He touched her shoulder with careful gentleness. Even a firm pat could hurt her these days. “And you can fill me in on this helper who’s coming tomorrow too.”
“Oh, you’ll see her then, actually.” Maggie bit her lip, then smiled. “We’ll get it all hashed out then.”
“Good enough.”
Heck yes, he’d be here tomorrow. Had to vet anyone who’d be in Maggie’s house while she was recovering. Had to make sure she’d hired someone who would take care of her as well as he would. Except nobody would do that. He’d keep coming over daily. Just to be sure Maggie was okay. She could protest all she wanted; he’d keep coming back.
She shouldn’t have stayed away so long.
Aunt Maggie would never say it, not in a million years, but she couldn’t hide the subdued joy in her hazel eyes as Kelsey lugged her mammoth suitcase over the threshold, down the hall to the room that had been hers a decade ago. The mint-green accent wall hadn’t been changed despite the fact Maggie wasn’t a fan of green the way Kelsey was. The comforter was new, yet its lacy pattern had clearly been picked in an attempt to imitate the old one. The one Kelsey had picked out as a thirteen-year-old. Most revealing of all, though, were the framed photographs adorning one of the white walls. Nearly two dozen framed photographs.
“Maggie…” Kelsey’s voice failed.
“You capture such beautiful moments. I could never pick just one or two. I know—all this room needs is a blurry surveillance shot of you next to your work, and I’d look like a real stalker.”
Tears choked her laugh. “I had no idea you have a gallery of…me.”
“I do have a favorite.” Maggie shuffled into the room and stood before one of the larger framed prints. Sunbeams and fog danced together around great redwood trunks, while a narrow dirt path ran horizontally across the foreground.
“It wasn’t as tricky as some of them,” Kelsey said. “Mainly the light was the challenge in this one.”
“It makes me feel like I’m standing just off the path beside you, among the trees.”
No hugs, Maggie had warned before Kelsey arrived. They hurt too much right now. She reached out and squeezed Maggie’s hand instead. Maggie gripped in return.
“I was never going to say this long-distance, but you’re here now, in my house like you used to be all the time, and I—I’ve missed you so much, Kels.”
“I’ve missed you too.”
A tear fell down Maggie’s cheek. “I’m so glad you’ll be here when it’s the worst. You know, minute to minute, not knowing how I’ll recover, how bad it’ll be…I didn’t want to be alone for that.”
“I’m glad to be here. If that needs to be said.” Kelsey folded Maggie’s hand between both of hers. If she could only hug her aunt. Instead she squeezed Maggie’s hand tight. “I’d be here if I lived in Australia. There’s nothing I’d rather do. As long as you need me, I’ll be here, okay?”
“You’re just so successful and happy where you are, and—and Harmony Ridge is hard for you, I know that.”
“My most treasured memories are here.”
“But your big heartbreak is too.”
Kelsey ducked her head. “Well, I’m over it by now.”
Maggie tugged her hand, led her to the bed and motioned her to sit. When she did, Maggie patted her shoulder. “I’ll just say this one time, okay? And then we don’t have to talk about him again.”
No, no, no. No talking about him. No talking about the pain in her chest even now as his face came to mind. His laugh. The big unapologetic way hefelthis feelings. His enthusiasm for cliff-jumping into ice-cold water. His thumb stroking the back of her hand as they sat before a fading bonfire and talked about their future.
“Oh, Kels, I know. Did you think I didn’t?”
“Know what?”
“You loved Trevor, baby. Never mind you were seventeen—you loved him, heart and soul. I knew even back then.”
“Well, that was…a long time ago.”
“And you’ve never lifted your ban on talking about him. And you’re going to see him while you’re here, and it’s going to be rough on both of you.”
On both of them? No. Kelsey drew up her knees and curled small on the bed, and now she was clinging to Maggie’s hand, not to support her aunt but to draw support.
“Trevor is fine,” she whispered. “Perfectly fine.”
