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Liam watched through the bay window as Ruby roared off down the road. Pain ricocheted through him like bullets. He closed his eyes and prayed to God for a reprieve. This was what he had been so afraid of—losing Ruby all over again. It was the reason he had steeled his heart from her until she had worn down his defenses. Once again, he felt like he was being ripped up inside. And there was nothing he could do to stop the tidal wave of pain. He just had to endure it.
He had failed Aidan. And Ruby. And, ultimately, himself.
“Daddy?” Liam turned at the sound of Aidan’s sleep-infused voice.
“Hey, A-man,” he said. He was trying his best to keep his voice normal. The last thing he wanted was to upset Aidan. “How was your nap?”
“I had a bad dream. There was a snow monster and it came to take Mommy.” His lips trembled and he raised his arms to be lifted up.
Liam scooped Aidan into his arms and patted his back to soothe him. “Aw, I’m sorry. Nightmares can be really scary. They seem so real, don’t they?”
Aidan nodded as he wiped away tears with the back of his hand. “Where’s Mommy?”
“She had to go out for a little bit.”
Aidan frowned. “But what if something happened to her? What if the snow monster got her again?”
Liam walked over to the couch and set Aidan down.
He sat next to him. “She didn’t get eaten by the snow monster. That’s not going to happen again.”
“Promise?”
“Yes. I can’t promise that nothing bad is ever going to happen, but I can tell you for sure that the snow monster isn’t going to hurt your mother. Not ever again.”
Aidan nestled his head against Liam’s chest. He felt his heart tighten painfully. The love he felt for his son knew no bounds. It literally threatened to bring him to his knees. And it terrified him to think his actions had jeopardized their family’s future. Because of him and the pressures he’d placed on her, Ruby might choose not to stick around.
Please, Lord. Don’t let Ruby walk away from us. She’s the love of my life. The mother of my child. Give me an opportunity to make things right and to show her that there’s nothing we can’t get past.
* * *
Ruby drove around Love with her thoughts jumbled and chaotic. She had no idea of where to go. Every tie she had in this town led straight back to Liam. Liam. The man she loved. It was too late to rein herself in. She had already fallen deeply, completely, in love with him. And now, knowing their marriage had been in trouble, she had no clue what it meant for their future.
Did they even have one now? Liam hadn’t been honest with her. How could their future be built on a lie? She didn’t know if she could trust him moving forward. She felt almost as confused as she had when she’d first arrived in town.
After riding around for a while, Ruby parked her car in front of the Love Free Library. It was such a beautiful place. Maybe she could go in and sit somewhere soothing so she could think. Annie seemed to be the sort of person who wouldn’t pry and, if she needed to, she would be someone to confide in about Liam.
Ruby walked toward the library and looked up at the gold-and-cream library sign. She stopped to read the words etched on the front of the library. Love is patient. Love is kind. The verse from Corinthians. She knew it on a deep level. It spoke to her.
Liam had recited it to her at their wedding. It had been part of their vows. And she had recited it to him, as well. She could see it all in her mind’s eye. Her romantic, elegant wedding gown. Liam looking handsome in his dark tux with his brothers at his side. In her hand she’d held a bouquet of forget-me-nots as she walked down the aisle on Kyle’s arm. There had been such a look of love stamped on Liam’s face as Pastor Jack pronounced them husband and wife.
More than anything, she recalled the way she had felt that day. Hopeful. Certain. Committed. She had known on that day that she had wanted to be married to Liam Prescott more than anything else in the world.
Ruby quickly reversed herself and headed straight back to the car. At this moment all she felt was overwhelming love and gratitude for the man she had vowed to love for a lifetime.
* * *
Liam heard the front door open with a bang. Ruby! He walked toward the hallway. Ruby was standing in the foyer. He stopped, uncertain as to what he was walking toward.
“Liam!” With a wild cry, Ruby dropped her purse and beat a fast path toward him. He met her halfway, reaching down and gathering her up by her waist so that she was in his arms.
He was cradling her against him, not wanting to ever let her go. Although he’d known it wasn’t likely, he’d feared that she might never come back to him. The very thought of it had been unbearable.
He set her down, gazing into her tear-filled brown eyes. “I’m so happy you’re back. I love you so much.”
“Oh, Liam, I never should have walked out. I should have stuck around to listen and try to understand.”
He smoothed her hair back and kissed her on her forehead. “Shh. I don’t care. What’s important is that you’re here. And I plan to show you how much I love you, Ruby. You’ll never have to doubt us ever again.”
