“Then you should go.” Helen clasped Taylor’s forearm. “Sharing your grief with people who understand is one of the best things you can do for yourself.”

  “Rush told me about the support group at the church. I think I’d like to go.”

  “That’s wonderful,” Helen said, her eyes lighting up. “I like to attend whenever I’m in town. I know they have a meeting on Wednesday night. Maybe we could go together?”

  “That sounds great, thanks.”

  They sat in comfortable silence, listening to the light breeze blowing through the trees surrounding them, the lap of waves grazing the sandy beach, and the chorus of frogs and crickets.

  “Do you think Rush would come with me?”

  Helen tipped her head to look at Taylor. “Where?”

  “Back to Brock for the memorial. Would it be weird to ask him, do you think?”

  “Why would it be weird?”

  “I think he’s having a bit of a hard time figuring out how to support me without having the occasional bout of jealousy over what I shared with my husband.”

  “That’s only natural, don’t you think?” Helen asked. “He has feelings for you. He knows you were deeply in love with a man you’d still be with if he hadn’t been taken from you. He has to wonder if you’ll ever be able to love him the way you loved your late husband.”

  “The way I feel about Rush is different,” Taylor said quietly, as though she was sharing a secret that someone from the great beyond might hear.

  “How so?”

  She battled with her guilt as she admitted, “I find myself thinking that Rush does things I wished Trevor had done.”

  “Like what?”

  “Talking openly and honestly about his feelings instead of walking away, for one.”

  “Ah, yes. That’s a big one. Ray and I had to learn how to do that. We were really young when we got married and didn’t know anything about communication. Whenever we got in a fight, he’d peel out of here in his truck, and I wouldn’t see him for hours.”

  “My husband was like that,” she said, feeling an ache in her chest for complaining. She loved Trevor, but he had been far from perfect. And he’d loved her in spite of the fact she wasn’t perfect. “But Rush isn’t. In fact, he seems to prefer talking things out, even when I don’t feel I’m ready. If anything, I feel like I’m the one walking away, and he’s the one begging me to stay and hash it out. It’s kind of a weird role reversal for me.”

  “Take it from someone who’s been married over forty years—communication is the one thing you can’t live without if you expect a marriage to survive. We’ve gone without a lot—food, shelter, money—but you soon learn that you can get through just about anything if you have a partner you can rely on.”

  “I do feel I can count on Rush.” He made her feel safe and secure, as though he’d do his best to make sure nothing bad happened to her. “And that’s a good feeling.”

  “Do you think he feels he can count on you?”

  Taylor’s stomach pitched when she realized she’d never given him reason to believe he could. If anything, she’d been sending out warning signals, suggesting he’d be a fool to count on her. “No, I don’t.”

  “Oh.”

  Helen wasn’t judging her, but Taylor was definitely judging herself as she stood. “I’m sorry, Helen. Would you excuse me? I need to have a word with Rush.”

  “By all means, sweetheart.” She winked. “Give him my love.”

  “I will.” And perhaps mine too.

  ***

  Rush cursed when the opposing team scored two runs on an outfielder error that rebounded off the fence. Then someone knocked on his door, so he grabbed the remote and paused the game. Guessing it was one of his employees who needed to leave early because they weren’t feeling well or had a family emergency, he jogged to the door.

  “Hey,” he said, surprised to find Taylor on his porch. “Is everything okay?”

  She opened her arms for him. “I’m sorry to bother you. I just needed to see you.”

  He picked her up and held her tight. “You could never bother me. Get in here.” He carried her inside, kicking the door shut.

  She kissed him briefly before he set her down. “I’m sorry.”

  “For what?”

  She glanced over her shoulder at the game, grimacing when she saw their team was down two runs. “Can we talk for a minute? Then I promise I’ll let you get back to the game.”

  “Screw the game.” Taking her hand, he led her into the great room. “If you want to talk, I want to listen. What’s up?”

  She smiled. “Have I told you lately how awesome I think you are?”

  “You may have,” he said, grinning. “But I’m not opposed to hearing it again.” He sat on the couch, pulling her into his lap. “Okay, so tell me what’s on your mind, beautiful.” He nuzzled her neck, smiling when he heard her sharp intake of breath as his lips grazed her smooth skin.

  “I want you to know you can count on me, Rush.”

  Sensing she was telling him something significant, he pulled back, looking her in the eye. “Okay.”

  “I’m serious. Ever since I got here, you’ve been there for me at every turn, and tonight, talking to Helen, I realized that I’ve come to count on you.”

  “I’m glad,” he said, wrapping his hands around her waist. “I want you to know you can count on me. Anytime for anything.” He didn’t make promises like that lightly, and he hoped Taylor realized that.

  “I do know that.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close. “And you can count on me too. I’m not going anywhere. I don’t want to go anywhere. And if you need or want anything from me, all you have to do is ask.”

  “Anything?” he asked, his gaze trailing over her body.

  She giggled, slapping his shoulder. “I’m serious.”

  “I know you are.” He locked eyes with her, trying to let her know how much her offer meant to him. “Thank you.”

  “My pleasure.” She kissed him thoroughly, pulling back only when he moaned and tried to slip his hand under her shirt. She grabbed his wrist. “Wait, there’s something else I need to talk to you about first.”

  He knew talking was more important than sex when it came to building a lasting relationship with a woman like Taylor, so he said, “Shoot.”

  “My mom called to tell me they’re having a memorial tribute for Trev and the kids the weekend after next in Brock. She wants me to come… and bring you. What do you think?”

  “You told your mom about me?” Rush couldn’t hide his shock. Given what she’d been through, he’d expected it to be a long time before she was ready to tell her family about the new man in her life.

  “Yeah. Is that okay?”

  “It’s better than okay. I’m flattered.”

  “So how do you feel about coming to Brock with me? Would that be weird for you, hearing people pay tribute to my ex?”

  “Of course not. Why would you think that? I already know he was a great guy. How could he not have been? He had you as a wife, didn’t he?”

  She rewarded him with a watery smile before she whispered, “Rush, I have a confession to make.”

  “What’s that?” he asked, feeling his heart rate kick up a notch.

  “I think I’m falling in love with you.”

  It took him a second to process her words before a smile split his face. “Glad you finally caught up. I’ve known for a while that I’m in love with you.” He pulled her close, whispering in her ear, “And it would be an honor for me to stand by your side while we celebrate the people you loved most, Tay.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Taylor was nervous about her first support group meeting with Helen, but she knew it was something she should have done a long time ago. So when they pulled into the parking lot of the church and Helen asked her if she was okay, she forced a smile. “No, but I’m sure I will be.”

  “That’s the spirit,” Helen said, smiling. “I know how you feel. I remember how I felt walking in here for the first time. My teeth were chattering, I was so nervous. I knew almost everyone, but the scary part was putting a voice to my feelings for the first time.”

  “Yeah.”

  Taylor had made a habit of shutting down when people wanted to talk to her about Trevor or the kids. It was just too painful. She feared she’d break down and embarrass herself or make the other person feel guilty for bringing it up. But a support group was a safe zone where it was okay to be real about her feelings, to acknowledge her loss and be emotional. That was exactly what she needed now.

  Helen greeted a few people, introducing Taylor as her friend who was living at the inn for the summer, helping Rush during peak season. It made Taylor question what would happen after peak season. Would she still be there? Would he still want her? Or would she be strong enough, after a couple of months of these meetings, to return to Brock and the teaching job she’d loved?

  She put her concerns out of her mind as she listened to group members share their stories. Some had lost loved ones to long illnesses, others in freak accidents. They were all dealing with the death of a partner, child, or parent, with the exception of one lady who’d lost her best friend. According to her, the woman was more of a sister, and her death had left her feeling lost and alone.

  When it was Taylor’s turn to speak, Helen reached for her hand, offering a nod of encouragement as she tried to collect herself.

  “I lost my husband, son, and daughter in a car crash almost a year ago.”

  There was a collective gasp as everyone tried to process her loss.

  “I didn’t know how to cope with it, so I guess I kind of shut down emotionally.” She squeezed Helen’s hand as she felt a rush of tears building.

  The group leader, a friendly woman in her late fifties who’d recently lost her husband of thirty years to a stroke, asked, “Did you have a lot of support, Taylor?”

  “I had my family… my parents and grandparents. We’re very close. And my friends and coworkers tried to be there for me. But I couldn’t share my pain with anyone. It was too... big. I was afraid if I talked about it publicly, I’d never stop crying. So I waited until I was alone to break down. It felt safer that way.”

  Others nodded their understanding, and for the first time, Taylor knew she was among people who truly understood what she’d been through. They may not have lost as much as she did, but their grief was as real as hers, and they’d had to take the same steps to move through their anguish. She could learn a lot from them.

  “Eventually, I realized I needed some time away from everyone and everything that reminded me of the accident.” Taylor drew a shaky breath. “Living in that house, walking by their rooms every day…” She shook her head. “I couldn’t keep doing that to myself.”

  The group leader gestured to others in the group. “A lot of us, myself included, decided to sell the houses we shared with our spouses. We took our memories with us, of course, but in many ways, we had to get a clean slate to start living again.”

  A clean slate. That was what Vista Falls had given her. A place to make new memories.

  “So that’s when I came here.” A slight smile graced her lips. “It was purely by accident actually. My car broke down near Rush’s inn, and he took me in.” She thought about the next words before she said them, realizing how true they were. “He gave me a home.”

  Others smiled, obviously pleased that she’d found a safe haven among them.

  “Now I’m faced with another challenge,” she said, hoping the group could offer some advice. “My friends and family want to have a little service on the anniversary of the accident, to pay tribute to Trevor and the kids. And I’m not going to lie, I’m kind of scared. I feel like I’m finally back on solid ground, and I wonder if going back home will cause a setback.”

  “It might,” the leader acknowledged. “My husband and I had a little cabin that he loved. We bought it the year after we were married.” She smiled. “He used to love going there, hunting and fishing. He said it was his favorite place on Earth.”

  Taylor could think of several places in Brock that would always be inextricably linked to her family, places she’d be afraid to visit in case the memories assaulted her. The park where she’d push her babies on the swings or the high school where she’d first met Trevor. Their hometown was filled with places like that, the squares that made up the fabric of their lives together.

  “Eventually, I had to decide what to do with it,” the leader, Ann, said. “I felt selling it would be like selling a part of our history, but I was afraid to go up there. I thought it would be too painful.”

  “What did you do?” Taylor asked quietly.

  “Eventually, I went up.” Her smile grew as she made eye contact with Taylor. “And I’m so glad I did. I feel like he’s always with me there. I spread his ashes in the water, and sometimes I sit on the back porch and talk to him, just like I used to.”

  This brave woman had faced her fears, and it had made her stronger and ultimately happier. Taylor had to be willing to do the same.

  ***

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” Dana asked, frowning at Rush, who was riffling through the desk drawers looking for “lucky” pen.

  “I’m fine,” he snapped. “Where the hell is it? I know I was using it out here earlier. Are you sure you haven’t seen it?”

  Dana touched his arm, her expression sympathetic. “Honey, this isn’t about some stupid pen. You’re worried about Taylor, aren’t you?”

  When Taylor had shared her story with Dana earlier that day, she claimed it was getting easier for her to tell her new friends about what had happened to her family. Rush loved that she was beginning to consider his family and friends her own.

  He sank back against the wall, sliding to his butt on the floor. “What if going to that meeting was a bad idea, Dana? She could come back a wreck, feeling even worse than she did before.”

  “Or she could come back having taken another step on the road to recovery.” She leaned forward, resting her hand on his forearm. “You did the right thing encouraging her to go, honey. She needs to talk about what happened. It’s not healthy to keep it all bottled up inside like that. Besides, she has Helen with her. You know she’ll take good of her.”

  “Yeah, I know.” He pressed his thumb and forefinger into his eyes. “She asked me to go back to Brock with her. They’re having a ceremony for her husband and kids, and her parents thought she should be there.”

  “They’re probably right. And I’m glad you’re going with her. She shouldn’t have to face something like that alone.”

  “She wouldn’t have been alone,” Rush argued. “She’d have her parents and grandparents, her friends and former coworkers there. She’ll be surrounded by people who love her, who knew and loved her family.”

  Dana’s eyes narrowed as she sat back, crossing her arms. “Are you saying you don’t want to go with her?”

  “I’m saying I’m scared.” Rush had said and thought that several times since he met Taylor, whereas before he met her, nothing much had scared him. “What if her family and friends convince her it’s too soon for her to get involved with someone else? What if they don’t like me or don’t trust me? Maybe they’ll think I’m trying to take advantage of her because she’s vulnerable.”

  “That is possible, I suppose,” Dana said, nodding. “Or maybe they’ll see what I see when I look at you two together. Two people in love. A man who has helped the woman who means everything to him try to get her life back so she can eventually find happiness again—with him.”

  Rush shouldn’t be surprised by Dana’s insight—she seemed to know everything—but he had to ask, “How did you know I was in love with her?”

  She grinned. “Honey, it’s as plain as the nose on that handsome face of yours. I’ve known you a long, long time, and I’ve never seen you look at a girl like that.”

  Rush sighed. “I do love her.”

  “Have you told her?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Good.”

  He sighed. “She says she feels the same way...”

  “But?”

  “I can’t help but wonder if she’s in the right place, mentally, emotionally, to make that kind of decision. She’s been through so much. Maybe I threw her a lifeline, a chance at happiness, and she’s clinging to it because it’s the only thing helping her get through the day right now.”

  Dana eyed him carefully. “It’s also possible that she’s suffered so much that the man upstairs decided to help her find her way again. That’s why he brought you into her life: to guide her, love her, support her. You think you can do that?”

  Rush had never tried putting another person’s needs above his own, but with Taylor, it wouldn’t be a hardship. He’d do anything for her. “Yeah, I can.”

  “Good.” Dana stood. “Then you should be just fine, whatever happens.”

  Rush jumped up when Taylor walked in. He hadn’t realized how uneasy he was until he searched her face, looking for some sign that she was okay.

  “Hey, babe,” he said, walking around the desk to kiss her. “How was the meeting?”

  She rolled forward on her toes, hugging him tight. “It was cathartic.”

  He could feel the relief in her body, as though the weight of the world had been lifted from her shoulders. “Then you’re going back?”

  “Every week,” she said proudly.

  “I’m glad.” He pulled back, holding her face as he kissed her forehead. “Have I told you how proud I am of you for doing this?”

  “Thanks.” She peeked at Dana over his shoulder, blushing slightly when she said to Rush, “I was hoping we could go back to your place? I think there’s a ball game on in a bit.”

  “Yeah, of course.” He wrapped an arm around her, tucking her into his side as he kissed the top of her head. “Dana, I’m done for the night, but I have my cell phone on if you need me.”