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I sob and scream. Tears wash my face until there’s nothing left. And he holds me through it all. When it’s over, he helps me piece myself back together with his love and affection.
Once the cries subside, he wipes away my tears and helps me to my feet. “Are you ready to go home?”
I offer him a watery smile. “I reckon I am.”
His smile is so bright, it’s hard not to return it, and as we leave, I don’t say goodbye to my mom and dad because I know they’ll always be in my heart no matter where I go. As long as Beau’s by my side, that organ will always beat strong and sure.
Chapter Twenty Eight
? Beau ?
I knew after Caleb had opened his heart to me, moving would be hard. No matter how many times I promised we’d come stay in his old cabin. Hunting in the winter or fishing in the summer, we were sure to have many more nights in his family’s vacation home. But it wasn’t as much about leaving a physical structure as it was leaving the memory of his parents behind.
I ached for him when he told me how he lost them. Insisted it wasn’t his fault when he blamed himself. But that’s easier said than done. I think I finally got through to him though when I told him, “If it had been you and your dad, what do you suppose would’ve happened to your mama?”
As children, we’re meant to eventually lose our parents, certainly not as young as Caleb did, but he had a future. One he’s made the most of, and it turned out pretty damn good if you ask me. His poor mom, on the other hand, would’ve had to suffer the loss of her husband and her only child. I may not be a parent yet, but I’m a fairly empathetic soul, and I don’t want to imagine what it would feel like to lose a child.
“Well, when you put it that way, I suppose I wouldn’t have wanted her to suffer.”
I nod into him as I squeeze him close. “You had Essie, and eventually me, to love and cherish you. You would’ve never discovered that if you had gone to that game. I, for one, would rather not consider a life without you, my precious boy.”
He nuzzles his nose into the crease of my neck and shoulder. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”
I squeeze him tighter, suddenly feeling the possibility of losing him like a punch to the gut. “You’re my everything.”
Some might say it’s too soon to have feelings this intense. But it’s never happened for me. Not in thirty-six years have I come close to feeling like this. No one has ever held a candle to Caleb.
It’s like the saying goes, ‘when you know, you know,’ and I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.
It’s in this single moment in time that a lightbulb blinks on shining a light on how much I’ve fallen. I’m gonna put a collar around his neck and a ring on his finger. I won’t just come out and ask him, or hold a conversation like it means less than nothing. No, my baby boy deserves the best, and he’s very well gonna get it.
Chapter Twenty Nine
? Sakura ?
The locker room is dead quiet. Abi is busy flirting with Nick, and Essie’s finishing up her paperwork. So, when the voice comes out of nowhere, I about jump out of my skin. “What are you doing, little girl?!”
I hold a shaking hand to my rapidly beating heart. “Good grief, Essie, you scared me to death.” She steps up close behind me and wraps her long, warm arms around my shoulders. She kisses the top of my head for good measure. “You think this is a good idea?”
“Hmm?” She’s being nonchalant even though she knows exactly what I’m talking about.
“This sudden PDA. Aren’t you afraid Abi could walk in any second and see us?”
She keeps me in her arms as she straddles the bench and pulls me down until I’m in her lap. “Her and Nick fell down a rabbit hole… er, should I say memory lane. Plus, aren’t you sick of hiding?”
I jerk back in shock. “Who are you and what have you done with my Essie?”
She chuckles and rubs her nose against mine in the sweetest Eskimo kiss. “I’m sick of hiding, especially from you.”
My brow furrows in confusion. “What do you mean?”
My stomach drops as I consider the ramifications when she discovers everything I’ve been hiding from her.
Her next statement brings me barreling out of my fearful reverie. “I’m in love with you, my little hummingbird.”
My eyes widen and my stomach drops simultaneously. “What?”
Worry furrows her brow. “Is that completely out of left field?”
