The guilt I’ve been carrying for weeks rises to the surface.
“I should have handled things differently. Should have said something sooner. Should have—”
Irene squeezes my hand. Hard. “Sweetheart …”
I pause and look up.
“It’ll all work out the way it’s supposed to.”
“You think so?”
“I know so.”
“You aren’t angry with me?”
She sighs. “Things could have been handled better, but one thing I’ve always known is that you are meant to be part of this family. God just has a funny way of showing us sometimes that we aren’t in control of the how or why.” Her expression grows thoughtful. “And he has a plan for Cabe.”
My eyes drift across the yard to where he’s standing near the fire, talking to Micah. For the first time in weeks, he actually looks at me. Not exactly happy, but lighter. Less wounded. Hopefully, tonight is the first step toward healing for all of us.
“I hope, someday, he finds someone who makes him happier than I ever could have,” I whisper.
Irene follows my gaze. “He will.”
Before I can respond, she’s already walking away, and Cabe is walking toward me and pulling me into a bear hug.
A real hug.
The tears come instantly, and I bury my face against his shirt and sniffle.
His arms tighten around me. “Hey now. Everything is fine.”
I groan. “Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
I pull back and glare at him. “If one more Trust man says the wordfineto me, I’m going to knee somebody in the balls.”
His eyebrows shoot up. Then he looks down and covers himself. “Wow. Hanging around Axle has made you mean.”
I snort, causing him to smile. Seeing that smile nearly makes me cry all over again because I’ve missed it—missed him, missed this, the easy friendship we’ve always shared. The relationship I never wanted to lose.
“How are you?” I ask quietly.
“I’m getting there.”
His expression darkens, and I hate the shift, but honesty means more than any fake reassurance ever could.
I nod. “Me too.”
For a moment, neither of us says anything.
Then he clears his throat. “So, want to have breakfast tomorrow?”
I blink. “What?”
He shrugs. “The summer’s almost over. We aren’t gonna get many more chances to hang out.”
A sob escapes me before I can stop it. “Breakfast sounds nice.”
