He didn’t speak, and she looked at him to find him frowning.
“Not a good subject?” she asked.
“Not particularly.”
“Want to share?”
“Want to, no. Will I?” He shrugged. “I guess so.”
“You don’t have to,” she said quickly as the pain in his tone left her concerned. She had to admit to being more intrigued now though and hoped he would fill her in.
“I’m not embarrassed to admit it took me a long time to get over you. If I ever did.” He peered into the distance. “But that’s not what’s holding me back. I was engaged a couple of years ago to a wonderful woman named Cara.”
Oh, wow.She didn’t know that. “What happened?”
“She died,” he said matter-of-factly. “Was stabbed at the clinic where she worked by a guy looking to score drugs.”
“Oh, Ryan.” Mia tugged Bandit to a stop to rest a hand on Ryan’s forearm and look him in the eye. “I’m so sorry for your loss. That must’ve been terrible for you.”
“You know, lots of people have said that to me over the last few years, but I’ve wondered if they understood.” He started walking again. “With the loss of your mother, you know how the sudden loss feels.” He shook his head. “Sort of, anyway. I was a deputy then and was on duty. Responded to the call but got there too late. I should have been there for her.”
Mia squeezed his arm and released it. “Blaming yourself for what happened is a heavy burden to carry. Take it from me. No matter what happened, you weren’t at fault. You didn’t kill her. You need to let it go or you’ll never be able to move on. Never fall in love again.”
“No worries there. I don’t plan to. Won’t be hurt like that again.” The bitterness in his tone ended the conversation and left Mia with a lump in her throat.
Was she feeling bad for him or for herself? For them? For the possibilities they might’ve had? Possibilities that ended all because the pair of them had closed down any hope of the happily ever after most people dream of finding.
And what did that leave them with?
12
Mia’s palms sweated as she opened the door to David’s CPA practice the next morning. She hadn’t seen him in so long. What would he be like? Would he still unwaveringly support their father and ignore her needs? Probably.
Her heart started pounding. She’d given herself a long pep talk this morning about her insecurities brought on from being back in town. Hadn’t she gained a foothold over them? Each step closer to seeing her brother told her no. Not at all.
Focus on the place not the person.
The office held upscale modern furniture, hinting at the successful practice she’d heard about. Her dad likely beamed with pride over David’s accomplishments. If he took the time to get to know Mia, he could beam over her too, just not for earning big bucks. For changing lives.
She approached the receptionist whose nameplate read Olivia, and inhaled the rich scent of freshly brewed coffee swirling up from Olivia’s mug.
“I’m here to see my brother, David.” Mia tried to sound strong—in control—but her voice came out fragile and weak.
“Mia. Good.” The sweet young woman smiled. “David’s been looking forward to seeing you from the moment he heard you were coming home.” She settled back into her chair, her size dwarfed by the tall leather back. “Go on in. He’s in Kurt’s office. The last one on the right.”
In his partner’s office? But why? If he was looking forward to seeing her, why wouldn’t he meet with her alone? Maybe he was uneasy about seeing her too. They’d not parted on the best of terms, and even if they had, a ten-year absence would be awkward for most anyone. Wouldn’t be unusual for another person to want someone to help break the ice.
“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” Mia asked.
“Not at all.” Olivia waved a hand. Her fingernails, painted in a plum color, glistened in the light and matched her blouse. “Kurt handles Evergreen’s accounts, and David figured you’d want to meet him while you were here.”
“I do. Thank you.” Mia set off down the hallway and hoped Olivia was right. That David reallywashappy she’d come to visit. She reached the office with Kurt Loomis, CPA, on an engraved bronze plaque mounted outside the open door. She quickly scanned the room through the open door.
A man Mia assumed was Kurt sat behind the desk covered in paperwork that looked as if a tornado had blown through the space. A large ornate frame holding a picture-perfect family of two young girls and a boy accompanied by a smiling couple hung on the wall behind him.
David, his back to her, sat beside the massive antique desk. The men were engaged in an animated discussion about return on investment, their tones speaking to the love of a job Mia couldn’t imagine choosing.
She knocked on the door and waited to be invited in.
