Page 134 of Heart & Hope

I wander back inside, hoping to steer clear of the happy couples. The back door slams behind me as I pad down the hallway.

“Here, taste this?” Ma says from the kitchen. Someone is getting a sneak peek of whatever is bubbling in that enormous pot, I guess.

“Mmmm.” The soft sound sends electricity through my veins. I jerk to a halt in the hallway, out of sight.

“You like it? It’s a new recipe I’ve been working on.”

“It’s incredible,” the soft and all too familiar voice says.

Her words have me out of breath. My heart sinks into my gut. Leaning against the wall, I close my eyes and listen.

“I’m glad you like it. Maybe we can use it for the catering half our new venture.”

“It’s got my vote, Lou,” Ruby says.

My hands crawl through my hair.

“Brilliant! It’s so wonderful to have you home, hon. Gosh, we did miss you, sweetheart.”

I swallow, lungs burning.

Ruby came back, and nobody told me?

“Thanks for letting me come home, being here with you and Harry was the only place I felt I could sort all this out. You are—” Her voice cracks. Ma must have folded her into one of herfamous hugs, because Ruby’s next words are muffled. The sniff that follows tells me Ma has let go.

“Tell me what to do, Lou. Will he ever forgive me?”

“Oh hon, you would have to ask Reed that.”

I push from the wall and wander back through the screen and out into the yard, dazed. She came back. She came to Ma to sort her life out. To have the support she needed to move forward. Part of me is so proud our family could be that for her. And part of me is devastated she didn’t come home first.

“Reed?”

I turn back.

Harry holds a bundle of cold beers and a bottle of whiskey, glass upturned on top. I close the distance and take the beers. “You wanna talk about it, son?”

I open my mouth to respond and close it again as the back door opens and slams.

Ma.

When she reaches me, she cups my face with her hands. “Someone is waitin’ for you inside.” Her smile is pure joy.

I can’t move.

I will move.

Ruby is waiting.

She needed space. And if she needed Louisa Rawlins to help her plan and execute the next stage of her life, then I am happy she has Ma. Sucking in a breath, I push through the screen and walk into the house. The kitchen is empty.

Dining table, also empty.

“Reed?”

I turn toward the soft sound of her voice. She stands by the crackling fireplace. Her wavy hair is around her beautiful face, dark jeans and a dark red checkered shirt, the sleeves rolled up. Her bottom lip slides through her teeth.

“Hey, beautiful,” I rasp over my thundering heart.

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