Before he could finish the thought, Calvin Beacham’s big, booming bass called his daughter’s name.
Grace’s gaze shifted past Hunter to the open door. The instant she saw her father, her face crumpled. “Daddy, I’m sorry I worried you and Momma. I’m sorry I made y’all leave home and—”
“Oh, pumpkin.” Calvin was across the room and gathering his daughter in his arms in an instant.
Grace let loose of Hunter’s fingers so she could return her father’s hug, and he scooted back against the wall to make room for her mother to take his place beside the bed.
His fingers felt bereft without her touch. In fact, his wholebodyfelt bereft by the few feet now separating them.
The few feet and the ticking clock.
As if on cue, his phone buzzed in his pocket. It was the alarm he’d set. Once again, he glanced down at his great-grandfather’s watch.
Merit clapped a hand on his shoulder. “You need to head out?” he asked as little Jessie and Jemma, Noble’s kids, tried to crawl onto Grace’s hospital bed and were scolded to“git down”by Noble’s wife.
“Yes.” Hunter nodded regretfully. “But I’ll be back tomorrow evening.”
Merit dipped his chin. “Good. We’ll see you then.”
Hunter started to say goodbye to Grace, but she was busy accepting a hug from Noble while simultaneously listening to little Jemma prattle excitedly about the vending machine in the hall that had gummy bears. He decided it was best to sneak out. To let her bask in the light and love of her family.
He was nearly to the door when Felicity stopped him with a hand on his arm. Grace’s little sister shared some of Grace’s features. Same dark eyes and blond hair. Same upside-down mouth. But where Grace’s face was soft and round, Felicity’s cheekbones were high, her jaw square.
“Thank you for all you’ve done for our Grace, Hunter.” Her smile was sincere. “We owe you everything.”
“You owe me nothing.” He shook his head. “Grace is…” Felicity canted her head, speculation filling her eyes as she waited for him to finish. “Well…” He rubbed a hand over his beard stubble. “She’s worth every sacrifice, isn’t she? She’s simply the best.”
The speculation in Felicity’s eyes grew more intense. “We think so.”
He swallowed when he realized he’d probably revealed too much. “I have a plane to catch. But tell Grace I’ll be back tomorrow.”
Except fate conspired against him. He wasn’t back the next day. Or even the day after that.
By the time hedidmake it back to Chicago, Grace was gone.
34
Beacham Residence,
Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville, North Carolina
One month later…
One of the most terrible feelings is crying silently because you don’t want anyone to know how broken you are,Grace thought as she sat on the porch swing at her parents’ house.
Since she’d left the hospital, her body had healed—the hole in her skull had knitted and all her various bumps and bruises had faded—but her heart? Her heart refused to mend.
Three people were dead. Her partner. Hunter’s honorary grandparents. And it was so senseless. So unnecessary. So…heartbreaking.
But perhaps most heartbreaking of all—or, at least it was the thing that kept her awake and aching at night—was that she’d lost Hunter.
Not that she’d ever really had him.
Except, for one beautiful day, it’dfeltlike she had. For a short twenty-four hours, she’d been given a glimpse of the joy and connection that was possible when, like her father had said, her heart found its home in another.
Whoever coined the phrase ’tis better to have loved and lost than never love at all was a slack-jawed idiot.
She thought she’d known pain when Tim left her. Now she knew what she’d felt had mostly been disappointment, a sense of failure and hurt pride.Nowshe truly understood what it was to lose someone she loved deeply, profoundly…completely.
