Page 40 of Mystery in the Mountains

“Yeah, I gathered. Do you forgive her for leaving?”

“I understand why she left,” he said darkly.

“That’s not the same as forgiving her.”

“No . . . it’s not.”

They both sat in silence as Julie drove.

“I’m trying . . . I thought I would be able to put it behind me, but it’s harder than I thought.”

Julie nodded and kept driving. It was just like her to be quiet and not say anything.

He took another deep breath.

He was not mad at Julie, wasn’t even mad at Sunny . . . Well, he was, but that wasn’t the heart of it.

“I think I’m just afraid she’s going to leave again. I want her here. I want to be with her. I feel it in my bones, but I’m just afraid she’s going to leave again.”

“What do you need to trust that she’s not going to leave?”

Julie asked that question like there was a simple answer.

“I don’t know.”

“Just give it time,” she said as they pulled up to the house.

“Yeah, you’re right. Thanks, Julie. I’ll see you later.”

He got out of her car and headed up to the house . . . Only something caught his eye. And it wasn’t the state of this deteriorating house.

There, on her van, was a For Sale sign. He marched over to the van and ripped it off before stomping up the porch.

He pounded on the door.

Sunny answered, surprised. “Asher?”

“What is this?” He held up the sign.

She just shrugged, and it enraged him. “Why are you selling your van?”

“I don’t know.” She broke eye contact and bit her lip.

“Sunny,” he said cautiously.

“I don’t know what to do, Asher. I know there is no magic fix to what I did. I know you are going to need time to trust me. But I thought we were making progress. But then the way you stormed off yesterday, thinking I was even entertaining the idea of selling, I thought maybe if I sold my van and got a car or something, you might trust me a bit more.”

His arm fell to his side, and all the fight left his body. His wolf gave an irritated grunt. And, of course, his wolf was right—he acted like an ass.

“I’m sorry about yesterday. I should’ve given you a chance to explain. I’m just scared.” He fidgeted with the loose hinge on the door, trying to rotate the screw tighter with his fingernail.

He would have to fix this, too.

“Of what?”

“Of you leaving again.”

Closing her mouth, she nodded. “I know, and I know the only thing that can fix that is time, but I thought a grand gesture might help . . . Plus, I could use the money to fix up this house. I can only manage so much with shifts at the Corner Tap.”

---