When he grabbed her largest suitcase, she bit her tongue to keep from snapping at him. She couldn’t explain the sudden irritability that hit her, but she wanted to be left alone. He was halfway to the house before she'd composed herself enough to grab the smaller suitcase and duffel bag.
She paused after stepping into the house to study the great room that consisted of the living and dining spaces. It wasn't the first time she'd seen the changes Emily had made over the past two years, but she still hadn't gotten used to seeing the dusty rose curtains frame the floor-to-ceiling windows in the family room instead of the navy-blue drapes that had hung there her whole life. A new gray rug with rose-colored accents covered the hardwood floor near the setting of leather sofas that Jake and Emily had replaced last year.
Riley let her gaze continue to roam, taking in the changes, most of them subtle, yet jarring, nonetheless. Tears filled her eyes when her gaze landed on the new gray and dusty rose tablecloth covering the large dining table on the far side of the room instead of the checkered one that had been there for so many years.
It was such a little thing that Emily had every right to change, but it felt like a betrayal to Riley, who sought the comforts of home. She blinked away the tears and followed Daniel down the hall.
He stood at the end of the hall, looking at her expectantly. "Which room do you want?"
Riley stopped in the doorway of her childhood bedroom. Her stomach dropped when she spotted pastel walls with colorful farm animals painted on them, a crib, and rocking chair. She'd forgotten that Jake had asked her at Christmastime if she would mind them turning her old room into a nursery, since it was the closest to the master bedroom. At the time, she hadn't minded, because she didn't think she'd ever come home to stay for more than a weekend.
But now, she minded.
Again, she blinked back the tears. "I'll sleep in Robert's old room." She deposited her things in the next bedroom.
Emily had changed the decor in this room too, replacing the Americana theme with tans and blues that reminded her of the beach. It looked nice, but it felt all wrong. It simply wasn't home anymore.
Daniel set down her suitcase and rotated in a circle, taking in the room. Then he shuffled his feet and swiped his hands down the front of his jeans.
"I uh..." He stepped toward her, hesitated, then closing the distance between them, he wrapped his arms around her in a hug that was like so many of the hugs they'd shared in the past. "I'm glad you're home."
But it all felt different.
Daniel was bigger and stronger than he used to be. The muscles in his arms were corded and firmer, his chest rock hard. The boy she'd grown up with was a man now. A strong man who could hurt her if he wanted to.
Her mind jumped to the brute strength Collin used on her when he pinned her to the sofa.
She flinched and gasped, then stood immobile in Daniel’s arms. Every muscle in her body trembled. She couldn't move, couldn't hug him back. She couldn't even breathe.
Her heart pounded so hard against her ribcage she felt the reverberation in her ears, and her stomach spasmed so tight she thought she might be sick. She opened her mouth to scream but couldn't seem to find the air to do so.
Just when she thought she might pass out from the rush of blood to her head, Daniel released her and stepped back.
A frown and a look of disappointment filled his face. "I guess I'll let you unpack." Then he turned and left the room. Judging by the slamming of the back door, he didn't stop until he'd left the house.
Riley collapsed on the bed and gave into the tears that had been threatening to fall ever since she walked through the door.
Why did I think coming home would make everything better?
Things had changed. Not only around the house but between her and Daniel.
She hated that what Collin did to her made her fear everyone, including the one person she used to trust more than anyone else. Theone who picked her up and dusted her off the first time she got bucked off a horse. The one she cried with after her dad died.
The pounding in her heart settled into a dull ache.
She'd burned a bridge three years ago with Daniel that she wasn't sure she could rebuild. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to. Because even though she found him incredibly attractive still, he'd changed somehow. He was more serious and pensive now and seemed less sure of himself.
And she'd changed.
She was broken. Damaged.
Things could have turned out so much worse with Collin. She knew that, and she was so grateful they hadn't, but it didn't change the fact that she viewed the world differently now. She didn't trust anyone anymore. Especially not men.
I can come home, but I can't go back to the way things were.
Daniel wasthe last to arrive at the dinner table that evening. He wasn't eager to face Riley again after the way she reacted when he hugged her this afternoon.
He hadn't meant anything by it. He'd only been trying to make Riley feel welcome. When he asked her why she'd chosen to come home for the summer, something dark and troubled filled her eyes, and he could have sworn he saw a faint bruise near her left eye.
