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“I asked him not to go—pretty clear there.”
“Have you considered what that did to him—seeing you like that?”
“Have you considered what it did to me? To have him pack up and leave town so fast the trailer door was barely latched?” Not to mention the hole he’d left in her life. Her heart. The camp wasn’t the same. Deep Haven wasn’t the same.
“He left because he was afraid you’d get hurt.”
“Hello—he did hurt me. Far more than this.” She pointed to the residual lump on her head where stitches held her flesh together.
“It was probably like watching his parents all over again.” Courtney spoke up from the barn aisle.
“Well, watching him go is like waiting for five hours after school for Mom to pick me up, except she never arrived. Then watching my dad fall apart. Completely lose the man he was.”
“He said goodbye.”
“Oh, goody for him.” Beth glared at her.
“He’s not like your mom. He didn’t abandon you—he had a property to return to.” A furrow creased Vivie’s brow.
“Coincidentally, when I needed him most.”
“I get that it’s not the ideal departure. He didn’t get it right. But don’t think it didn’t cost him dearly.”
“Whose side are you on?” Beth asked. “And don’t tell me ‘love’s.’” She slid into the other chair. “I don’t think I can buy into the whole matchmaker thing again.”
Vivien drew her lips together and closed her eyes. “How could he ask you to go with him? He knows how close you and your dad are.”
“He could have stayed.”
Vivien shook her head. “And done what? Bagged groceries? Served up coffee at Java Cup? It’s not like we have any open range around here. He’s a cowboy.”
“He had the camp.”
“It’s Jesse’s camp—Grayson was filling in.”
Yeah. That’s exactly what Grayson had said. Beth leaned forward, her face in her hands, and tried to hold in the sobs. “Please. Let me grieve. I just want to be alone.”
Vivien moved her chair over next to Beth’s and wrapped her arms around her. “You think he didn’t love you enough to stay,” she said, her words resolute. “Maybe you need to consider if you love him enough to go.”
Vivie’s words hung in the air.
She did love him.
“I do love him,” Beth whispered. “I do. But I also love my dad. And Deep Haven. And Trinity. What kind of choice is that?” She swallowed.
“You can still love your dad and choose something for yourself. They’re not mutually exclusive.”
“It feels like it.”
A car door slammed. Moments later, Noah came through the barn door. His eyes landed on Courtney, Vivien, then Beth.
“I can come back later.”
Beth blew her nose and shoved the tissue into her pocket. Pulled away from Vivie. “I figured I’d get things squared away for the week. Clean out my office.”
Noah’s brow furrowed. “Why would you do that?”
“We don’t have funds to keep the camp open. I’ll have to process the refunds from the ride.” Beth dropped her hands into her lap. “I’m so sorry, Noah. I thought I could do this job. All I’ve managed is to shut down the camp entirely. I will take responsibility for feeding the horses until they can be fostered or adopted out or whatever will get done with them.”
