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“Oh.” He turned back. The flare of hope in Bree’s eyes was a knife to his chest. “Before I forget... I got a call from Blaine. He’s being discharged. He told me he’ll be back in Roaring Springs real soon.”
* * *
“Want to talk about it?” The sympathy in Trey’s voice almost tipped Bree over the edge into uncontrollable sobs.
“There’s nothing to say.” She hugged Jekyll, and turned her face away, watching the familiar scenery roll past the passenger window.
Missing Rylan was already a physical pain. She wanted to be alone to ask herself the same questions repeatedly. To seek the answer that she must have missed the first time. What could she have done differently? How could she have shaken a response from him? Only then could she work on the acceptance that he had no place in her life from now on.
How had she tumbled so fast and so hard? From never having come close to falling in love with anyone ever before, she’d thrown her heart and soul into loving Rylan. Usually reserved, she had opened up to him, letting him see every part of her. It was because of the warm, comfortable feeling she had when he was next to her. Now she was lost. Would she ever feel safe again?
“For what it’s worth, I think he loves you,” Trey said.
Bree was touched. Her big, tough brother had actually taken the time to notice what was going on in her life. Even more amazing, he was prepared to comment on it.
She took a shaky breath, unsure whether her voice would work. “That’s not the problem.”
“It seems like an important starting point.”
She brushed away a tear. “When did you get all wise?”
“Hey. This is as far as I go with relationship advice.” He pulled into the parking lot of the Diamond. “Mom will already be in the gallery. It’s your call. Do you want to go in there, or shall we take your stuff up to your apartment?”
“I don’t feel ready to face Mom or work just yet.” Who’d have thought she’d ever say either of those things? “I’ll help Jekyll settle into his new home, and maybe head down to the gallery later.”
Once Trey had carried her belongings up to the loft, it took Bree a few minutes to persuade him that she really was fine on her own. “I’ll call you if I need you,” she promised. “But David Swanson is in a jail cell in another country, and Mom is downstairs.”
“You could call Rylan if you need anything,” he reminded her.
“Stop matchmaking.” She pushed him toward the door.
When he’d gone, she turned back to survey her familiar apartment. It hadn’t changed, but it seemed different. It no longer felt like home. Although the broken pipe under the sink was a reminder of David’s presence, that wasn’t the reason. Her thoughts went to Rylan’s ranch, and she determinedly pushed them away.
“So, this is where we live now,” she said to Jekyll. “What do you think?”
Since the dog had just noticed the rug in the center of the hardwood floor, he ignored her. Approaching the strange object with caution, he sniffed one corner of it. Apparently emboldened by its passive behavior, he growled at it, then ran away and hid beneath the coffee table.
“It’s not going to hurt you.” Bree laughed as she went into the kitchen.
This left Jekyll with a horrible new dilemma. If he wanted to go with her, he would have to walk across the rug he had just threatened. He tried howling loudly, but Bree just clicked her fingers and offered him a treat. Summoning all his courage, he made a mad dash into the kitchen.
“You funny little guy.” Bree picked him up and rubbed his ears. “Dog logic. How does that work?”
She poured him a bowl of water and gave him some food. Trey had set her bags down by the front door, and she studied them with a feeling of gloom. It seemed such a long time ago that she had reluctantly packed them up. Back then, hurt and bewildered by Rylan’s betrayal, she hadn’t wanted to go with him to his ranch. If she could turn back time, would she do things differently?
“I’d find a way to show him that his dad was wrong,” she said to Jekyll. The dog tilted his head as though trying to understand her. “He’s not worthless. He’s got a heart as big as the sky.” Bree choked back a sob. “And I’d make sure he knows how much I love him for that.”
