nature were all that was left. How was he supposed to deal with this new insight? How was he supposed to digest that his mom had been taken instead of Grace? How was he ever supposed to heal?
He’d come here for answers but had only gotten more questions.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Thirty minutes later when Wyatt returned to the creek, he didn’t look any better. His eyes were still bloodshot, his face slightly flushed, his shoulders set. But otherwise, the poker face was back.
He offered a bland smile, which seemed to require great effort. “We should probably find that road to cut back on. It’s getting late.”
She didn’t know what she’d expected. Absolution was too much to ask for. Rejection or blame maybe? But somehow this hard-fought effort at civility was even worse.
Grace was happy to lead the way because it allowed her to hide her tears. She was also grateful for the rippling creek, which disguised her sniffles.
The hike back to town was eerily quiet and gave her plenty of time to think. She wished she knew what was going on in Wyatt’s head, but she was afraid to ask. All she knew was that she felt less worthy with each step.
So this was it, she thought as they finally reached the rutted road and started the winding way downhill. He’d done what he’d come to accomplish. Well, no, not really. He’d come to heal an old wound, and Grace had managed to rip off the scab.
Now he had more to digest. More to heal from. And she wasn’t doing so swell on that front either. Her eyes filled with tears, her vision going blurry again. It was a wonder she hadn’t tripped over something yet and fallen flat on her face.
Wyatt had come here to find the spot where his mother had passed, though, and found it he had. Maybe it hadn’t had the intended effect, but there was no reason for him to stay in Bluebell now, was there?
She’d wondered what would happen when they reached the end of his stay. Where could they possibly go from here? The answer was obvious now. Nowhere.
God, why did You bring him into my life only to take him away again? Why is this happening? I wanted to help him, and instead I’ve only found another way to hurt him. A tear leaked out, finding a familiar path to trickle down.
Stop it, Grace. He doesn’t need your self-pity.
She blinked back the tears crowding her eyes. The creek and its camouflaging sounds were long behind them. Wyatt was dealing with enough without having to worry about her feelings too.
She covertly dried her tears. She needed to hold it together. Needed to look normal by the time they got to the car. Once she reached the safety of her room she could unleash the flood of tears.
He was so quiet behind her. She couldn’t even hear his footfalls. But she knew he was back there. She could feel his presence.
A few cars passed them on the road as they neared the parking lot, and Grace gave them halfhearted waves. When they reached the car, Wyatt slipped into the driver’s seat. She sneaked a peek at his face, but his expression gave nothing away. His silence, on the other hand, said plenty.
Being crammed into the small car made the drive back seem to take even longer than the hike back. The sun was dropping behind the mountains, and a chill was setting in—from her bones outward. She wanted to say something, but she didn’t know what. Didn’t know where he was in his processing or what she could possibly say to make it better.
There’s nothing you can say. You’re alive and his mother isn’t.
The tension in the car swelled with each mile. Grace’s throat felt achy and raw, her emotions ready to burst through the makeshift dam she’d built to hold them back.
When she sighted the inn she felt only relief. He pulled into a slot at the curb, and before he could turn off the ignition she reached for the door handle.
“Wait.”
She paused, her hand clenched around the handle, her breaths coming too fast.
“I need to say something, Grace.”
She braced for his anger. For blame and rejection. And she just needed to absorb it all. Suck it up. He needed to get this off his chest, and maybe then he’d feel better. Maybe then he’d find closure.
“Grace, look at me.”
She turned toward him and raised her eyes but couldn’t seem to lift them past the