Inside, they crept to their separate sleeping bags and settled in for what was left of the night. It took Madison a long time to fall back to sleep. She kept thinking of Karin, wondering what, actually, had been going on between Karin and Liam out there in the dark. And then she started considering how short life really was, how a person could have the love of her life and lose him in a heartbeat.
How when love found you, you needed to reach for it—reach for it and hold on tight and make the most of every moment fate granted you.
* * *
The next afternoon, in the main house at Wild River Ranch, Aislinn led Madison up the stairs to the second floor.
“It’s this one.” Aislinn stopped in the doorway to a small bedroom. Madison stopped beside her.
Late afternoon sunlight poured in through the one window on the opposite wall. The room was painted a soothing dove gray. It had a double bed with a bright quilt, a rag rug and a dresser topped with a gorgeous Craftsman-style lamp. Colorful pictures decorated the walls.
Aislinn explained, “Like a few of the other rooms in the house, it needed a generous dose of TLC. It was a dark room, depressing, you know? I brightened it up a little.”
“It’s nice,” said Madison. “Cheerful.”
“Thanks—so anyway, the story goes that Claudia, Martin Durand’s wife, acted as midwife that night. Your mom and mine each had one of the rooms to either side of this one. They gave birth within a few minutes of each other. Once we were born, Claudia put us in makeshift cribs made of dresser drawers on a bed in this room while she looked after the new mothers.”
“I remember all this from Martin’s letter.” Madison stared at a beautiful wall hanging sewn with twining flowers that Aislinn had hung above the bed. “He wrote that it was storming that night, really bad, with power outages, flooded roads and no way for Marie and George Bravo to get home when she went into labor, let alone make it to the hospital in Astoria or Valentine Bay. Martin Durand snuck in and switched us.”
Aislinn nodded. “Our blankets were identical and we were both about the same size. I had wisps of dark hair and you didn’t, but he switched us anyway, got away with it, and when he started to feel guilty, it was too late.”
“He had no way to switch us back without someone finding out what he’d done.”
Aislinn turned to her. “So. Here we are.” Her dark eyes gleamed with unshed tears.
Madison felt an answering rush of emotion, filling her heart, blurring her vision. She reached out an arm and drew Aislinn to her side. They stared at the room together, arms around each other’s shoulders, for a long string of quiet seconds.
Aislinn broke the silence. “Does it help any? Seeing the room where it happened?”
Madison didn’t really know how to answer her. “I did want to see it...”
“But?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say it helps, exactly. What does help is to know you a little. To see that you’re happy, that your life works for you.”
Aislinn drew in a slow breath, as though gathering courage. “I admit, I’ve been wondering—howyouare? If you like the way things have turned out for you?”
“I’ve got no complaints. I got everything I ever wanted.”
“But are you happy?” Aislinn anxiously scanned her face.
“I’m notunhappy—and don’t look at me like that. I’m fine, honestly. I’m just ready for a change, that’s all.”
Aislinn turned fully toward her and took both of her hands. “Anything I can do to help you make that change, just say the word.”
“Youarehelping,” Madison said. “A lot. By reaching out, by inviting me here, to the place where we were born. By being the one who really understands what I’m going through.” She tugged on Aislinn’s hands. “Now come on, let’s go back downstairs before the guys start wondering why we’ve deserted them.”
They found Sten and Jaxon in Jax’s study and they all four trekked out to the stables, where Madison and Sten met Burt, the ranch foreman, and his dog, Ace. Dinner was an excellent prime rib prepared by the housekeeper, Erma.
After the meal they met Aislinn’s pet rabbits, who lived on the enclosed side porch of the ranch house. They went back inside for dessert and hung around until after ten.
“You’re quiet,” Sten said as they were driving back to Valentine Bay.
“Just thinking.” She leaned her head against the window with a sigh. “About Aislinn and Jax, how happy they seem together. I want that, you know? Love. Real love, with the right person...” She dared to sit up and look at him then. The dashboard lights cast his features into sharp relief. He was staring straight ahead, like the road might jump up and bite him if he dared to glance away. “Oops.” She tried to make a joke of it. “I have mentioned the dreaded L-word and I’ve only known you for a couple of weeks. Talk about awkward. So sorry. My bad.”
It took him far too long to figure out how to reply. And when he did, he spoke grimly. “Madison, I’m crazy about you.”
“Try to say it without clenching your teeth—and you know what? Let’s not do this, okay?”
