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“Caine! How did you know I would be here?” I asked, confused. I had gotten out of bed early, careful not to wake Caine when I left.
“I figured you would come here today,” he answered.
I stood up, standing in front of him. “You knew?”
Caine nodded. “I knew.” He moved to place the flowers on my mother’s grave.
He turned toward me and wrapped his arms around my waist. “I knew you were struggling and that this day was coming. I knew you had to deal with it in your own way. It killed me that I couldn’t take your pain away.” He kissed me on the forehead, stroking my hair. “I love you, Neely. You haven’t pushed me away. You could never push me away.”
“I’m so sorry, Caine. I don’t know why I shut down like this. It isn’t fair,” I apologized.
“Don’t apologize. We all deal with death and grieving differently. You handle it the way you have to.” He kissed me tenderly on the lips. “There is nothing wrong with you. You haven’t failed at anything. Your marriage wasn’t right. It wasn’t meant to be.” He paused for several moments, allowing me to listen to the soothing beat of his heart. “You don’t have to be or act like anyone else. I love you for who you are. I love all the good and all the bad.”
I looked into Caine’s eyes and felt my heart melt. “My mama would have loved that we’re getting married. I know she’s happy knowing I’m safe, cared for, and in love with you,” I whispered.
“I agree.” Caine smiled. “Your mother was there for me after my parents died. She gave me a lot of advice on how to finish raising Coley. There were times that I couldn’t have made it without her. I owe her a lot,” Caine admitted.
I turned my head so I could see her grave and still stay in Caine’s embrace. Having him hold me helped ease my pain. I had always felt so alone before. Now I had Caine. His strong arms never letting me go.
“I’m ready to go home,” I confessed.
Caine simply turned me toward the truck. He said nothing, but his silence was welcome. I didn’t need advice, or consoling. I just needed to know I had someone there for me. I just needed him to stand by my side. If I didn’t know Caine was the man for me before, I knew without a doubt now.
19
“I promise, Caine. I’ll call as soon as I’m ready to be picked up. You don’t need to worry,” I said as I tried to kiss him goodbye.
Caine kissed me lightly. “I mean it, Neely. This better not be another repeat of the last Girls’ Night Out,” Caine warned.
I nodded in agreement. “I know, I know. Trust me, I don’t want that either.” I winked as I slid out the truck door.
“And, Neely, remember to keep our secret until tomorrow,” Caine reminded me with a wide grin.
I smiled. “You remember, too!”
Caine had insisted on dropping me off to meet the girls before he met up with his guy friends for a beer. I knew that if I allowed for myself to get as drunk as last time, there would be a price to pay. I not only wanted to avoid his hand on my rear, but an evening full of vomit didn’t sound pleasant either.
I walked into the familiar bar and found Rebecca sitting by herself. She seemed so unhappy and had visibly lost a lot of weight. Her pending divorce was obviously taking a toll on her.
“Hey good looking, are you here by yourself?” I teased.
She looked up and smiled. “Love looks good on you, Neely,” Rebecca complimented.
“Thank you. It feels good, too,” I added.
There was a moment of awkward silence before I asked, “I haven’t wanted to bring this up before, but how are you doing with the separation?”
Rebecca shrugged her shoulders. “Not good. I guess I had hopes that he would hop on his white horse and save our marriage. I really thought he’d be able to save us. He always had been my hero,” she stated as tears formed.
I reached for her hand and gave a light squeeze. “I wish I had good advice, or even had the right thing to say. Just know that you are strong and powerful, and you will survive this,” I said to encourage her.
She squeezed my hand back. “Thanks. I just hope I can be as happy as you are right now.” She signaled for the waitress. “Let’s talk about happier things. I’m really tired of my pity party.”
Coley arrived moments later looking like an excited child on Christmas morning.
“You guys are not going to believe this! Kendall isn’t meeting us tonight. Do you want to know why?” she asked, leaving us hanging.
