Page 58 of Shattered Melodies

Sarah nodded, her eyes soft with understanding. “I know, Caleb. And I’m sorry too, for not telling you sooner. I just didn’t want to make things harder for you, didn’t want to stir up old feelings and memories.”

I let out a humorless laugh. “Too late for that, I’m afraid. The moment he opened the door of his house, it was like a dam broke inside me. All those old feelings, all that pain and anger and longing it all came rushing back, like no time had passed at all.”

Sarah smiled, reaching out to squeeze my hand. “We know so, Caleb. You and Liam you had something special, something real. And even if things didn’t work out the way you hoped, even if he made the biggest mistake of his life by letting you go that doesn’t change the fact that what you had was beautiful, and meaningful, and true.”

“Thanks, guys,” I managed to say, my voice rough and thick. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, honestly.”

Mark grinned, clapping me on the shoulder. “Probably drink yourself into a stupor and write a bunch of sappy love songs, if I had to guess.”

I laughed, shoving him playfully. “Shut up, asshole. Like you’re one to talk, Mr. ‘I Wear My Heart on My Sleeve and Cry at Rom-coms.’”

He put a hand to his chest, mock-offended. “Hey, I’ll have you know that ‘there are some cinematic masterpieces out there, thank you very much.”

Sarah rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. “Alright, alright, enough bickering, you two. Let’s focus on the matter at hand, shall we?”

I sobered, my mind drifting back to Liam, to the impossible tangle of my own emotions. “Right. So what do I do? How do I even begin to untangle this mess?”

Sarah thought for a moment, her expression contemplative. “Well, I think the first step is to figure out what you want, Caleb. What you really, truly want, deep down in your heart.”

I swallowed hard, my pulse quickening. “I want answers,” I said softly, my voice barely above a whisper. “I want to know why he left, why he gave up on us so easily. And I want I want to see if there’s still a chance for us, if there’s still a way to fix what’s broken between us.”

Mark nodded, his eyes serious. “Okay. So how do you go about getting those answers? How do you approach Liam after all this time, without spooking him or pushing him away?”

I ran a hand through my hair, feeling a headache start to throb behind my eyes. “Fuck if I know, man. I mean, it’s not like I can just show up at his door with a bouquet of roses and a boombox, you know?”

Sarah snorted, shaking her head. “Yeah, I don’t think that would go over too well. But maybe you could start with something small, something low-pressure. Like a text, or an email, just to break the ice and let him know that you’re open to talking, if he is.”

We talked for a while longer, the conversation shifting to lighter topics and easy, familiar banter. But even as I laughed and joked and let myself get lost in the warmth of their company.

My mind kept drifting back to Liam, to the impossible tangle of my own emotions. And I knew that I couldn’t put it off forever, couldn’t keep running from the truth of my own heart. I had to face him, had to confront the past and all the mistakes and regrets that had haunted me for so long.

CHAPTER 17

Ranch Hand

LIAM

The scrap of paper said that this was the right address. I double-checked it against the sign on the rusty gate in front of me. Yep, this was the place alright. The Rolling Hills Ranch, just like Sarah’s friend Dean had said.

Glancing down at Peanut, I sighed. “Well girl, I sure as hell ain’t leaving you alone with those disaster artists tearing apart the house. Guess you’re coming to my job interview.” I tucked her gently into my jacket, her tiny mews of protest muffled against my chest.

Shoving open the heavy gate, I trudged up the long gravel drive to the cluster of buildings in the distance. A small, weathered structure caught my eye - had to be the main office. Taking a deep breath to steady my nerves, I climbed the rickety wooden steps and knocked on the screen door.

A moment later, it swung open to reveal a lean, sun-weathered man who looked to be in his fifties. Sharp blue eyes assessed me from beneath the brim of a well-worn cowboy hat. “Help you?” he drawled, leaning against the door frame.

“Uh, yeah, hi,” I stammered, suddenly feeling like a total jackass. “I’m Liam. Dean sent me, said you might be looking for some extra hands around the ranch?”

The man’s eyes crinkled in what might have been a smile. “Ah, you must be the fella he mentioned. I’m Hank, foreman. C’mon in, let’s chat a spell.”

Following Hank into the small, cozy office, I settled into a chair across from his desk, Peanut wriggling restlessly against my chest. Hank’s eyes fell to the squirming lump in my jacket and he chuckled. “And who’s this lil’ lady?”

I unzipped my jacket, Peanut popping her head out with an indignant mew. “This is Peanut. Just got her and didn’t want to leave her home alone with the construction crew.”

Hank reached out to scratch Peanut behind the ears, his calloused fingers gentle. “Well ain’t she just the cutest thing. So Liam, what brings a young city slicker like yourself out to our neck of the woods?”

I hesitated, not wanting to spill my whole messy life story to a total stranger. “Just needed a change of pace, I guess. Wanted to try something new, broaden my horizons a bit.”

Hank nodded, leaning back in his chair. “I can respect that. Lord knows this life ain’t for everyone. So, you ever worked on a ranch before?”

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