Sitting up, he swung his legs over the bed. “Thank you for sharing those with me, Tay. You had a beautiful family. I can’t even imagine…” He cleared his throat, overcome with emotion.

  “Hey,” she said, touching his back as she set her phone on the nightstand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I thought you wanted to see the pictures?”

  “I did.” He felt like a jerk for making her feel as though she’d done something wrong. He wanted her to feel that she could talk to him about her husband and children, even if the reminder that she would always love another man might be difficult for him. “I’m just so sorry for what you’ve been through. It’s obvious how much you loved them.”

  “I did.” She traced her finger over the stitching in the blanket. “I loved them all so much, and I miss them every day. But being here with you has given me something I never expected to find again, Rush. Hope.”

  He closed his eyes, appreciating that word more than he ever had. That was what he wanted to give her. Hope. That things could get better. That she could learn to love again, be happy again, in spite of the pain.

  “I’m scared though,” she whispered.

  “Scared of what?” he asked, turning to face her as he reached for her hand.

  “Leaning on someone too much. I have to admit, I built my world around my family. My husband and kids were everything to me.”

  He admired that. He never wanted her to think it had been a mistake, because if she did, she could never learn to count on him the way she had her husband. And he could never have the kind of relationship he wanted with her.

  “Are you afraid of being left alone again?” In her position, he probably would have been.

  “I know what happened was a freak accident. But the possibility of losing the people I love is so real to me now. I hold my breath every time I see my parents’ number flash across the screen. I’m terrified they’re calling with more bad news.”

  “I imagine it’ll take a while for that fear to dissipate. I know after my dad died, I kept a close eye on my mom. I worried about how she was handling it. I thought it might take a toll on her health, and we’d lose her too.”

  “Hey, speaking of your mom,” Taylor said, gripping his wrist, “I forgot to tell you that I met her at church the other day. She’s wonderful.”

  Rush smiled. If he had to choose one word to describe his mother, that would be it. “Yeah, she’s pretty great. We got lucky in the parents department for sure.”

  “She was telling me a bit about your sister. It’s obvious how much she misses her. You think she’ll come back here when she finishes school?”

  “I don’t know.” His kid sister was getting a master’s in education in San Francisco and seemed to love city life. “It would be easier for her to get a teaching job there, for sure. But when we talk, she tells me how much she misses us.”

  “What grade does she want to teach?” Taylor asked.

  “I don’t know. Elementary school for sure.” He chuckled. “She says she remembers what me and Wes were like in high school, and there’s no way she could handle that.”

  “I thought about teaching high school too, but there was just something about getting to work with kids during those early years when they’re so curious about everything, that appealed to me.”

  He heard the longing in her voice, and as he brushed her long hair over her shoulder, he asked, “Ever think about getting back into teaching? When you’ve had a little more time?”

  “I’m not sure.” She licked her lips. “I didn’t think that was even possible when I handed in my resignation, but I have to admit, I really miss it. Of course, I’d go through that every summer. I couldn’t wait to get back in the fall. I imagine that’s when it’ll really hit me—when September rolls around and I don’t have a job to go back to.”

  “What did you do during the summers when you weren’t teaching? Did you get another job?”

  “No, I mostly helped out on the farm and took care of the kids.” She closed her eyes for a brief second, as though thinking about those summer vacations caused a fresh wave of pain.

  Rush wanted to tell her it was okay, that she didn’t have to talk about it, but he suspected talking about it was the first step in healing. Not that he was an expert. He vowed to talk to his mother about it. She’d lost her husband not too long ago. Maybe she could help him make sense of what Taylor was feeling. Perhaps between his mom, Ray, and Helen, he could devise a plan to help her move through her grief.

  “We had sort of a family homestead,” she explained. “My grandparents own about three hundred acres. They inherited the old farmhouse from his parents, and when my parents got married, they built a place on the land so they could help them. When it was time for me and Trevor to start our lives together, we did the same.”

  “So you gave up a lot when you left there,” he said, thinking how hard that must have been for her. “Not only did you leave behind the memories you’d made with your husband and kids, but you must have had a lot of great childhood memories.”

  “I did.” She smiled. “I love that land. There’s no doubt I’m a farm girl, through and through.”

  Rush understood what it meant to love a piece of land. He felt the same way about the inn, but there was a lot of farmland in their county. If their relationship progressed, he’d gladly buy a piece of it and build her a little house so she could get back to the lifestyle she loved.

  He couldn’t believe the track his thoughts were on. He had never thought about a future with a woman. He’d rarely thought past the next date. Now he was thinking about making a home with someone he’d known a couple of weeks? What the hell was wrong with him?

  He stood abruptly. “Uh, I think I’ll grab that shower now.”

  ***

  Taylor could tell something during their talk had triggered Rush’s flight response, though she couldn’t figure out what it was. Talking about her family home, husband, and kids had felt a little strange at first, especially since they were lying naked in his bed, but for the first time in a long time, she’d been able to think about them and smile without feeling as if her heart was breaking in two. She thought that was progress.

  “Hmm, that smells amazing,” Rush said, slipping his arms around her waist as he came up behind her.

  “Thanks.” She flipped the bacon before splitting the cheddar cheese she’d shredded between the two omelets. “So do you.”

  He stepped into her line of sight, leaning against the counter as she slid four slices of bread into the toaster. “I’m sorry if I got a little weird earlier.”

  “You want to talk about it?”

  Her husband hadn’t been big on talking through his problems. He’d preferred to go on a drive or work the fields when something was bothering him. She hoped Rush wasn’t like that. She wanted a man who wasn’t afraid to voice his concerns.

  “I want to know everything about you,” he said, crossing his arms. “The good, the bad, and the ugly.” The side of his mouth tipped up as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Though I can’t imagine a single thing about you being ugly.”

  She appreciated the compliment but rolled her eyes anyway. “Then you haven’t looked hard enough. I’m far from perfect.”

  “I’m not looking for perfect. I’m looking for real.”

  “Ah, now that I can give you,” she said, setting the bacon to drain on a plate lined with paper towels.

  “What else can you give me?” he asked, his voice serious enough to make her uncomfortable.

  Her eyes shot to his, and she realized they were at a turning point in their relationship. He wanted to know if he was just a short-term diversion in her life, someone to distract her from the pain, or something more. Problem was, she wasn’t sure herself.

  “Um, I don’t know.” She carefully folded the omelets and set them on plates before reaching for the toast. “What do you want from me?”

  “My mind is screaming at me that it’s way too soon to have this conversation, but my heart’s telling me that I’m already in too deep and we should have talked about this before we slept together.”

  “Because that would have made it easier to walk away?” she asked, arching an eyebrow.

  “Who knows? Maybe. But I doubt it.” He took the plate she offered, letting it rest between them. “There are a lot of things I’m not too sure about right now, and I was hoping you could help me figure some of them out.”

  She led him to the dining table situated between his kitchen and great room. She’d already set out coffee and juice. “Why don’t you start by telling me how you feel when I talk to you about my family?” She smoothed the paper napkin in her lap, trying to pretend the word family didn’t make her heart clench.

  “I want to know about them.” He picked up his knife and fork, holding them as he stared at his plate. “But I’m not going to lie, hearing you talk about your husband is kind of… hard.”

  She tried to put herself in his position and knew she’d feel the same way. Anyone who’d dated a widow or widower would likely feel they were competing with a presence that was always with them in spirit.

  “Well, my marriage wasn’t perfect.” Before Trevor passed, she’d never said that because she’d never needed or expected their relationship to be perfect. Since then, she’d thought saying it would feel disloyal.

  “It wasn’t?” he asked, buttering his toast as though he needed the distraction. “I just kind of assumed you guys were destined to be together, hearing you talk about him.”

  “I think we were,” she said, choosing her words carefully. “We had two beautiful children together. We loved each other, and we respected each other. I know that’s a lot more than most people have.”

  “But…?” Rush shook his head. “Forget I said that.”

  “It’s okay.” She knew he wasn’t inviting her to speak ill of her husband. He was just asking her to be honest so he could better understand her. “Sometimes I felt like we were too different to really connect the way I wanted us to. Trevor was quiet, very reserved. I was the outgoing one, always jumping into projects around town, trying to help whenever I could.”

  He smiled as he reached for his coffee. “Why am I not surprised?”

  “We had a hard time communicating.” She took a bite of her omelet, trying to process her feelings. “Whenever we had a fight, he’d just shut down or walk away.” She shrugged. “I wanted to talk, to try to work it out, but nothing ever seemed to get resolved. Just shelved until it came up again.”

  He nodded. “My mother always told me if she had to attribute her long and happy marriage to one thing, it would be communication. I guess that’s why when we were growing up, they always tried to keep the lines of communication open with us.”

  She smiled, thinking about how similar their parents sounded. “It was like that in our house too. I think that’s why I didn’t get mixed up with drugs or alcohol when I was a kid. If I needed to talk to someone other than a friend, someone who could guide me, my parents or grandparents were always there to listen and offer advice.”

  Rush stared at her a second before he released a long slow breath. “You and I, we make sense. I haven’t been able to say that about any other relationship I’ve had. I guess that’s why none of them felt… real.”

  There was that word again. Real. Taylor had to admit he was right—as a couple, they did make perfect sense. Too bad nothing else in her life made sense.

  Chapter Eleven

  Rush was having fun showing Taylor around Vista Falls. They’d visited the waterfalls, took a few selfies, browsed the antique shop, grabbed lunch at the café, and picked up a few books at the bookstore. She’d even dragged him into his friend’s wife’s boutique so she could buy a dress for church the following Sunday. Of course he’d slipped the clerk his credit card while Taylor was redressing, much to her dismay.

  But when he led her into Gabby’s flower shop, she pulled back on his hand. “Why’re we going in here?”

  “Just to say hello.” He led her inside, smiling at the girl behind the counter. “Gabby around?”

  “She just stepped out to grab some coffees.” Her gaze slid to Taylor before she said, “My sister’s been wondering why you haven’t called her. I guess now we know.”

  Taylor slipped her hand from his as she leaned over to admire a bunch of blue and white hydrangeas.

  “Uh, excuse me?” He’d never seen this girl before in his life.

  “You don’t see the family resemblance?” she asked, glaring at him. “My sister’s Elle.”

  Shit. Elle was a college senior he’d gone out with a few times before Taylor came to town. “Oh, uh, I didn’t realize she had a sister,” he said, wondering what the hell he was supposed to say about a girl he hadn’t given a second thought about since he met Taylor.

  “Oh, hey, you guys,” Gabby said, breezing through the door holding two coffees. “If I’d known you were here, I would have grabbed two more.”

  “That’s okay,” Rush said, noting that Taylor’s eyes were fixed on the door. “We just popped in to say hi.”

  “Actually, that coffee smells so good,” Taylor said, barely sparing him a glance. “I think I’m going to go grab one. Nice seeing you, Gabby.”

  “Yeah, you too,” Gabby said, watching Taylor leave.

  When the girl behind the desk said to Gabby, “I’m going to work on those orders now,” Rush exhaled slowly.

  “Okay, what’d I miss?” Gabby asked, walking behind the glass counter to set down the coffees.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you’d hired Elle’s sister?” Rush snapped. “If I’d known that, I sure as hell wouldn’t have brought Taylor in here.”

  “Who’s Elle?” Gabby asked, looking confused.

  Rush wasn’t surprised Gabby didn’t know her. Her family had just moved to the area a few years ago and she went to school out of state, only returning for summer and Christmas vacations. “Just someone I was seeing before Taylor came to town.”

  “Oh.” Gabby peeked into the backroom, but there was no sight of her employee. “Did she say something to make Taylor uncomfortable? If she did, I can have a word with her.”

  “It’s okay,” Rush said.

  He had no one to blame for this but himself. Elle had texted him a couple of times over the past two weeks, asking if he wanted to “hook up.” He’d ignored her messages instead of coming out and telling her he was no longer interested. No wonder she and her sister were pissed at him. Unfortunately, they weren’t the only ones.

  Leaning on the glass, he said, “Okay, you’re the expert. What kind of flowers do you buy a lady when you want to apologize for being a dumbass?”

  Gabby threw her head back and laughed. “I’d normally suggest pink roses since they happen to be my favorite, but since I saw Taylor admiring the hydrangeas when I walked in, I’d go with those.”

  “Cool, wrap ‘em up.” He watched his friend do her thing, cutting the stems and wrapping the flowers in colorful paper before finishing the bouquet off with a satin ribbon. “Speaking of dumbasses, have you heard from yours?”

  “If you’re referring to your brother’s partner, he’s not my dumbass. For all I know, he could be someone else’s by now.”

  “But that would bother you,” Rush said, taking his wallet out of his pocket so he could extract his debit card. “Wouldn’t it?”

  “I don’t care what he does.” She flashed a smile as though she felt the need to punctuate her point. “With the dumbass discount, that comes to forty-two dollars.”

  Rush laughed, reaching for the debit machine while she entered the sale into her computer. “Gee, thanks.”

  “Taylor ran out of here so fast I forgot to ask if she wanted to help me and Sage do some baking for the Founder’s Day party. Her cupcakes were so awesome, I’m guessing she has some other tricks up her sleeve?”

  “I don’t know. I’ll ask her.”

  Making friends in Vista Falls would be good for Taylor, and it would increase her odds of staying.

  “I’ll tell her to give you a call if she’s interested,” he said, sticking his card back in his wallet. He took the receipt and flowers. “When did you want to do it?”

  “We were thinking Thursday and Friday evening, since the party’s on Saturday. Would that work with her schedule?”

  “I can make it work, if she’s up for it.”

  “Cool, thanks. We could definitely use her help.” Gabby peeled back the lid on her coffee as she sat back on the stool she kept behind the counter. “You are planning to bring her to the party, aren’t you?”

  “Assuming she’s still speaking to me.”

  Gabby laughed, pointing at the flowers. “Don’t worry. Those should go a long way toward getting you out of the doghouse.”

  “I sure hope you’re right.”

  ***

  Taylor stirred her coffee as she wrestled with her jealousy. Logically, she had no reason to be upset. She’d known Rush was seeing other women when they met. He’d told her so. And the girl behind the counter in the flower shop said he hadn’t called her sister in a while, so why did Taylor feel betrayed?

  When a shadow fell over her table, she looked up at the sight of a contrite-looking Rush, his handsome face partially obstructed by a beautiful bouquet of her favorite flowers.

  “How’d you know I love these?” she asked, trying to hide her smile as she reached for the hydrangeas.

  “Gabby guessed.” He gestured to the chair. “Mind if I sit down?”

  “Since you’re my ride home, I guess it’s okay.” She waited until he was sitting to set the flowers on the window ledge beside her. “Thank you for these. They’re beautiful.”

  The last time Trevor gave her flowers had been for their first wedding anniversary. She told herself it didn’t matter that he hadn’t been romantic, or particularly thoughtful, but she couldn’t deny Rush’s unexpected act melted her heart.

  “My pleasure.” He reached for the coffee she’d bought for him. “Thanks.”