Page 81 of Rescued Heart

He didn’t need that woman. “I’ve been more than fine without her.” Eddie bent back down and retied his boot strings. “What I need is for her to leave me be like she did ten years ago.”

Bryce widened his stance. “What if she’s as stubborn as you are and keeps calling and texting and showing up?”

Eddie straightened. That was an unfortunate possibility.

Zack held up his palms. “Look. You keep saying you’ve put the past behind you. But burying something isn’t the same as surrendering it over completely to the Lord.”

Eddie flexed up the front of his boot and bent forward, stretching his calf muscle. He’d handed over his past when he’d surrendered his life to God. Hadn’t he?

Ridge stepped forward. “Your feelings toward Mary aren’t misplaced.”

Eddie stood and rolled back his shoulders. There was abutcoming. It was only a question of who’d actually say it. He eyed Zack.

Instead, Ridge said, “There’s a chance she’s changed from her old ways.”

Eddie glanced heavenward. The Lord had changedhim. Obviously, nothing was impossible with God. “Maybe,” Eddie murmured as his chest tightened. “However, honestly, forgiving her in theory is much different from forgiving her when she’s standing in front of me.”

Ridge slid his hands into his uniform pockets. “Then it’s a good thing that God shows us how to forgive. He won’t leave you to do it alone. You could take one of us with you.”

Zack cleared his throat. “Or you could take Bianca?”

Eddie snapped his attention to his closest friend. Had he been outside in the heat too long? “You want me to bring a movie star who not only led Mary to me but is also onlytemporarily in my life?”

“He’s right.” Ridge moved over to Eddie’s side and faced Zack. “Unless it’s to potentially shift some of Mary’s focus off of Eddie. But not sure if Mary’s the kind to be starstruck.”

Eddie curled his toes in his boots. “In jail she became obsessed with a Joel Gillian and that life coach book of his.” Had given her son away because of it.

“I think,” Zack said, dropping his voice, “Bianca’s been hurt by someone in her family too. It could be a bonding moment for everyone.”

Eddie put his helmet back on. “There can’t be any bonding moments between Bianca and me.”

Because he wasn’t supposed to have any feelings for her. They had a business deal. Teammates. Nothing more.

Zack narrowed his gaze at Eddie as if he’d located the target he’d been looking for. “Healing, then?”

Eddie snapped his chin strap closed. “Not in charge of her healing, either. I’m around her to keep her safe and to get her money.”

He grimaced.

Ridge shook his head. “Yeah, that sounded horrible to us too.”

Eddie stepped out of the speech circle and spotted Amelia taking a drink from a water bottle. “Hey, Patterson. How about the rematch?” Then to Zack. “Bianca’s not made to stick around Last Chance County, so stop making something out of nothing.”

She’d leave him. Just like Mary.

Amelia came up behind Ridge. “Done pep talking yet? Let’s get this rematch done.” She repositioned her helmet. “What if we raise the stakes? If I win, the entire station goes on Truck’s three-mile run.”

Ridge rolled his eyes. “Nothing saysteamlike three miles.” He jogged past them with a stopwatch bouncing around his neck.

Zack thumped his hand against Eddie’s back. “You got it, Rice. All of it.”

Amelia walked to their starting position while Bryce matched Eddie’s pace.

Bryce lowered his voice. “I know you’ve got a lot going on in your head. Just remember that, yes, God already knows it all, but He wants to hear about it from you.”

Eddie swallowed. He hadn’t prayed about Mary in a long time.

Sorry, Lord.

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