He could have left at any time and gone back to her, and he hadn’t, and she had been left with the consequences of his decision.
No wonder she couldn’t look at him when she first arrived.
He almost didn’t want to read the rest of the letters.What if the other letters were more of the same?
He grimaced as he picked up the next one in the pile.He didn’t know what order they’d been sent in, so he would just read the next one he touched.He deserved to feel the pain that he had inflicted on her, whether he wanted to or not, and perhaps reading the letters would help him understand why she had fought him for so long.
Perhaps reading the letters would finally give them closure.
Even if right now, they only brought pain.
Dear Nat,
It has been far too long since I have heard from you, and I pray all is well.I hope that whatever has happened with your father, you are at peace, and that you and your mother and brother are drawing closer together during this time instead of growing further apart.
I wish you were here.Things have been busy, and the boy Father hired in your place isn’t the same.He doesn’t remember how I like my tea, either—not that I want him to be making my tea.
I would rather have you back in the place where you have come to belong.
Missing you,
Thea
Chapter nine
Thea
Theaclosedthecafé,the stack of letters sitting nearby, continually drawing her attention.
She could hardly believe that she had them.After so many years of believing Nathaniel had simply given up on her—it wasn’t true.And here she had the proof.
Her eyes threatened to well up with tears.
She was being silly.It had been so many years, and here she was, about to cry over him again.
But for some reason, the fact that he had written after all felt more emotional than all the years when she thought he hadn’t.
It would be easy to hate Roan for it.But for some reason, she couldn’t.If she had been in his place, she might have done the same thing.It didn’t mean she was going to forget it…but it did explain why he had been so concerned to see her appear in town.
She wiped down the counters and prepared the café for the morning, but her gaze kept straying to the letters sitting on the floor.Finally, she could take it no longer, and she slid down the wall to sit next to them, staring at them for a moment.
Did she want to read them?Did she want to know what he had gone through, thinking that she had stopped writing to him?Were his letters as full of emotion as hers?Had he also sent a letter when he gave up, or had he simply petered out, unable to write anymore with the pain of every letter going unanswered?
Tiny footsteps padded across the floor as Ginger trotted over to join her, settling against her side with a contented purr.
“At least you’re here for this,” she said with a smile as she reached for the first letter.
Thea,
It has been far too long since I’ve heard from you, and I can only hope that you are well.
My mother has become ill.I think the stress of taking care of my father has taken its toll on her, and she needs care.
If I didn’t feel the need to be with her, I would come back to you.
I wish you were here with me.I miss you more than you know, my love.
Missing you,
