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“Hey.” His Adam’s apple bobbed.
“Hey.”
He stood with his hat in his hands, his fingers rubbing the edge of the it. “You scared me.”
“I don’t remember much.” But yeah, she did remember the look in his eyes. The one that still tore her heart in two. “Only bits and pieces. I’m sorry.”
He nodded, his lips pressed. He stepped farther into the room. “They said you might get back some of your memory.”
“Most of the day is a blank. I remember it seemed like everything was fine. I don’t know.”
“It’s okay. Give it time.”
“I remember being afraid to let on how confused I was. Which doesn’t make any sense.”
“You kept asking what happened.” He stepped closer to the bed. “It didn’t matter how many times I told you. You’d ask again. You couldn’t remember.” He sat down next to her.
He smelled soapy and clean, and she wanted to lean into him. Get her bearings.
“Seeing you on the ground, unconscious—it was—” There was a scrape in his voice, and he paused. Closed his eyes. “It broke a part of me.” He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, his hand lingering on her cheek.
She covered his hand with her own. “I’m sorry.”
“It isn’t your fault—if anything, it’s mine. It was my idea for the trail ride.”
“Stop—look, I’m fine.” Beth spread open her arms. “I’m fine. God brought us through that and, yeah, I don’t know what’s going to happen with the camp or my job, but…I want whatever that is to include you.” She sounded pitiful. Just like when she’d begged Lyle not to go.
She blinked and bit down on her quivering lip.
Because this wasn’t Lyle. It was Grayson. And even with a head injury, she was pretty sure she was falling in love with him.
“I came to Deep Haven thinking I’d work the camp for the summer and head back to Oregon—I thought I could just do that. No strings.”
“You have. You’re doing a great job.” And okay, maybe she was hoping she was the string he seemed to imply getting tangled in.
“I should have never agreed to this. I knew I had to leave for Oregon. But seeing you hurt, watching it all happen like some horrible slow-motion movie…” He ran his hands through his hair. “I’m so far in over my head.”
“You’re not—it’s okay. I’m okay.”
“I tried to convince myself it would work itself out—you know, trust God with the plan. Look where that got me.” Anguish contorted his features.
“He took care of me. Do you realize how much worse this could have been?”
“I can’t lose someone else, Beth.”
“I’m here—you can stay. We’ll figure it all out. You could stay and run the camp if we can find a way to save it. We’ll keep running it together.”
“It’s Jesse’s camp to run.” He shook his head. “We knew that all along. He’s the head wrangler.”
A retch curdled in Beth’s stomach. “What are you saying?”
“I think this is where I need to go.” He looked away. “I talked to Walter. He said he’ll cover until Jesse’s back. His doctor thinks he can be back by mid-August.”
“The kids need you.”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry I made such a mess of this.” He took a breath. “I’m needed back in Oregon. The purchase on my new place is finally going through.” He shifted. “I have a lot of work to do there.”
Beth closed her eyes. No. This wasn’t happening. “Now? I need you here.” She tried to will the fog in her brain away. “You love being here.”
