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She shivered, thinking of the way her name had rolled off his tongue with familiarity that went beyond an old friend. And his hands. Good Lord, his big, strong hands. The way he’d caught her by the waist and held on tight... It was as if he’d zapped a magic wand and erased all the years of hurt with just one touch.
Ohmygod. No. No, no, no! I cannot get wrapped up in him and be hurt all over again.
She began packing up her painting supplies, lifting her eyes at the sound of seabirds sweeping down to the beach, where they gathered and pecked at a fish that had washed up onshore.
Was that what she was doing? Pecking at something that was long gone and should be left alone?
Leaving Trent had been the most difficult thing Reese had ever done. She’d thought they had the type of love that could never be ignored or be broken. But after six months of Trent coming home long after she’d gone to bed, seven days a week, she’d realized that she wasn’t anywhere near the top of his priority list. Work came first. And then networking. And then sleep, when he could fit some in. A wife barely made the list, especially one who never managed to say the right thing at his important networking events and who just couldn’t find her footing in such a big city, no matter how hard she tried. She wasn’t happy, and she knew he couldn’t possibly be happy either. Splitting up had seemed like the only way forward for either of them—so that he could give his all to his career without anyone holding him back and she could head back home to the island to paint.
Leaving had been horrible. Beyond horrible. But the worst part about it wasn’t just that she’d felt there was no option left but to leave. No, the very worst part was that instead of saying goodbye in person, she’d left him a note. She’d sobbed the entire time she’d written it, her hands shaking, her stomach roiling.
Dear Trent,
I never thought I’d write you a note like this, and I know it’s unfair to leave this instead of talking with you in person, but no matter how hard I’ve tried to say these things to you face-to-face, I always lose my nerve. We’ve grown so far apart, and I miss us terribly, but I know it would be worse to let things keep going like they have these past six months. You are doing everything you hoped you’d do with your career, and I’m lost here in New York. I’m sorry I couldn’t become what you needed, or what you deserve. You don’t need me holding you back, which is why I’m going back to the island today. This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I still know I need to do it. For both of us.
I’ll always love you.
Reese
She still cringed to think of how it had all played out. But the truth was that if she’d looked into the eyes of the man she adored, there was no way she would have been able to leave. And then they both would have only grown more and more unhappy together.
He’d come after her, of course. Trent Rockwell wasn’t the type of man who let something he wanted slip through his fingers. But his attempts to get her back had been rationalizations, not remedies. He’d told her why he needed to work late hours and why his career had to be his top priority, without even so much as an offer to try to spend more time with her or to pay more attention to their marriage.
As a seabird picked up the fish carcass and flew away, she realized that was exactly what she’d done a decade ago. She’d picked up her broken heart and returned home.
Only now, after having been in Trent’s arms again, she knew that no matter how much she tried to fool herself, she had never really left her deep feelings for him behind.
She was bending to finish packing up her supplies when she spotted a tall, broad figure jogging toward the steep wooden steps that led to the top of the dune. Her pulse quickened, and she knew she was playing with fire. Testing herself. Could she see him again without her heart going crazy?
As Trent came clearly into view down below the dune, Reese scooted back so he couldn’t see her. But even just that quick peek sent a pang of longing through her chest, chased by a world of hurt.
No, she thought as she made herself look away. She wasn’t going to do this to herself. She couldn’t do this to herself. Not now. Not after spending two months helping her sister, Sarah, and her wonderful husband, James, care for their adorable new baby. At twenty-nine, Reese was finally ready to move on with her life. And after holding that tiny little boy in her arms, she longed for more.
