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Bailey nodded.
“He’s accepted!”
“What?” Bailey moved to sit beside her friend and look at the screen in her lap. “How could he do that so soon?”
“The wonders of cyberspace, sweetie.”
Bailey held her breath for tense seconds, and then her brother appeared.
“Beau!”
“Bailey?”
His hair was longer, and his face more lined, but there he was. Her big, beautiful, older brother. She started crying again.
“Hey there, Beau. You probably don’t remember me, but I’m Maggie Winters.”
“I remember you, Maggie. You and Bailey went to school together.”
“That’s right. Well, your little sister has found her way to Ryker, and she’s had a few wines, so go easy on her.”
“What happened, Bailey? What did that bastard do to you? Jesus, look at you, you’re so beautiful.”
The siblings looked each other, seeing the changes the years had put on their faces.
“How long has it been since we’ve seen each other, Beau?” Bailey heard her friends leave the room, but didn’t look up. She kept her eyes on her brother.
“Years... hell, I don’t know. We talked, but even then not much, and there was so much between us.”
“I’m sorry, Beau, that things got complicated between us. I never meant that to happen, but wasn’t sure how to fix things.”
“Me too, Bay... so sorry. I should have tried harder.”
“No, I’m to blame too, I let him control me. I should have pushed harder to speak to you, but he told me some things you’d said, and then when I called you, you seemed distant.”
“I’m a guy, we’re distant.” He made her laugh. “But I never said anything to him about you, Bailey, I promise. I missed you.”
“I missed you too. I’m sorry we didn’t try harder, Beau, and sorry we drifted apart.”
“That’s in the past now. Tell me what’s going on with you, Bailey. Why are you back in Ryker Falls? Fill me in on what I’ve missed.”
Beau’s hair was darker than Bailey’s. He had a square jaw, cheeks you could cut glass on, and piercing blue eyes. He’d been her idol until he left home and never returned.
“I called Mother, and Grandfather was home, about six months ago, but neither of them would talk about you, other than to say you were fine. What’s the real deal?”
“I had an accident, Beau. I fell through a window. My right arm and hand were damaged.”
“No one told me.” He looked shattered. “I would have come, and to hell with work.”
“No, I didn’t need someone else looking after me, Beau.”
“But my love is unconditional, Bailey. That’s where I differ from him.”
“I didn’t know that, though.”
He nodded. “I understand that, and like I said, I should have tried harder.”
“I had an operation to repair the damage, it went well, but then after rehab, I didn’t want to go back to playing. I’d had enough. I didn’t know who I was anymore. I suddenly wanted to experience what other people did.”
