Page 1 of Rescued Hearts

Chapter One

Honor St. James puffed out a small sigh as she stared through the mesh of the screen door. Her Volkswagen van sat in the driveway outside her rental unit, packed to the ceiling with everything she owned.

Through the screen door she heard the laughter of neighborhood kids as they raced to catch the ice cream truck. In the distance came a tap of a hammer as somebody fixed up their home, and the breeze fluttered the festive summer holiday banners that decorated nearly every house on the street.

Summer was in full swing. Everything was moving forward. Just like she was.

Pushing her fingers through her loose waves, she gripped her phone tight and dialed her sister. The instant she answered, Honor didn’t even say hello. She just burst with her news.

“It’s all packed, Felicity.”

A couple strolled by, talking and laughing together, hands linked, a reminder of what was the end for Honor. She watched them progress down the sidewalk of the familiar town she had no plans to return to after she climbed behind the wheel of her van and drove away.

“I can’t believe you’re doing this,” Felicity responded. “I mean, I can. But…are you sure you don’t want to just leave him a note?”

Honor shook her head even though her sister couldn’t see her. “I wouldn’t feel right leaving without saying something to him. Closure is important…for both of us.”

Six years. She’d put six years of her life into her relationship with Sully.

“Are you prepared for when he tries to talk you out of it?”

Her sister didn’t really know how far she and Sully had grown apart if she thought he would try to talk her out of leaving.

“My mind is made up. I won’t change it.”

Above the tapping of the hammer and the laughter of the kids came the rumble of an engine, low and familiar. Her heart hitched, then settled with determination.

“He’s here.” Her voice didn’t even waver at what she was about to do. “I’ll call you from the road.”

She ended the call with Felicity and walked outside to meet Sully for the last time. In purposeful strides, she reached the door of her van.

She may have sounded strong, but she didn’ttotallytrust herself not to cave. If she had the van door within reach, she could grasp it like a lifeline and jump behind the wheel.

Sully parked in his usual spot on the street. As Honor studied the luxury van he’d purchased a few months back, she couldn’t help but wonder how things got to this point. Even their choice in vans was completely different—his sleek Mercedes looked like a successful businessman’s, whereas hers looked like…well,her.

When he climbed out, her heart stuttered again with nerves. This would be an easy break, she reminded herself. Sully wasn’t one to explode. Never had been. In fact, his easygoing nature was one trait that made Honor fall in love with him.

That love had faded a lot over the past year, and now…there was nothing left but the open road between here and Willowbrook, Wyoming.

As Sully spotted her standing by her van, he slapped a smile on his face. The one she had grown to think of as fake.

She was really doing this.

She steeled herself.

“Hey, babe. You going to grab us some takeout for dinner?”

She shook her head. “No, Sully. I’m leaving.” She met his brown eyes. At one time, she would have used five different poetic words to describe the shades of brown, but now she didn’t see love sparkling in them.

He crowded closer to her, looking past her to the van stuffed with her belongings. Her entire wardrobe, camping gear, bedding and anything else that was important to her, not to mention the basis of her small business—crates and boxes jam-packed with all her jewelry-making supplies.

Sully stiffened. His gaze slid to her. “When you say you’re leaving—”

“I’m not coming back. What was between us has been over for a long time, Sully.”

He wrapped his hand around her elbow. “Don’t do this, Honor. Don’t do this to us. Don’t walk away from what we built.”

She was glad that door handle was within reach. She caught hold of it and clung to the metal like that lifeline she’d anticipated she may need. “I’m sorry, Sully. This is for the best for both of us.”

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