Page 78 of Welcome Home to Ivy Falls

‘When it happened…’ She sucked in a heavy breath. ‘We were in Northern California at a camping spot. It was winter and there’d recently been a big snowfall. I was being the typical annoying little sister, pestering Beck to throw snowballs with me. Off and on throughout the trip, there’d been issues with the RV’s propane tank. While we were chasing each other down by the river, there was an explosion. Beck he… tried to get them out, but in the process was badly burned.’ Her voice broke. ‘My folks didn’t make it.’

Her body shuddered and I held her until she stopped shaking.

‘The day started out like a dream and ended in a nightmare. I had a family…’ She dipped her head down, her breaths going raspy. ‘But for a few hours when they were trying to save Beck, I thought I might be alone with no one left.’

Her confession stunned me. I couldn’t imagine what I would do if I thought I’d lost Gray. I rubbed her back in slow circles again, offering her any kind of comfort I could.

‘After that, I went numb. Or tried to become numb. First, it was alcohol. When a fifth of whiskey didn’t take the edge off, pills entered the picture.’

She brushed back her hair. Pulled in another shaky breath. I wanted to tell her how brave she was for sharing her truth. That after what she’d been through, so much trauma, and most likely PTSD, that getting out the other side wasn’t an easy task for anyone. She didn’t need to hear any of that from me though. All she needed was someone solid to listen, and I was determined to be that person for her.

‘Beck came back to Ivy Falls two years ago. Bought Huckleberry Lane, the home we’d left as kids. In his scrambled brain he believed that if he bought it for me, could fix it, he could mend all my broken parts. Somehow, he convinced Torran to help him repair the house even though he’d crushed her heart years before, which is another long story. During that time I arrived for a surprise visit from New York. He confessed to me what he’d done, and I believed I was strong enough to cope.’

She leaned her head back against the pillow, her eyes wracked with a pain that hit me so solid in the chest it took my breath away.

‘As you probably have already guessed, I wasn’t. That’s how I ended up in Memorial Springs. Made my third trip back to rehab.’ She traced her tattoo again. ‘I told you I got this because it’s a special reminder of my parents, but it’s more than that. It’s a symbol of rebirth. That there can still be joy and wonder in the world. Any time I get that tingle in my skin, the urge to drink or score a pill, I look at my hummingbird and think about all the good things that can happen when I stay sober.’ She ran a finger along the stubble on my chin. ‘Good things like you.’

I caught her hand and pressed a warm kiss to her palm. ‘I’m sure it wasn’t easy, but I appreciate your honesty. Being vulnerable enough to share the truth about your life with me.’

‘You’re wrong about that.’ She gave me a wistful smile. ‘Everything is easy with you.’

Having her in my arms felt too right. Too good. We’d shared so much in a short time, and even though we’d agreed that this was temporary, I couldn’t imagine not always holding her this way. Not having that warm thrum in my chest when I caught sight of her across a crowded room.

She leaned in and pressed a kiss to the rise of my collarbone. With one quick move, she was straddling me again, pressing hot, hungry kisses to my mouth.

I held on to the coffee and vanilla scent of her, pushing the worries from my mind, even as my heart screamed it was going to be impossible to walk away from this woman once my time in Ivy Falls was over.