Page 49 of Hensley Manor
An anchor dropped into my gut as I thought of Ian Hensley and the incredible way he had loved me. A love I had wanted for so long but felt I hadn’t deserved.
“It was so much more than that,” I said, my vision blurring. “More than a trinket. It was…”
Everything.
“Ah.” The woman nodded. “I take it you finally found what you’re looking for.”
“Yes,” I croaked. “Look, lady. I don’t know how you did it, but I need to go back.” There was no sense in denying it any longer; she clearly knew the truth. “Please. Help me get back to him.”
“We can never go back, Mr. Wiley. We can only move forward.”
“How did you know my—”
“Hear that?” The woman cocked her head and stuck a finger in the air. “Destiny is calling.”
A clatter sounded behind me, and I flipped around to investigate. A toy car had fallen off the shelf and slowly rolled forward, one made of wood and looked just like the ones Ian sold in his store.
When I turned back around, the woman was gone.
My head spun and I didn’t know if I was going crazy or if something magical was happening. But I didn’t believe in magic.
If I couldn’t see it—touch it—it wasn’t real.
I left the antique store, hoping the cold air from outside would help clear my head. More snow fell, heavier now than it’d been before I went into the store. After walking a few steps, a gut feeling told me to stop. So, I did.
On the sidewalk, I peered up at the sky. Snowflakes fell on my face, and it brought me back to when Ian and I were in the evergreen woods outside his manor searching for the perfect Christmas tree.
Something bumped into my shoulder, and I stumbled.
“Excuse me!” a man exclaimed. “I’m so sorry.”
Moving my gaze to the man, my knees almost gave out. He stood an inch or so taller than me and wore a navy blue coat and black gloves. His short blond hair was brushed back in that classic way. And his blue eyes were like a clear winter’s night.
I couldn’t believe it.
“Ian?”
Chapter Eleven
“Yes?” Ian said, as his brow creased in that way I adored. He looked just like I remembered. He sounded the same.
Yet, he stared back at me with confusion. Like he didn’t know who I was.
“It’s me. Cole.” I stepped toward him, refraining from throwing my arms around him like I wanted to. His confusion told me that kind of greeting wouldn’t go over well. “Cole Wiley.”
“Cole,” he said, running my name over his tongue before furrowing his brow further. “I don’t believe we’ve met before.” Even though he was still confused, he offered me a shy smile. “Forgive me. My memory isn’t the best sometimes.”
Was he really my Ian?
My mind was probably playing tricks on me. I wanted to see Ian again so badly that I latched onto the first blond man I came across who resembled him.
“Sorry.” I put my hands in my pockets and shifted my weight to my other leg. “Guess I had you mistaken for someone else.”
He watched me in silence, in the same way my Ian often had. But if he didn’t remember me, he couldn’t be the man I’d fallen in love with. Even if he looked exactly like him.
“Would you like to grab a coffee?” He snuggled more into his coat, his cheeks pink from the cold. “It’s the least I can do after nearly knocking you over.”
“Really?” I stood up a bit straighter, surprised. “Yeah. That’d be great.”
