Page 96 of The Silence Between

“That's how writing used to feel for me.”

“Maybe it will again.”

“Maybe.” I studied him across the table, noticing how he'd gradually relaxed during dinner, how his expressions had become more natural, less controlled. “And your business classes? Looking forward to them?”

“Nervous more than excited,” he admitted. “It's been ten years since I've been in a classroom. What if I can't keep up?”

“You will,” I said with total certainty. “You're one of the smartest people I know, Leo.”

He looked startled by the compliment, then skeptical. “You teach high school. Not exactly setting the bar high.”

“I taught college before that. And I went to supposedly elite schools. Trust me, formal education isn't the only way to measure intelligence. The way you've managed your family, figured out impossible systems, made money stretch beyond what should be possible... that takes a special kind of genius they don't teach in classrooms.”

Color rose in his cheeks, clearly struggling with the praise. “That's just surviving.”

“No,” I insisted. “That's extraordinary. And it's time you started believing it.”

He got up to clear our plates, waving off my offer to help with a small smile that told me he needed a minute to process. When he came back with the dessert I'd brought, carefully cut and plated, something had changed in his expression.

“Can I ask you something?” he said, sitting back down. “About us?”

My heart skipped. “Of course.”

“What do you want from this?” He gestured vaguely between us. “Whatever's happening here.”

The directness caught me off guard. Leo had always been the careful one, keeping things in safe territory. This willingness to actually talk about us was huge.

“I want whatever you're comfortable with,” I answered honestly. “I care about you, Leo. More than I expected when I came back to Riverton. But I get that your life has complications mine doesn't. Your family has to come first, and I'd never ask for anything that messed with that.”

He studied me, like he was checking for any sign I was bullshitting. Finding none, he continued.

“I can't do normal dating. No spontaneous weekend trips or midnight movies or even regular dinner dates. My life doesn't work that way.”

“I know.”

“The kids will always come first. No matter what.”

“As they should.”

He took a deep breath, fingers playing with the rim of his wine glass. “But I've been thinking lately about whether there might be room for something beyond just getting by. For someone who sees me as more than just a guardian or provider. For...” he paused, searching for words, “for you.”

The simple statement hit me harder than any dramatic declaration could have. Not some passionate confession, but something way more meaningful coming from a guy who'd spent ten years putting everyone else first.

“I'd like that,” I said, keeping my voice steady despite everything I was feeling. “I'd like to see where this goes, at whatever speed works for you. No pressure, no expectations you can't meet.”

Leo studied me across the table, his walls coming down in a way I rarely saw. “Were there... others? After you left Riverton?”

The question surprised me, though maybe it shouldn't have. This was Leo being Leo, needing to understand everything before moving forward.

“Yes,” I admitted. “A few relationships in college. Nothing serious until David.” I paused, watching his reaction. “We were together five years. Married for two.”

“Married,” Leo repeated softly, his fingers tightening slightly around his glass. “I didn't know.”

“It ended about eight months before I came back.” I took a breath, offering honesty for honesty. “David was an architect. Brilliant, organized, had everything planned out. We looked good together on paper, the writer and the designer, going to the right parties, living in the right neighborhood.”

“What happened?” Leo asked, holding my gaze.

“Nothing dramatic. No cheating or huge fights.” I smiled sadly. “David said I always had one foot out the door, even when I was right there. That I was looking for something I couldn't name.” I met Leo's eyes. “He wasn't wrong.”

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