“I wasn’t ready to leave you yet.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Just what I said. I was so happy to see you after hearing you’d been badly hurt that I didn’t want to leave yet.”

  “You were in New Jersey on business when you heard I was hurt.”

  “Yes.”

  “I assume it was important business.”

  “It’s a deal we’ve been working on for two years.”

  “And yet, when you heard I was hurt, you dropped what you were doing there, rented a car and drove to Vermont to be with me. Is that right?”

  “Yes,” he said, looking away. “That’s how it happened.”

  “Did you take two seconds to ask yourself why it was so urgent that you get to me in the hospital?”

  “I didn’t. I just needed to get there.”

  “Which goes back to my original question. Why, Cabot?”

  “I don’t know. I just needed to get to you.”

  Izzy gave him a satisfied smile. “Well, now we’re getting somewhere.”

  Chapter Two

  “Adversity is the first path to truth.” —Lord Byron

  Cabot knew what she wanted him to say—he’d come to her because he had feelings for her, but that wasn’t it. He didn’t have feelings for women anymore. His heart didn’t work that way after what his wife had done to him. But something had compelled him to walk out of critical meetings in New Jersey so he could get to Vermont as quickly as possible.

  That didn’t mean he had feelings for her. It meant he had concern for her. Two totally different things.

  Except that didn’t take into account the fact that he had thought of her constantly since he’d first met her in June or how happy he’d been when she called to invite him to dinner last October. It didn’t account for how frantic he’d been after hearing she’d been badly hurt or how urgent it had felt to get to her.

  It’d been so long since he’d felt anything other than bitterness and rage toward a woman that he’d all but forgotten it was possible to feel other things.

  “I want you to understand,” he said to Izzy, “that I do care about you.”

  “I know, or why else would you be here?”

  He had so little experience dealing with women, after having kept his distance from them for most of his adult life, that her directness knocked him off-balance. “It’s just that I’m not capable of more than that.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Don’t tell me you aren’t capable when I’ve seen your capabilities. You love Mia with all your heart. You love your sister, your brothers, your nieces and nephews. I’ve seen that with my own eyes.”

  “That’s different. They’re my family. Of course I love them.”

  “If you have the capacity to love them, you can love anyone you choose to.”

  “That’s not true. I trust them, and that’s how it’s possible for me to love them. I honestly don’t trust anyone I’m not related to.”

  “Even the people you do business with?”

  “Especially them. I’m always preparing for them to screw me over in one way or another. I expect the worst of people so they can never disappoint me.”

  “That’s no way to live.”

  “Tell me about it, which is why I’d never want to inflict my way of living on anyone else, especially someone as wonderful as you are.”

  Izzy seemed to be thinking that over, as she was quiet for a long moment. “Trust is a hard thing to build in any relationship. It takes time and care and effort on both parts. I know what it’s like to have my trust broken by a partner. I know how painful that betrayal is, even if it was nothing like what happened to you.”

  “I’m sorry you went through that.”

  “It was rough and shocking and all the things that go along with betrayal. But after the initial shock had passed, it became very important to me that I not allow him to change how I lived going forward. If I allowed him to change me, then he won, you know?”

  “I do know, and Deb definitely won. My entire life changed after she left with Mia, and it was never the same afterward.”

  “You were so young, Cabot.”

  “She broke me. I’ve never denied that. Rather, I’ve acknowledged it and lived accordingly. How in the world would it be fair to bring someone else into my life knowing how messed up I am on the inside?”

  “I understand.”

  “I’m sorry that it has to be this way.”

  “Me, too.”

  He gave the hand he was still holding a gentle squeeze. “But I’m also glad we had the chance to spend more time together, even if I hate that you had to get hurt for it to happen.”

  “I appreciate you being here. It’s way above and beyond the bounds of friendship.”

  “I’m happy to do it. I was wondering if it would be okay to ask Mia and Wade to come for dinner tomorrow.”

  “Of course. My home is your home.”

  “Thank you. It’s nice to wake up knowing she’s nearby.”

  “I’m sure it must be.”

  “Do you want to watch a movie or work on the stupid puzzle?” They had grown to hate the nearly all-white puzzle made from one of her most iconic photos, featuring a barn in the background and a red cardinal in a tree providing one of the only splashes of color in an otherwise snowy-white landscape.

  “A movie sounds good.”

  As he got busy finding something to watch, Cabot breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed as if he’d survived the “what are we doing here?” conversation with their friendship intact, which was all that mattered to him. He wasn’t capable of a relationship with a woman, but if there was any woman he might be tempted to break his rules for, it would be Isabella Coleman.

  It was a relief that she understood now why that couldn’t happen.

  * * *

  Izzy’s heart sank when she saw the relief in his expression. He’d successfully defused her effort to define their relationship and was now scrolling through the TV guide like he had not a care in the world beyond finding a movie for them to watch.

  “How about Ghost?”

  Oh jeez, only the most romantic movie ever made. She didn’t think she could handle that after being let down easy by the first man in years who’d truly attracted her. “Maybe something less maudlin.”

  “Notting Hill?”

  Cripes, was the universe conspiring against her? After all, she was just a girl, sitting next to a boy, asking him to give her a chance and being gently told no. “How about something with guns and shooting?”

  He glanced at her, eyebrow raised.

  “What? I’m just in the mood for some action.” Izzy cringed at her choice of words. “On the TV, that is.”

  His lips quivered with the beginnings of laughter. “Got it.”

  Not that she was in any condition to be thinking about anything other than getting through the day. The house phone rang, and Cabot jumped up to grab it. “Hey, Hannah. Yes, she’s doing well. Let me get her for you.” He brought the portable phone to her. “Your mom.”

  “Thanks.” Izzy shifted to find a more comfortable position, wincing when even that small move sent pain through her entire body. “Hi, Mom.”

  “Hi there. Just checking in to see how you’re doing.”

  “All is well.” Or mostly well, except for the exasperating man who’d appointed himself her caretaker. “We had the stew you sent over for dinner. It was delicious.”

  “Glad you enjoyed it. How are things with Cabot?”

  Izzy wasn’t sure what her mother was asking. “Fine.”

  “Everyone is buzzing about him insisting on taking care of you.”

  “No need for that.” What could she say with him sitting two feet from her?

  “No need at all?”

  “Nope.”

  “Huh, well, that’s sort of disappointing.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “I’ll come by tomorrow. We’ll talk more then.”

  “I’ll see you then.”

  “Love you, honey. I know I don’t say that as often as I should, but your accident was a reminder that we need to say the words.”

  Hearing her strong, fearless mother sound tearful touched Izzy. “Love you, too, Mom. Sleep well.”

  “You, too.”

  Izzy wondered if she’d sleep at all after the strange conversation with Cabot. If all he wanted was to be friends, why would he have put his very busy life on hold to care for her? She kept coming back to that central question. Wouldn’t anyone see that as a declaration that the other person wanted more than just friendship?

  She wished there was cell service in Butler so she could text her savvy sisters and ask for their input on this situation, but in order to do that, she’d have to get up and go to her computer or find her iPad to hit them up via Wi-Fi. That would take way more energy than she had after another long day of coping with painful injuries.

  They’d probably come by tomorrow, and hopefully she’d get a chance to air it out with them. More than anything, she wanted someone else to tell her she wasn’t crazy for thinking that Cabot caring for her meant something, regardless of what he’d said.

  It’d been a long time—years—since she’d been confused about a man. Overall, she found them rather easy to understand. Her college boyfriend, Jed, had broken her heart when he cheated on her with a close friend. The betrayal of two people she’d counted among her best friends had cut her deeply, but hadn’t changed who she was as a person. It had made her more wary, certainly, but it hadn’t completely shattered her ability to trust.

  What’d happened to Cabot was so much bigger than what she’d gone through at the hands of her boyfriend and friend. As much as she tried to fully appreciate the nightmare he’d endured, she couldn’t possibly know what it had been like for him. She’d once lost a treasured cat for more than a week in the heart of winter. The not knowing where he was had been brutal, until he returned home after seven long days looking no worse for wear and wondering what all the fuss was about.

  She’d been frantic over a cat.

  The horror of not knowing where your child was or if she was safe for twenty-five years was unfathomable.

  Perhaps it was true that after damage of that kind was done to a person, there was no coming back from it. She should do them both a favor and accept that and move on. Izzy would’ve done that if she hadn’t ever heard from him again after their dinner last October. But knowing he’d left important business meetings in New Jersey, rented a car and rushed to Vermont after hearing she was hurt and then wanting to care for her at home made it impossible to accept there wasn’t something more happening between them than mere friendship.

  He’d cleared his schedule for the next two weeks to be there for her. That gave her two weeks to show him what might be possible if only he could allow himself to trust her. It was a daunting mission, especially given that she could barely move, and a mission that could ultimately fail, leaving her far more disappointed than she was now.

  But Izzy had a feeling that if she could convince him to give them a chance, they could have something very special. Until another thought occurred to her. Maybe she should’ve kept it to herself, but how could she when she needed to know?

  “Are you here because of Mia?”

  “Hmmm?” He looked away from the TV. “What do you mean?”

  “So you can be closer to her than you usually are. Is that why you offered to stay with me?”

  “What? No, that’s not why I’m here.”

  “Oh. Okay.” She was almost sorry she’d asked, but not entirely. “I think I’m ready for bed.” She had a sudden burning need to be alone with her disturbing thoughts.

  When she tried to get up on her own, Cabot jumped up to help. “Go slow.”

  Pain radiated from numerous injuries with every step she took. “As if I have any choice about that.”

  When she was finally settled in bed, Cabot brought pain meds and a glass of ice water. She hoped she wouldn’t need the meds for much longer, but not taking them wasn’t an option yet.

  “Can I get you anything else?”

  “No, thank you.”

  “Give me a yell if you need anything during the night.”

  “I will. Thanks again for being here.”

  He leaned over to kiss her forehead. “My pleasure. Sleep well.”

  The scent of his woodsy aftershave stayed with Izzy long after he walked away, leaving her wanting much more than a kiss on the forehead.

  Could he be any more platonic?

  Izzy reached for the phone on her bedside table and called her brother Noah’s house, where most of their siblings were staying since they’d come to town after her accident.

  Vanessa answered. “Hey, Iz. How you doing?”

  “Pretty good, all things considered. What’s going on over there?”

  “Jackson, Noah and Henry are playing poker, with smelly cigars, while Ally, Brianna and I try to watch a movie. Gray, Emma and Simone were here for dinner, but they just left. Other than that, not much.”

  “Sounds like fun. I wish I was there.”

  “I’ll come get you and bring you over if you want.”

  “Nah, that’s okay. I’m in bed, and getting here took the last of my energy for the day.”

  “You’re feeling better, though, right?”

  Because it was what her sister needed to hear, Izzy said, “Much better every day.”

  “I’m so glad to hear that. You gave us such a scare.”

  “Sorry about that.”

  “We’ve decided to forgive you.”

  “Don’t make me laugh.”

  “Whoops. Are you really okay? You sound a little low tonight.”

  “Can you talk for a minute?”

  “Sure.”

  “Where no one else can hear you?”

  “Let me take the phone upstairs.”

  Izzy heard her telling the others to keep watching the movie, and she’d catch up when she came back down.

  “What’s going on?” Ness asked.

  “Absolutely nothing.”

  “Uh, what does that mean?”

  “Cabot.”

  “Okay…”

  “I came right out and asked him what he’s doing here.”

  “And?”

  Izzy kept her voice down so he wouldn’t hear her over the TV that was still on in the living room. “He said he’s helping his friend through a rough time.”

  “His friend…”

  “Yep.”

  “Ouch.”

  “Right? I’m so confused, Ness. He came rushing up here, leaving an important meeting in New Jersey, to be there for me in the hospital. He barely left the room the whole time I was in there and insisted on being the one to care for me at home. But when I come right out and ask him why he did all that, he seems perplexed that I would even ask. I’d seen him twice before he showed up at the hospital.”

  “At Wade’s wedding and when else?”

  “I invited him to dinner when I was in Boston last October.”

  “Ohhhh. Really? You never told me that.”

  “I told you I was meeting a friend because I didn’t want to make a thing of it if it wasn’t going to be a thing.”

  “I actually followed that.”

  “I guess it’s not going to be a thing, despite recent evidence to the contrary.”

  “What did he say when you came right out and asked him?”

  “That he’s messed up because of what his ex-wife put him through.”

  “How could he not be?”

  “I know, but I sort of hoped he might have decided to take a chance on someone new. Namely me.”

  “Aw, Iz.”

  “He said he’s not sure how he could ever again trust anyone he’s not related to.”

  “You’re sort of related to him by marriage now.”

  “I don’t think that’s what he meant.”

  “I’m sorry you’re sad about it.”

  “I really like him. More than I’ve liked anyone in a very long time. We had an almost magical connection at the wedding, which is how he also described it, and it was the same when I saw him in October. I was so sure I’d hear from him after both those times, but I never did. I couldn’t believe it when he showed up at the hospital or when he insisted on taking care of me at home, and I’ve been in this weird state of confusion about him ever since.”

  “How long does he plan to stay?”

  “He cleared his schedule in Boston for two weeks, starting the day I came home from the hospital. He’s going to take some critical meetings from here.”

  “So that means you have almost two weeks to show him that not only can he trust you with his heart, but that he needs you in his life.”

  “How do I do that when I look like hell and can barely move?”

  “One hour and one day at a time. You show him what life with you would be like.”

  “What about the pesky fact that he lives and works in Boston, and I live and work in Vermont?”

  “Logistics that can be worked out if it comes to that. Don’t worry about that now. Focus on the little things. Talk to him. Listen to him. Share things with him. You know how to do this. It hasn’t been that long since you’ve done it.”

  “Five years.”

  “Does that mean you’ve forgotten how?”

  “I might’ve.”

  “Nah, it’s like riding a bike. You got this.”

  “What if I make this big effort to turn this into something, but it just isn’t going to happen?”

  “You’ll know if it’s not going to happen.”

  “He basically already told me it’s not going to.”

  “And yet, he’s still there, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I agree that the signals are mixed.”

  “Could they be any more mixed?”

  Ness laughed. “I feel sorry for the guy. What he went through for all that time not knowing where his daughter was…”

  “It ruined him.”

  “Did it, though? He still runs a successful business. He’s a member of the Boston City Council. He has a loving relationship with his daughter and son-in-law as well as his siblings, nieces and nephews. From the outside looking in, I don’t see a life that was entirely ruined. I see one that was altered by a horrible situation, but if you ask me, he’s a man with so much left to give.”