Hilly looked at the little cabin on Delaney property. For the past month of building her life, she hadn’t been able to be shy about accepting help. When you had nothing, you had to accept other people giving you something.
Now she had a cabin that had once been Laurel’s. She had two part-time jobs—waitressing some nights at Grady’s saloon, Rightful Claim, and cashiering at Jen’s general store during the day. And her arms were full of college applications.
She stepped into the cabin, grinning to herself.
Over the past few weeks, Sarah had helped her with the paperwork and proving she’d done the homeschooling work of a high school diploma with James. She knew she’d still run into some technical problems applying for school, but this was what she wanted to do.
Cam was recuperating, though she was still a little afraid she’d hug him too hard and he’d keel over. It was difficult to watch a strong man struggle with having some physical limitations, but there was such a wonderful feeling in helping him sometimes. In that process of helping him, she’d received the best gift of all from Cam.
She knew what she wanted to do with her life. The college applications were to local nursing programs. If that didn’t work out, Hilly would find something else similar, something in the medical field to help people. One way or another.
Satisfied, she placed the applications on the kitchen table. She’d spent the first week after everything had gone down in Sarah’s house in Cheyenne, but she hadn’t liked it. Too many buildings, too many people.
Zach had laughed at her when she’d told him that, because in the grand scheme of things, Cheyenne was on the small side. Still, Hilly had wanted to go back to Bent. It truly was small and she could go out to her mountains that felt like home whenever she wanted.
She knew it hurt Sarah some, but Hilly had promised herself to spend this first year of freedom doing what felt right, what she wanted. At the end of the year, she’d reevaluate.
She visited James in jail weekly, and she was prepared to testify on his behalf when his case went to court. Zach hadn’t been pleased, but he’d listened to her. Sarah had supported her wholeheartedly, though Hilly knew some of that stemmed from being desperate to forge a positive relationship with the daughter she’d thought she’d lost.
Hilly had gone with Zach once to visit Ethan in the care center he’d been assigned to. It had been difficult for all of them, but he did seem to be making some progress.
It was a weird thing, this life in the outside world. Thrilling and challenging. Wonderful and painful. In the end, she was so, so glad to be exactly here. Living both sides of it.
A knock sounded on the door, then it opened. Cam stepped in.
Hilly fixed him with a stern look. “You better have the doctor’s permission to be walking around without your cane, mister.”
He grinned at her, and her stomach flopped pleasantly. Oh, she loved this man—a little more every day.
“Just came from my checkup. Cleared to walk without a cane. Assured I shouldn’t have to have any more surgeries.”
She crossed to him and gave him a gentle hug. “That’s great news.”
He nodded toward the table full of applications. “What’s all this?”
She’d kept the college plans a secret from everyone except Sarah. It had been strangely nice to have a secret with her mother. She was getting closer and closer to thinking of Sarah as her mother.
“I’m going to try to go to nursing school,” she said, pressing a hand to her stomach. Planning her life in the outside world still caught her sideways sometimes. Scary and thrilling and with a whirlwind of choices that left her breathless. Even though she was sure, it was still a whole thing.
“Hil. That’s great. That’s perfect.” He squeezed her tight. “You’ll be a fantastic nurse.”
She squeezed him back. Her Cam. Always ready to hold her hand and be her anchor. To support her and encourage her.
They’d had their first date, and a few more since he’d been out of the hospital. Tonight she’d be by his side at Laurel and Grady’s wedding. It was wonderful. The them they were building.
Of course, there was more she wanted, but she’d held off because of his injuries. He’d hate if he knew that was why, so she hadn’t told him.
But he was walking without his cane, and his color was back. She knew he was still in pain sometimes, but he was healing. They were both healing.
“I know we were supposed to go out to lunch before we got ready for the wedding, but—”
“You want to work on your applications. That’s fine. I can—”
“No. That isn’t what I want to do,” she said, taking his hand. She led him to the bedroom.
He was grinning when she turned to him inside the room. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her close.
“I love you, Hilly,” he said seriously. So serious. So sure. So good. And so very hers.
“I love you, too.” Without a doubt. She might still be ignorant about a lot of things in the outside world, but the one thing she’d been given her whole life, even from a complicated man who’d done some bad things, was love. And now she’d been opened up to so much more.
So, she’d believe in it. Always.
* * * * *