I'd tried to stay at work yesterday, but after talking to Sarah, I was pretty much useless. Eason had brought me home about an hour after we'd gotten to the office, and he hadn't let me out of his sight since. I drew the line when he followed me into the bathroom. I wasn't suicidal. I was just a basket case. Worried about my daddy, dreading stepping foot in Mason Belle, fearful of what the next twenty-four hours would bring-it made for an emotional mess that Eason wasn't accustomed to seeing.The sound of the zipper on my suitcase echoed around me. There was finality around that noise. I wasn't in the same room, nor were these the same circumstances, yet the low-frequency zing of metal combining with metal brought on the same anxiety as it had the day I'd left Texas. But Eason didn't let me linger in it.He grabbed the handle of my luggage and pulled it off the mattress. "Are you ready?"I nodded, uncertain of what I had said yes to. With my inability to function, Eason had taken

Randi didn't argue. She didn't fight back. Any other time, she would have put me in my place. Reminded me of whose property I currently stood on. It wouldn't have surprised me if she'd gotten in my face and barked at me. Instead, she let some man speak for her and then cowered.I'd watched her sulk into the house, while I stood in the same spot, staring at the front door that she'd closed behind her. Nothing about her was right. Everything was wrong. Off. I could have dealt with that awful haircut and the uppity clothes. Hell, even I had to admit, the heels were hot. That was where the heat ended. The fire that had lit her up like the sun in high school had burned out. Her eyes were sad and lifeless, and it wasn't just because of her dad. I didn't have a clue where the girl I loved had gone, but she sure wasn't the person who had walked inside that house.A part of me wanted to march up the steps, fling the door open, and demand answers...right after I tossed that preppy, suit-wear

By the time I arrived at the hospital, it was a little after six, leaving me about two hours with Jack to myself. The parking lot was relatively empty. I didn't see Sarah's SUV or Charlie's truck. And thankfully, there wasn't a limo in sight. Thinking about Randi having the audacity to traipse through town in that showboat did nothing other than irritate me."Good evening, Mr. Burin," the receptionist greeted. That was the great thing about small towns. It didn't take long for the locals to learn your name.I tipped my head and gave her a bit of a smile without saying anything. She was young and cute, and there was no need for me to encourage anything beyond being polite. A few strides later and I was in the elevator, on my way to the third floor. Jack's door was down the hall on the right past the nurses' station.Rapping my knuckles on the door didn't get a response from the other side. I breathed out a heavy sigh of relief when I realized Jack was alone. He was also asleep. Th

Had I not been listening for an answer, I would have missed it over the chatter of people around us and the rides running. The bouncy house to our right provided all kinds of white noise to keep it inflated. It didn't take a rocket scientist to recognize she was upset. Even realizing that, I didn't have a clue how to fix it. Thankfully, the ride stopped, and we were seated in the empty cart. There wasn't a word exchanged between the two of us. She stared over the side and clung to my hand. Our fingers wound together, and I wondered if that was the only thing keeping her grounded. Her thoughts were a million miles away. She could have easily floated off with them.I didn't know much about girls and even less about women, but I had an older brother who was an expert. Charlie always told me that if a woman was quiet, and I was positive that I wasn't the cause, then keep my mouth shut. That's what I did through all ten circles we took. And when the guy running the ride let us off, I deci

The first two days Eason and I had been in Mason Belle were spent at the hospital, for the most part. I had no idea how exhausting it could be to sit next to a bed all day. The drive back and forth didn't help, and I wished now that we'd gotten a hotel room. I'd done a fairly good job avoiding Sarah and only coming a few minutes before she had to leave. So much remained unresolved between us. We'd managed to meander around it on the phone; yet somehow, in person, it was like dragging an iron ball on a chain by my ankle. The weight was crippling.Eason and I sat on the couch in Daddy's room. The tick of the clock kept me engrossed, wondering when Sarah would leave. At twelve past the hour, I finally asked, not so eloquently. "Don't you need to go?"She snickered from across the room and shook her head. It was the same thing she used to do when I was younger and she thought I'd said something stupid. "The kids are out of school today, so I left them with Charlie's mom this morning. I