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More footsteps caught his attention, and Trace looked up. Lilah was padding down the stairs.
She stopped on the last one and held up the flashlight. “I heard someone else might need this too.”
Trace hoped Lilah saw the regret in his eyes, but before he could bare his soul, he had a little man to think about. He looked back at Ben. “Hey, bud? You want to go find lightning bugs with Jesse? He’s waiting for you outside.”
Ben’s eyes widened and he looked at Lilah. She gave him an approving nod, and he scrambled out the back door.
Trace swallowed and focused back on Lilah. “Jesse said he’d keep the kids busy so we can talk.”
After Lilah had left the barn, Trace had given Jesse a shortened explanation of why she’d been upset. Feeling horrible for his part in the conversation, Jesse had sent Trace off, saying he’d take care of Blaze and the kids.
Lilah’s lips flattened into a thin line. She looked torn. “Can we talk upstairs? On the balcony?”
“Of course. Wherever you want.” Trace followed Lilah up the steps and through her bedroom. She pushed open a sliding glass door, and they stepped out onto the balcony, which held a cushioned wicker loveseat and a coffee table. Dusk was creeping over the neighboring corn field, replacing the pinks and peaches of the dying sunset.
They sat on the couch, angled toward each other. Lilah set the flashlight between them.
“First, I need to tell you about a promise I made to Henry,” Trace started. His pulse quickened. He intended to dismantle any doubt Lilah had, and part of that was telling her this secret.
Lilah pulled her feet onto the cushions and wrapped her arms around her tanned legs, like she was bracing herself for what was to come.
Unable to watch her worry, Trace reached for her. “Can I hold your hand?”
Her forehead creased. A moment later it eased. She set her hand in his.
Trace had no idea if this was what Henry had pictured when he put his trust in his best friend, but now Trace was making the best decision for Lilah. And by doing that, he was honoring Henry, too.
“Before Henry passed, he asked me if I would watch over you and the kids,” Trace confessed, knowing he and Henry had both had the best intentions. “He was worried about his family. He knew his time on earth was limited, and he needed to be certain you all would be taken care of in his absence.”
Lilah’s eyes glistened, and Trace grasped her hand tighter. “Obviously, I promised him that I would take care of you and the kids. I would’ve done anything for him . . . I’d do anything for you.” He paused, staring deep into Lilah’s sage gaze. “But when I made that promise, I didn’t fully understandyourstrength. And maybe that was something even Henry underestimated.”
Lilah audibly swallowed. She blinked the sheen of tears away. “You think I’m strong?”
“Stronger than a hurricane,” he replied, without a second thought. “Every day you amaze me with all you accomplish. The mother you are. The loyal daughter you are to Gayle and Randall. Not to mention the passion you have for saving any animal that needs help.”
She glanced down like she wasn’t sure how to accept his words.
But he wasn’t done.
“Lilah, I honestly couldn’t tell you the exact moment I started falling for you. I only know that I went from caring about you . . .” Trace silenced his nerves and let the truth escape from his lips. “To loving you. And now I can’t picture my life without you in it.”
Lilah looked up. Her eyes widened, and Trace’s heart thundered, waiting for her response. She hadn’t said more than a few words since they sat down, and he was worried he hadn’t conveyed the depth of emotion he felt for her.
“Lilah, I—” he started. He’d continue professing his love until his voice was gone, however long it took for her to know he really meant it. That this wasn’t about Henry’s request anymore.
Lilah stopped him. She unfurled her arms from her knees and dropped her bent legs to the cushion. Then she spoke. “What you promised Henry is beyond honorable and selfless, and I wouldn’t expect any less from you. I know exactly what a wonderful, caring man you are. But I want you to be with me because youchooseto be with me. Not because you feel an obligation.”
“I am . . . I do.” Trace wasn’t sure how else he could describe what he felt. “I want to be by your side. Always. There’s no other place I’d rather be. Period. The end.”
Lilah leaned toward him, never breaking eye contact. “That’s exactly how I feel, too.” She slid her fingers into his, lacing their hands together. “I’m crazy about you, Trace. When I’m not with you, all I can think about is the next time I’ll get to see you.”
Trace wasn’t sure he was breathing.
Lilah set a hand on his knee. “And I can tell you exactly when I knew.”
“When you knew what?” His pulse picked up, hoping Lilah was saying what he thought she was.
“That I was ready to love you.” Lilah spoke the words clear and crisp. The conviction in her gaze cemented her statement, sending goosebumps over Trace’s arms. “It was the night you consoled Ben. When you lifted his spirits using Henry’s flashlight . . . andyourempathy and love. I watched you in that moment and knew you loved us with all your heart.” She tightened her grasp on his hand. “And that night, I realized that I already loved you. I just wasn’t allowing my heart to admit it.”
