When she’d told him her story last night, he’d been floored. Her ex-husband was an idiot.
Hadley had been through so much grief after losing her baby, only then to have her husband betray her. He couldn’t imagine that kind of hurt.
After she’d opened up, that would have been the perfect time for him to open up also.
So why hadn’t he? He still wasn’t sure.
Maybe because he knew that one conversation could change everything between them. He wasn’t sure he was ready for that yet.
But he’d tell her his story—and soon.
“You sleep okay?” He handed her a cup of coffee.
“Better than I thought I would. Being here helped.”
“I’m glad.”
She took a sip and paused. “Unfortunately, I need to get to work. I can’t afford to miss any more appointments—not if I want to pay my bills.”
“I’ll drive you.”
“That would be great.”
A few minutes later—after a few more sips of coffee and Hadley had checked on Juno and her puppies—they headed back into Blue Ridge Hollow.
The drive into town was quiet but not uncomfortable. Max kept his attention on the road, though he glanced over at Hadley more than once. She sat with her hands folded in her lap. Her gaze was fixed out the window and her expression thoughtful.
When they neared the clinic, Hadley stiffened beside him. Her eyes narrowed a fraction as the building came into focus.
The boarded window reminded him of everything that had gone wrong. It had to be the same for her—but probably worse.
Max pulled into a spot out front and turned off the engine. “You going to be okay today?”
“I hope so. I just . . . I don’t like that everything feels different now, like something that used to be safe isn’t anymore.”
“That makes sense.” Max leaned back in his seat. “We’ll figure out what’s going on and make things right again.”
She gazed up at him. “You sound sure of that.”
“I am sure.”
Hadley held his gaze a second as if deciding whether she believed him.
She knew one thing: She wanted to.
Hadley let Max walk her to the front door of the clinic.
They paused in front of it, and for a second neither spoke. The morning felt too normal. After everything that had happened, here they were, standing outside her clinic like any other day.
Life went on. It always did.
“I’ll call you later,” Max finally said.
“I’d like that.”
“And I’d like to stop by and double-check the security of your apartment. I’d like to change the lock, maybe add a deadbolt. Check the windows.”
Gratitude filled her gaze. “I’d appreciate that.”
