With all the catchup work she’d done at the office, Justine had yet to make it through the stack of neglected mail that sat in her inbox. She’d spent most of her time responding to emails and organizing a committee for the upcoming New Year’s Eve party.
Sparks of hope kindled in her chest as she realized it might not be too late. Sometimes—not always, butsometimes—she’d get a letter to post a notice about a potential change to the town. The land wasn’t city or public property, it was private. Private property that, for years now, the family all but donated to the town. She’d see if there was a notice among her unread mail.
For now, Justine had to sit with the fact that Burke Richards Benton, in all of his flirtatious fun, passionate kisses, and touching heart-to-heart talks, had been swindling her all along. He’d probably known, when she said she worked for the city, that he could take advantage of the fact. Distract her, take her out of town, even, so that nothing would interrupt his plans to make a quick buck.
A layer of confusion settled over her as she tried to make that scenario fit. It was the one Brittany fed to the entire town, wasn’t it?
So why couldn’t she get herself to eat it?
Because it was a wretched taste of humble pie, that’s why. Who wanted to believe that the man they’d fallen in love with was capable of something so cruel?
Her body ached against the complete…wrongness of it all. “Could you take me home, please?” A sob threatened to spill through the request, but she could wait. She could.
Frank was already slowing the truck and pulling over to the side of the road. “Anything you’d like,” he said gently. There he was, being so generous and kind.
“Frank?” She spoke as he turned the truck around. “Thank you.”
It was over. That horrible phrase—just three short words—haunted Justine every second of every minute of that drive home. Curling her chest forward, as if she could somehow shield her heart from the insult, she rested against the window as he drove.
Would she ever see him again? Would she ever want to?
Yes.She wanted very badly to see him, to sink into his strong embrace as he told her that she had it all wrong. Things weren’t anything like they seemed. Hedidlove her. Hehadn’tbeen lying to her. He’d just…Her shoulders drooped with an added layer of dread. How could she even fill in that blank? He forgot? Yeah, right.
They were in front of her house already, she realized, blinking as the view beyond the glass came into focus. Her small white home with its blue door and potted plants. She’d always loved the look of that home, even when simply lit by the porch light in the evening hours. But as she took in the neglected weeds, rusted rain gutters, and peeling banisters, Justine got a clear view of what Burke must see when he looked at it. Maybe when he looked at her.
With a certain determination, Justine reached up, tugged the pins from her hair, and lifted the crown off her head. She set it on the seat then. “Mind if I leave this with you for now? I can’t…look at it.”
Frank nodded. “I’m sorry, Justine. For what you’re going through.”
She managed a tight grin. “Thank you, again, for taking me away from all of that. You’re a good friend to me, Frank.” She hadn’t put emphasis on the friend word, but he looked at her as if she had.
His eyes closed then as he bowed his head. “I try.”
Justine climbed out then, closing the door behind her, and made her way up the steps. She gave him one final wave as he backed out, then trailed back down the steps and into her backyard. She wasn’t ready to go inside and be in the room where she’d just placed the crown on Burke’s head. Where she’d run her hands through his thick, dark hair before tenderly hugging him and pulling him close.
A groan sounded at her throat as she curled onto her patio swing on her back porch. Here, among the gentle trickle of the stream, the rhythmic chirp of the crickets, she could let out her tears. Release her sobs. And give in to the overwhelming loss of who she’d hoped Burke could be.
She’d done a similar thing with her mom years back. She’d sat in the backyard at Gramps’ place and mourned the loss of the mother she’d always wanted. The mother she’d never have.
And as the hopelessness finally had its way with her, Justine released the sorrow, the disappointment, and the deep ache in her heart.
Chapter 26
Burke stared at the Christmas tree in the Benton’s cabin, barely seeing the decorations beyond the memories in his mind. He and Justine helped decorate that tree a few days prior. When all was right with the world.
He sucked in an achy breath, delicately, careful not to cause any more pain to his broken heart. Upon arriving at the cabin, Burke gave the family a rundown of the situation with the property, how he’d bought it, listed it, and found out about its sale just that afternoon. He’d then gone on to explain the situation with the fake engagement. How it all began, how it played out and how it, in truth, brought the two of them together in a very real way.
“Can I just say something?” Duke piped.
Burke glanced about the large front room, catching one reaction after the next. Zander, Kat, Betzy and Camila looked leery as they set eyes on Duke. But James, Sawyer, and Duke’s wife, Vivia, looked slightly amused already.
“No,” Claudia mumbled. “You can’t.”
James bit back a laugh, his shoulders shaking under the pressure.
“I’d like to hear what he has to say,” Michael said. He lifted his mug and peered into it. “What sort of marshmallows do you think they used in that hot cocoa tonight? These ones don’t taste the same.”
Lorraine cleared her throat. “What do you want to say, Duke?” The woman paced before the Christmas tree, arms folded over her chest.
