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“If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be back in just a few minutes.” He didn’t wait for her response, but he went into his bedroom and closed the door behind him. He sank down on the edge of his bed and opened the drawer in his nightstand. He withdrew the framed photo inside and gazed at it.

It had been one of his favorite photos of the two of them. Lauren and Lily had been sitting on their front porch. Their blond hair had sparkled in the sunshine, and they had both been laughing.

They were long gone now, but they would always be sweet memories in his heart. He was surprised to realize that telling Monique about them had helped ease some of his pain.

Logically he knew she was right. He hadn’t killed them. The accident could have happened on any day at any time. It was a tragedy, and tragedies happened to a lot of people. He had just never thought it would happen to him.

He was surprised to realize how much healing he had done over the past four years. Time really was a healer of bad things. And Monique, he mentally added.

Her softness and her caring had definitely helped. She was in love with him. Her words of love echoed in his mind and resonated in his heart.

As much as he cared about her, he would never invite her into his life on a permanent basis. She deserved a man who had no real trauma in his life, a man who could love her far better than he could. He would protect her through this storm in her life, and then he’d let her go.

Chapter Twelve

Monique remained on the sofa for several long moments, her heart aching so much she could scarcely move. Tears raced down her cheeks unchecked. Her pain for him and his tragic past mingled with the anguish of now knowing he wasn’t in love with her.

She should have never told him how she felt about him. She especially shouldn’t have confessed to him her love while he’d been reliving his painful past. Her timing had sucked.

She’d been so sure that he’d been in love with her. He’d shown her his love in a million ways. But apparently, she’d mistaken his emotions.

Now things would definitely be awkward between them. She had burdened him with so much already, and now she had burdened him with her unrequited love.

She needed to talk to somebody. Her emotions were so great inside her that she needed to share them with somebody who could help her make sense of it all.

She didn’t want to call her sisters. They were happy in love, and the last thing she wanted to do was encumber them with her problems and love issues. She wished she had a best friend to call, but she didn’t. She had considered Jacque to be her best friend.

Now all she wanted was some distance, some time away from him so she could get her thoughts and feelings back under control. She swiped the tears from her eyes and cheeks and then stood.

There was one place she could go where she’d always felt safe, a person she knew she could tell all her troubles to. Surely, she could get there safely as it wasn’t that far away.

Jacque would probably be angry that she’d left his shanty alone, but she’d write him a note and let him know where she was. With this thought in mind, she looked in his bookcase until she found a blank notebook. She tore out a page, wrote the note and then left it on the kitchen table.

There was no sound from Jacque’s bedroom. Maybe after the explosion of emotions, he’d fallen asleep. There was certainly no reason to awaken him if that was the case.

From her purse on the sofa, she grabbed the knife she carried for self-defense. Of course, it would do no good against a bullet, but hopefully she could sneak through the swamp and get where she was going safely without anyone seeing her.

Tears once again burned at her eyes as she slipped out of the shanty’s front door. It was still relatively early so the sun was still up in the sky, although it wouldn’t be long before twilight fell.

She immediately stepped into the brush just off the beaten path. She was grateful for the green T-shirt she wore that would help her blend into the landscape.

It was too early for the gator-hunters and fishermen to be out and about, so hopefully she wouldn’t encounter anyone. She moved quickly and as silently as possible, staying off the beaten paths as she headed to her destination. Her heart was breaking with each step she took.

She’d had so much hope that she and Jacque could find true happiness together, so much hope that he would realize he loved her as much as she loved him. She’d been so mistaken about him…about his love. How was she going to stop her heart from hurting so badly?

How she wished her mother was here. Her mother would have drawn her into her arms and allowed Monique to cry her eyes out. Then she would have some words of wisdom for her heartbroken daughter. But her mother wasn’t here anymore, and this thought made her cry even more.

Aware of the danger that could come at her from any direction, she kept her eyes and ears open as she stifled her sobs. She clutched the knife tightly in her hand, hoping she wouldn’t have to use it. But she would if it came to her own survival.

It wasn’t long before the little shanty she sought came into view. She ran to the front door and knocked. When the door opened, she burst into tears and collapsed into Nola’s familiar arms. Nola was dressed in a blue-flowered housedress, and she smelled of vanilla and childhood love.

“Monique, honey.” Nola pulled her into the shanty and then looked beyond Monique’s shoulders. “Where’s Jacque?” she asked.

“H-he’s back at his p-place,” Monique replied, tears still falling. “He was in his bedroom when I left. I think he was asleep.”

Nola closed the door and then led Monique to her sofa where she pulled Monique down next to her. “Honey, tell me what’s happening. Why are you crying?” She placed an arm around Monique and patted her shoulder. “Did you and Jacque have a fight?”

“No…no fight.” Monique replied. She set the knife she’d been carrying down on the coffee table and drew in several deep breaths in an attempt to get her tears under control. “Oh, Nola, I’m so in love with him and he…he doesn’t love me back.” These words caused a new torrent of tears to fall.