a mother not be happy that her bairn is blissfully in love with a boy who loves her back just as much. With everything he has. Lucas loves Vi just as much as Roane loves you.”
“Milly—”
“And because of you, Kathy Elliot came to me.”
Shocked, I shut my mouth.
“Aye. We talked for the first time ever. All because she doesn’t want to lose Lucas. She and I made peace, Evie. Not with West. That’ll never happen. But Kathy and I made peace for the sake of the kids. And that’s because of you.” Her eyes shimmered now as she reached up to caress my cheek, her expression almost motherly. “You’re a piece of magic, lass, and this place needs you.”
The strength I’d been holding on to failed me and I ducked my head as I shuddered and choked on my tears. After a minute of trying to keep it together, I raised my head. “I’m sorry, Milly,” I whispered with regret. “I can’t stay.”
With that, she pulled me into a hug, one that was almost comical with our height difference, but the moment was too sad for humor. She squeezed me tight and without another word pulled away and marched out of the store.
When my cab appeared a little while later, I was still trembling as the driver helped me out with the luggage. As he put my suitcases into the trunk of his car, I locked the bookstore, popped my key into an envelope, and slipped it into the store’s mailbox.
With a juddering sigh, I turned on my heel and promptly stumbled at the sight of Roane and Shadow standing beside the cab.
Roane’s chest was heaving like he’d been running, sweat glistening on his temples. I glanced beyond him to see the Defender parked near the harbor in the only parking space available.
Shadow tore away from Roane’s side and bounded toward me, and renewed grief flooded me as I wrapped my arms around his supple body and made my silent goodbyes.
“Milly called me,” Roane said as I straightened from hugging Shadow.
I’d assumed as much.
“We ready?” the driver asked me, glancing between Roane and me.
“Give us a few minutes.” Roane handed him some money, and the driver took it before getting into the car to give us a little privacy.
I didn’t want privacy.
I didn’t want this goodbye.
I wasn’t sure my heart could take it.
Staring at his face, I thought I saw his youth now. There weren’t any deep laughter lines around his eyes yet, and the beard hid any telltale age lines around his mouth, if there were any. Then there was his energy. Not that a thirtysomething didn’t have energy, but Roane had the stamina of twenty-six-year-old, of that there was no doubt.
I shivered in half grief, half longing.
He would never touch me again.
We’d never lie tangled in each other’s arms again.
Fuck, it hurt.
It hurt so badly, I wanted to scream at him until he told me it was all a joke, that he’d never lied, that he was just Roane.
Just my Roane.
I wished I could get over it.
I wished I could forgive.
But he was the one person in my life I couldn’t handle disappointing me.
And it was time for me to return to reality and stop living in a fucking fantasyland.
“You’re making a mistake,” he said, taking a step toward me.
Shadow trotted to his side, like he knew Roane needed him more than I did.
“You made the mistake,” I whispered.
He flinched. “Evie, I’m not telling you to just get over this. But don’t run off back to Chicago right away without giving this time. We’re worth figuring this out.”
I tried to close my ears, not wanting to hear the pleading tone in his voice. It was killing me.
“I gave the ring to Caro.” When I’d returned home after our confrontation, I’d discovered the ring still sitting on the kitchen counter. So, I’d handed it off to Caro when we said goodbye.
The muscle in Roane’s jaw twitched. “I know. She gave it to me.”
“I have to go.” I stepped toward the cab, unable to face him any longer.
“Evie, please,” he begged. “Please just forgive me. I’ll do anything.”
“I have to go,” I repeated, my voice breaking.
Tears burned in Roane’s eyes. “You get in the taxi, you take everything I am with you. You leave behind a fucking shell of a man. Over two stupid little lies that don’t mean anything, that don’t have any bearing on who I am or what you mean to me. Evie, please . . .”