The safety net surrounding his heart was in tatters. His mother’s stroke and her letter had torn it, but Kelsey’s words had demolished it.
He had to act fast and show Kelsey he’d made a mistake. He needed her to be a part of his life.
Today, tomorrow, always.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Gazing out the window, Kelsey caught sight of the sun peeking out from a cloud. No more flakes fell from the sky, but snow covered every inch of the ground, all the tree branches, and the roof of a gazebo. But rather than a winter wonderland, the landscape seemed gray and foreboding, mimicking the way her heart felt.
Arctic air seeped through the pane-glass window. Kelsey shivered. Too bad the cold wasn’t the only thing giving her chills. But she didn’t want to think about that right now.
Time to pack. It was the only thing Kelsey could think to do besides walk out and leave everything behind. She emptied her clothes from the dresser and piled them on the bed. If she hadn’t been so organized, with a backup plan ready to go, she would have had more phone calls to make and more changes to implement. Her mind wouldn’t be so focused on Will; her heart wouldn’t feel so empty.
But she’d been organized, and in fifteen minutes, she’d turned the storybook wedding she’d planned for Faith and Trent into an elegant anniversary party for Starr and Bill. Kelsey folded her red cashmere sweater, fighting a sob. She put all her energy into the task and pretended the emotions churning inside her weren’t so raw, so painful.
But they were, and not so easy to hide.
Will’s rejection was like a knife stabbing her heart. The wound seemed to get deeper by the second. Over time, the hurt would heal. The memories would fade. His hold on her heart would disappear.
Shewouldsurvive. The same way she’d survived the breakup of her parents, she would survive a broken heart. Kelsey had a good life, loving family and friends, and a wonderful career. Just because Will didn’t want her didn’t mean her life was over. The opposite was true. Her life was only beginning.
Kelsey went to place her sweater in her suitcase but found Midas inside, sprawled on his back. She rubbed his belly and then gave him a gentle push. “Sorry, handsome. You can’t sleep here.”
The cat merely stretched, taking up more room.
“You’re such a sweetie.”She scratched his neck. Maybe a pet was what she needed. Someone she could simply love, with no baggage to worry about. Someone who would love her back.“I wish I could bring you home with me, but your daddy won’t let me.”
Daddy.
An image of Will with children came to mind. Kelsey closed her eyes, picturing them and feeling them and hearing them. Will’s children. Her children. Their children.
The visual brought up so many emotions her breath caught in her throat. Her heart pounded fiercely. Tears stung her eyes. She gathered Midas into her arms and buried her face against his fur.
What was happening to her? A broken heart was one thing, but this? Talk about a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree shift in what she thought she wanted out of life. A pet was one thing, but children, too? It was as if her previously dormant biological clock wanted to make up for lost time, and Kelsey was torn. Part of her didn’t want to waste a single minute, yet the other part wanted to crawl into the closet and lock herself away from the world.
She rubbed her cheek against Midas’s head. His jackhammering purr brought a welcome smile to her lips. “I’ll miss you, handsome.”
“What about me?”
At the sound of Will’s voice, Kelsey looked up.
He stood in the doorway of her room. “Are you going to miss me as much as you’ll miss my cat?”
“I…” She tightened her hold on Midas and cuddled him closer. “I don’t think so.”
Will raised a brow. “Oh, really?”
Kelsey nodded. The truth surprised her. She really meant it. He was the one afraid to love again. No matter her pain, she’d given her all in trying a relationship with him. Will was unwilling to take a chance. She would walk away with no regrets. “Midas goes after what he wants. He isn’t afraid to ask for love. You’ve got to respect that in a man.”
“Midas is a cat.”
“A male cat.” She placed Midas on the bed. “Close enough for me.”
“We need to talk.”
“Talk?” Talking to Will again wasn’t something she could handle right now. Her frazzled emotions could only take so much. She folded a pair of jeans and placed them in her suitcase along with the sweater. “There’s nothing left to be said.”
“There’s plenty to discuss.”
