Clara — Audrey’s already on Preston’s boat. What do you think you’re doing? You board another man’s boat, and you’re dead to this family. Don’t even bother coming back. We don’t take another man’s leftovers into this family!”
“Mom, stop!” Preston’s head whipped between us, his feet already moving, pacing, going nowhere.
His mother on one side, me on the other — and for the first time, it hit him that he might actually have to choose. He’d never once imagined I’d marry anyone else.
He reached out to stop me. But something in my eyes made him flinch, and his hand dropped.
I stepped around all three of them. “My grandfather can’t wait. And neither can I. I’ve waited seven years for you, Preston. I’m done waiting.”