“Huntley, I need to.” Her palm gripped mine like a vice. “But I don’t think I can do it here.”
She glanced down toward the mattress and understanding dawned instantly.
“Are you sure you want to do this now?”
When she looked back up, the mesmerizing eyes that metmine were filled with pain, fear and sorrow, but also determination.
Her lower lip quivered. “It’s what I need to do to move forward.”
Releasing her hand, I slowly brought mine up and cupped her cheek. “Okay, sweetheart. Do you want to go out to the front room?”
She nodded and brought her small hand up to her face, placing it over mine.
“I want to move forward with you,” she said softly.
My heart pounded in my chest, her words hitting me as hard as when she said she loved me. This woman was a warrior. Even if she didn’t believe it, I’d known it right away.
“We’ll get through this, baby.” I leaned in and kissed her forward. “Together we can do anything.”
Her sigh as my lips brushed her soft skin floated through the room and I leaned back so her eyes were on mine again.
“I need you to know, and I’ve said it before, nothing you tell me will ever change my love for you or how I see you.”
Her eyes misted with tears like small droplets of dew left behind on a leaf in the early morning.
“Promise?”
Taking her hand, I brought our clasped ones and laid them on my chest.
“With all my heart, I promise.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
RIVER
He saidnothing would change his love for me.
How could that be true after I told him the ugly secrets I’d been keeping? I’d told my sister part of it, but I still never laid out all the details.
And they werehideous.
They made me feel dirty, tainted, and damaged.
I wanted to believe Huntley loved me. I knew he was a man of his word, but telling Lake what I had and divulging everything to the man I wanted to always see me as beautiful—something he told me endlessly that I was—were two different things entirely.
My stomach churned and I wrung my hands together trying to find the words. Where did one start with a conversation that could change everything? As a therapist, logically I should know this, but the execution was important and I was finding it difficult.
Huntley waited patiently reminding me of what an amazing man he was and then a small smile turned up the corners of my mouth.
“What made you smile?” he asked.
We sat down on the couch, both quickly turning to face each other, but I found I couldn’t stay seated and I got up so I could move around.
“I was just thinking about what an extraordinary man you are and then I couldn’t help but think of Val. It’s still hard to believe this connection we all have.” I shook my head at the craziness. “Though it’s not hard to believe that you are her son because she is an exceptional human being who I know raised you to be just like her.”
I stopped pacing to look at him.
“You humble me, baby,” he told me.
