up a roll." She smiled at the memory. "He felt terrible. I thought he would cry. Despite the pain it caused, it made me feel good that I mattered. That was new for me."
Wyatt frowned, and she regretted saying that. She didn’t want to seem as she was feeling sorry for herself.
"You've had a difficult childhood." He said the words simply, stating a fact.
"I've had some great times too," she returned, trying to pull herself out of the self-pity that she struggled daily not to fall into. "My foster parents loved me and gave me everything my father couldn't or wouldn't."
"Is your father still around?"
"No. He died in a car accident when I was sixteen. Thankfully, it was a single vehicle accident, because he was drunk."
"And how long were you with your foster parents?"
"Until I was eighteen." She stopped, her emotions still too tender. Too close to the surface.
"Why did you leave then?"
She wished he hadn’t asked but appreciated his concern. And because of that, and with him sitting right beside her, creating a sense of peace and safety, she allowed herself to carry on. "Because that's when my foster father died. Bonnie was so distraught. Everything fell apart then. She sold the farm and moved in with her daughter. Who didn't want me around."
"So you were on your own?"
"I had finished high school early, so I was okay. I know Bonnie felt horrible and wished she could have helped me out, but she was stuck too. And grieving. I was thankful for the home she and Earl gave me. I probably would have moved out in a few months anyway. I never had any intention of staying in Fairview." She gave him a quick smile. "Like every other kid in my graduating class, my motto was ‘Get the heck out of Dodge.’”
"Sounds like my family," Wyatt said, giving her a gentle smile as he leaned back on the couch, creating a small distance between them. "I never wanted to leave the ranch though. I was happy to stay and work with my dad."
She gave him a careful smile. "You say you feel bad for me, but you've had more than your share of sorrows too."
"I'll admit that," he said. "But I had a strong family bond and a good community to support me. Sounds like you didn't."
She couldn't believe how easily he shifted from his own situation to hers.
"I had good friends the past three years."
"Like Sally."
Just bringing her name into the conversation was like a dose of reality.
Sally's son sleeping upstairs with Wyatt's daughters. Wyatt's family and his responsibilities.
"I feel like I have to apologize for her behavior all those years ago-"
"You had nothing to do with that," he told her.
"I know. But it was wrong of her."
"Who knows what she was dealing with? And like the old saying, it takes two."
Adele nodded, wondering why Sally had never told her the truth. Then she realized it wouldn't have mattered. Dean was still here.
Adele eased away from him and caught Wyatt's frown. She wanted to act casual but realized she may as well be honest and straightforward. "I'm thinking about the kids."
Wyatt grew serious then, seeming to be on the same wavelength as her. "You're thinking we have to be careful."
"I am."
He eased out a sigh, resting his head against the back of the couch, but keeping his eyes on her. "I realize that too, but I'm not going to lie. I believe something is happening between us. Something special."
That he felt it too made her heart want to sing.
"Do you think it might just be loneliness?" She had to ask. Had to put everything out on the table. There was too much at risk. Her heart. Her future. His children.
He didn't answer right away, and she wondered if he thought she was trying to retreat from this.
"I don't think so. Unless that's the case for you."
She held his gaze, allowing the emotions she felt around him to rise again, and then shook her head. "I don't think so, either."
"Well, then we'll just have to see how things progress."
He sounded so practical, she had to smile.
Then he touched her face, his fingers lingering. She wondered if he would kiss her again. Wished he would. But then his hand shifted to hers and he stood, pulling her up with him.
"I don't know about you, but I'm tired. So I'm saying good night."
Then he did kiss her again. A gentle brush of his lips over her forehead. It was enough, and