“She’ll never come back.” The drop to his shoulders had me curious.
“You want to talk about it?”
He stepped back a little, and I could feel the tension radiate off him. In all the time I’d known him, this was the first I’d seen him this serious. “It’s okay, Ray.” I leaned forward and massaged his shoulders, drawing him closer to me.
“I dated a girl in junior high—the on and off kind of couple. But by the time school finished and college began, we’d been going steady for a year and a half. Our parents are friends, so it was like one big, happy family during functions. I was supposed to drive her into the city for an internship interview and got sidetracked. On her way back—” he broke off. Whatever he was trying to tell me was hard and still affected him.
I tilted his chin up to look at me. “Tell me,” I kept my tone soft, consoling.
“She had an accident. The lady in the other vehicle broke an arm and had some minor injuries, but Zena didn’t survive.” I gasped. “Her car went off a cliff.” His breath hitched, and moisture glistened in his eyes.
“Oh, my God, Rayden,” I whispered, my eyes wide. “I’m so sorry.” I pulled him to me, holding him tight, unsure what else I could do. We stood like that for a long time until he pulled back.
His smile light, he traced slow circles over the pattern of my blouse as he spoke. “I became a recluse, which affected my family. Then a friend of mine suggested I visit him in Africa. My grandfather was adamant, I begin acquainting myself with the family business for me to take over from my father one day. Thankfully, my father was having none of that. He sent me packing to Africa. I worked on a game reserve and fell in love with the animals. They helped with the distraction. A couple of months became a year, and before I knew it, we were six months into the next.”
“What made you return?” I ran a hand through his hair, loving the wavy softness that fell to his chin as he leaned forward slightly.
He shrugged. “I got up one morning and decided to get on a flight.”
“But you haven’t been home yet?”
“Yeah. I didn’t realize a quick visit to Trent’s home would lead to an even more beautiful distraction. One on two legs.” He chuckled, nipping my bottom lip.
Laughing, I pulled away from his kiss. “You’re ready to go home then?”
“Would it be wrong if I said having you by my side would help?”
I shook my head. “I’ll help any way I can if you think you haven’t healed yet.” I kissed him lightly on the mouth.
“Thank you, babe. Means a lot to me.”
With those words, I couldn’t help wondering what waited for him back home and if he’d cope with being back in a place, he’d lost someone special.
Sianna
GRANGER VALLEY LOOMEDin the distant horizon as Rayden’s Porsche sped up the last short incline since leaving the city almost two hours ago. As we descended into the heart of the not so little town, the view we passed was a white tapestry of soft snow broken at regular intervals by classy, avant-garde homes and estates ranging in sizes. Fir-laden slopes, which surprisingly remained a rich forest green despite the winter chills, covered the spaces in between.
