Page 199 of Heartbeats & Highways

“We could put down roots here. We could raise the girls to be Idaho girls. They’ll ride horses and fish.”

“We could do that in Waco,” I reminded him. “We don’t have to live in a place with eight months of winter.”

“No, I guess we don’t.”

“You’d really want to raise the twins away from everyone you know and love?” I asked. When he didn’t reply, I went on, “I want to go home, Savage.”

“We don’t have a home.”

“Wedo,” I insisted. “I miss our family. And I know you do too. Cooper is almost unrecognizable; she’s growing so fast. Jazz and Homer just got engaged. I don’t want to miss their wedding. Please, Savage. I can’t hide anymore. And I’m wanting to nest. I want to nest so bad, but I can’t because this isn’t our home, it’s just a cabin in the woods. Something’s gotta give.”

“You’ve been so good to me,” he said. “Giving me time. But I don’t think there will ever be enough time.”

“I know,” I whispered, dragging my fingers through his hair. “That’s why we have to go back.”

The nightmares had subsided for both of us. But we were living in limbo.

“All right,” he said softly. “We’ll go home.”

The next afternoon, Savage was drinking a cup of cold coffee while I sat on the couch and doodled in a sketchbook. A knock on the front door had us both frowning in confusion.

“Are we finally going to meet a neighbor?” I asked.

“Open up, you bastard! I know you’re in there!”

“Is that?—”

“Duke,” Savage said, a huge grin spreading across his face.

Savage got up from the chair and went to answer the door. Only it wasn’t just Duke; Willa and the baby were with him.

I smiled in elation. “What are you guys doing here? Did you drive?”

“Drive?” Willa snorted. “With a baby? No way. We flew and rented a car. We stayed last night in Coeur d’Alene.” She removed the diaper bag from her shoulder.

“At the clubhouse?” Savage asked.

“A hotel,” Willa said.

Duke looked at me and set the baby in her carrier down. “Hi, Evie.” He embraced me and stepped back. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but wow.”

I laughed and placed a hand on my belly. “Yeah, I know. It kinda just . . . popped.”

“I remember that moment. You wake up one morning and all of a sudden, it’s justthere,” Willa said.

“Get you guys a cup of coffee?” Savage asked, still looking momentarily stunned that his two best friends were here.

“Please,” Willa said.

After the coffee was poured, we all took seats.

“You never answered my question. What are you guys doing here?” Savage asked again.

“It’s time for you both to come home,” Willa announced. “Enough already. You’ve had your time and space. But you need to come back.”

“Running away isn’t going to solve your problems,” Duke added.

“Agreed,” Savage said, taking my hand and linking his fingers through mine.

---