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“What’s wrong?” Tally asks, her hand reaching to rest on my arm.
I give her a warm smile. “Nothing’s wrong, but in the time I’ve been spending with Sebastian, I’ve put a few things together.” I tell them about Anna-Beth’s accident, how Sebastian and I had met in the hospital, and the possibility of having Anna-Beth’s heart.
Mabel’s eyes go wide, her hand flying to her open mouth, covering it. Sybil doesn’t move—just stares at me. Tally’s the one who speaks. “Wow, that’s crazy if it’s true. It’s almost like you were meant to come home, and he was meant to be here. That’s just… wow. I have no other words for it,” she says breathlessly and rubs a hand over her face.
“Yeah, it’s a lot, and I’ve not voiced my thoughts to him obviously because I don’t want to upset him or have him hate me.”
“That’s understandable. So, what are you going to do?”
“Nothing. He has to be the one to want to find out, and then it’s all up to him. On the ride we took yesterday, I asked him if he wanted to know, and he didn’t seem too concerned.” I lift another piece of banana bread to my mouth and take a bite.
“Talk about the story of a lifetime… ‘Man falls in love with the woman who has his deceased wife’s heart.’” Tally runs her hand in the air and moves it along as though she’s reading it off a billboard or something.
“That’s nuts,” Sybil says. “Don’t you think you should at least say something, tell him your suspicions? How do you think he’ll react when he finds out that you knew or had some idea about it?”
I shake my head. “No, I don’t want to say something it turns out I’m wrong. That would hurt more and I’d have ruined the good friendship we’ve established.”
“An intimate relationship?” Mabel asks with a cheeky grin plastered on her face.
“I’m not sure. Feelings are there, and we’ve kissed, but nothing more has happened with him, and it may not progress. He’s only here for a short while, remember? He could leave any day, and that would be it.”
Sybil scrunches up her face. “No way. I’m sure if you both wanted something more, then it could happen.”
“That’s the thing… I’m not sure I’m there yet. He understands, though, so whatever will be, will be.” Even though I’ll hate it when he does leave.
My feelings for him are growing. It’s exciting and new, but I don’t think I can handle a full-on relationship right now. I need a little longer to adjust and actually let go of Eli.
I still have his sealed letter I’ve never read.
Perhaps it’s time to read it and let go.
STARING DOWN AT MY LAPTOPscreen, I see the browser’s open to the organ donor recipient information page. There’s only one organ I want to know about. I don’t need or want to know any others.
My conversation with Mom has been playing on an endless loop in my mind since I woke this morning, and the girls are playing happily for the moment. After Delilah raced out of here today, it crushed me. I felt somewhat whole again having her in here with the girls and me last night. We weren’t in the same bed or anything, but having her here, under the same roof, felt really nice.
“Daddy, when are we going horseback riding?” Rylee asks for what feels like the hundredth time since she woke up.
“I’m waiting to hear from Dee. She’ll let me know. Is that okay?”
“Okay, Daddy.” She goes back to playing with her dolls, and Ruby watches something on television that has caught her attention.
My phone pings, alerting me to a message. I hit send on the web form before I pick it up to read it. My heart races at the thought of finding out this bit of information. What if it’s Delilah who received it? How would that affect us?
She’s beautiful, sexy, and smart. I want to know her more and more with each moment I spend with her. I also know that my racing career is a priority, and I’m not sure how the whole thing would work for us if we decided to make a go of something in the future. It’s clear she’s not ready for a relationship right now. She’s still so fragile, and I’d hate to shatter her. Time—that’s what she needs.
I pick up my phone. A message lights up my screen, my stomach churns, and an exciting thrill runs through me. It’s what I’ve been waiting for, but why does it give me a feeling of dread?
Luke:Time to pack up your saddle and come home. One of the racers for Haze has gotten himself into some unwanted press, and they’re replacing him with you to finish out the season for them.
I hit the call button.
Luke answers immediately. “I hope you’re already packing. I worked hard to get them to consider you. Get back here as soon as possible. You better have kept up your training.”
“You know me. I’m always in shape and training. I may have slacked off while on holiday, but that’s nothing I can’t change. What happened to the driver?”
“That’s not your concern. Your concern is coming home.”
The thought of being back in the car thrills me but saying goodbye to Rose Ridge Ranch and Delilah will be hard. I never planned to find someone like her out here—someone who understands my hurt and my loss. I wish I’d found her long ago or even taken the time to help her more when I saw how distressed she was at the hospital. But I had my own personal things to deal with back then.
