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As the hours ticked on, she hoped against hope Drew would come to her senses and apologize.
By the time her tear-dampened pillow had dried, Drew still hadn’t come.
All Maisie could see when she closed her eyes was that look on Drew’s face, the look of a woman who had been betrayed and would never forgive. That Maisie hadn’t been the one to betray her was hardly the point. Jolene had been right. Drew was incapable of trust, and there was no sense trying to change her mind. They were finished.
The only thing left for Maisie to do now was pack up her car and go.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO
As Drewslowly came to consciousness, the first thing she noticed was her head felt like it was being squeezed in a vice. The second was that she was stretched out across the top of her bed, still in her clothing from the day before. She had no recollection of going to sleep or of anything else for a few blissful seconds before the memory of her fight with Maisie returned.
Drew’s heart clenched.
Her eyes flew to the other side of the bed—her gaze landing on the aggressively cheerful throw pillow Maisie had been so excited to add to the room—confirming what she already knew to be true. Maisie wasn’t beside her.
Drew remembered now that she’d tossed herself onto the bed and did something she hadn’t done for as long as she could remember, not even when her father had been at his worst in the intensive care unit after his heart attack.
She, Drew Campbell, had cried herself to sleep.
In the light of day, if it could be considered that given that the sun was only barely poking above the horizon, some of what had transpired the day before didn’t look nearly so terrible. And some of it looked a whole lot worse.
Take, for instance, Claire’s text about seeing Maisie and Jolene at Dan King’s office. Yesterday, it had seemed like proof of a dark conspiracy to deprive Drew of her ranch. This morning, that sounded ridiculous. Maisie had flat out told Drew at the bar that she planned to meet with Dan. It hadn’t been a secret at all. So why had Drew’s brain immediately jumped to the worst possible conclusion? And why had her mouth gone along with it, spewing all sorts of nonsense that should never have been spoken out loud?
Because I’m broken.
There was no other conclusion Drew could reach. When it came to women and relationships, she was a complete disaster. She’d never been able to trust a woman with her heart, at least not until Maisie had come along.
Now, Drew had ruined everything.
I need to make this right.
Dragging herself out of bed, Drew stumbled into the kitchen, in desperate need of caffeine. She did everything she could not to notice the goose-shaped cookie jar Maisie had bought, the one staring reproachfully at her from the counter. Almost as reproachfully as Hannah, who was waiting at the kitchen table, staring daggers as Drew entered.
“I hope you’re happy with yourself.” Hannah said.
“I didn’t sleep, Hannah. So if you want to fight about applying to school in Texas or living at home next year, please do me the courtesy of letting me get a cup of coffee first.”
“This has absolutely nothing to do with school or Texas.” Tears sparkled in Hannah’s eyes, and whatever was troubling her, Drew had a feeling there wasn’t enough coffee in the world to get through the conversation unscathed.
Drew closed her eyes, wishing she’d never gotten out of bed.
“What did you say to her?” Hannah demanded.
“Who?” Drew poured coffee into a mug, wishing she could swill it directly from the pot.
“Maisie, you idiot.”
Drew normally would’ve chastised her sister for talking to her like this, but something in the girl’s tone told her to stand down. A prickle of fear traveled along the base of Drew’s spine. “Why?”
Hannah put her hands on her hips, staring down her nose at Drew and seeming incredibly tall. “Because she left.”
“On an errand?” Drew’s attempt at sounding hopeful fell flat. Hannah’s sullen tone and accusatory stare told her it was much more. “Where did she go?”
“How the hell should I know?” Hannah crossed her arms. “I heard you two yelling yesterday, although I couldn’t hear clearly why. I woke up this morning, and her car was gone, along with every single item from her bedroom. Except those boots of mine you gave her, and that cowboy hat, too. Those she left on her bed.”
The hat, too?But the hat had been a gift. Maisie had loved it.
Drew sank into a chair, too dizzy to stand. “Did she leave a note?”
