Covering her face with a pillow, Lucy shielded her eyes from the offending sunlight. Her temples throbbed, but not from a migraine this time. She’d sobbed uncontrollably all night, unable to wrap her head around what had happened.
Sick with grief that she’d caused Vick so much pain—unintentional or not—she longed to go back in time and do things differently. But her only option was to move forward.
And for once, her unwavering optimism faltered. Would Vick ever forgive her?
Her fingertips floated to her lips, tracing the outline of their kiss.
She’d never been kissed like that before—fiercely passionate and tender all at once. So life-giving yet destructive, especially the moment he walked away.
Tears pricked her eyes, and an oppressive hollowness settled in her chest. The new normal. How could life without Vick ever be joyful again?
Peeling back the covers, she inched out of bed in slow, unmotivated movements to get ready for the day.
The day…
A pitiful groan escaped her lips when she realized the significance of the date.
The Library Benefit Banquet was being held at the inn that evening.
And they were supposed to go together.
Her gaze fluttered to the costume hanging on the exterior of the antique wardrobe. She gingerly caressed the pale-blue fabric of the dress, another sob catching in her throat.
How could she go by herself? She couldn’t bear the thought, let alone actually go through with it.
But she couldn’t let Jack and Kat down, either. This event was the most important one out of all the fall festivities they’d filmed so far. She needed to make a video for her channel, even if she had to do it on her own.
Her chest squeezed again, leaving her breathless. Maybe she should tell Jack what happened? He must’ve noticed whatever was going on between her and Vick.
A thought pushed its way to the forefront of her mind.
She did need to talk to Jack.
About her migraines.
Vick’s pointed accusations had plagued her all night.
When you love someone, you invite them into the good and the bad. You don’t shut them out.
Would her family be hurt that she hadn’t told them? And what about her friends? What about Sadie? They’d been through so much together.
Vick reminded her that she had something special—a supportive and loving community.
In hindsight, she regretted shutting them out.
Maybe it was time to rectify her mistake.
She found her brother exactly where she expected—sipping coffee in one of the Adirondack chairs by the lake, Fitz by his side, watching the sun shimmer across the surface of the water, slowly waking the snow-capped mountains in the distance.
Her brother often came out to this spot first thing in the morning, and she had a standing invitation to join him, but she rarely woke up before seven.
She drew closer, leaves crunching beneath her boots.
Jack glanced over his shoulder, a startled glint in his eyes. When he spotted her, his features relaxed. “You’re up early.”
“Mind if I join you?” Without waiting for an answer, she sat in the chair beside him, and he handed her his Coleman thermos.
She unscrewed the cap, using it as a cup, and poured herself some rich, aromatic coffee. “Incredible view.”
Mist lifted off the water, wafting into the clear blue sky. Everything sparkled after the rain, basking in the luminous glow of a fresh start.
But her brother wasn’t looking at the view. He stared at something small and circular in his hand.
Lucy gasped. “Is that—”
Jack held it up for her to see. The stunning pearl-and-emerald ring glistened in the light.
“May I?” Mesmerized, she held out her hand and Jack placed it in her palm.
Up close, she noticed the delicate engravings in the yellow gold that resembled slender leaves. Her throat tightened. While it looked vintage, she suspected her brother had it custom made. The intricate, elegant design bore an uncanny resemblance to mistletoe. Knowing the significance, she could barely contain her emotion.
“Do you think she’ll like it?” Jack’s voice carried an uncommon tremor of hesitation.
“She’s going to love it.” Lucy blinked back tears, wrestling with both unbelievable joy and hidden sorrow. She couldn’t be happier for her brother, but the contrast to her own shattered love life was difficult to ignore.
“You know,” he said softly as she handed back the ring, “there was a time I didn’t think this would ever happen for me. Or if I even wanted it to.”
Lucy recalled how heartbroken Jack had been when his high school girlfriend left him after graduation, knowing full well he’d been preparing to start a life together.
“After everything you’ve been through, what made you want to give it another try?”
“It’s hard to explain, but meeting Kat made me realize what I’d experienced the first time around was infatuation. I’d built up a picture in my mind that wasn’t real. But when you find the right person, it’s like looking into a mirror. They show you the best and worst parts of yourself, which helps you grow beyond what you could achieve on your own. We’re partners, in the truest sense of the word. In business and in life.” He gave a wry grin. “And it doesn’t hurt that she’s easy on the eyes, makes me laugh, and can cook a mean stack of flapjacks.”
Lucy smiled through her tears, her heart near bursting. “I couldn’t be more excited for you two. When are you proposing?”
“I’m still working on it. But you’ll be the first to know.” He slipped the ring into the wooden box and closed the lid. “But that’s not what you came out here to talk to me about. What’s on your mind?”
Lucy squirmed, not wanting to follow up his good news with her health problems. “Oh, it’s nothing that can’t wait. I’ll tell you later.”
“We’re here now. Spill it.”
“I don’t want to ruin the mood.”
“Okay, now you have to tell me.” He set down his coffee mug and shifted in the chair to face her.
Clearly, he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
Lucy gathered a breath, grappling for the right words. “I saw Dr. Dunlap a few weeks ago.”
“Oh, yeah? What for?”
She could tell he was moderating his reaction, not wanting to jump to conclusions.
“I’ve been having migraines off and on for a while now. I thought he could help me figure out why they’re happening.”
“And did he?” Tension crept into his voice.
For his sake, she kept her tone even and calm, though her pulse raced out of control. She curled her fingers in her lap to stop the trembling. “Unfortunately, no. He wants me to make an appointment with a specialist.”
“When?”
“As soon as possible.”
He frowned, doing the mental math. “Wait. You said you saw Dr. Dunlap a few weeks ago?”
She nodded, knowing where his question was headed.
“And you haven’t made the appointment yet?” His expression was stern with a large dose of loving concern.
“I will. I promise.”
“Today?”
“If you’re going to twist my arm about it.” She attempted a lighthearted inflection, hoping to add some levity.
“Whatever it takes. If I have to, I’ll sic Kat and her Krav Maga moves on you,” he teased, then quickly grew serious. “Let me know when it is because I’m coming with you.”
A small smile cracked her somber exterior. That was so like Jack. The consummate big brother, always looking out for her. “It’s in LA. I’ll be gone the whole day.”
“I don’t care about that. I want to be there.”
“Fine, but only because I don’t want Kat to put me in a choke hold.”
They shared a laugh, and once again Lucy wished she’d asked for this kind of support a long time ago.
If only she could find a way to fix things with Vick, she’d tell him he’d been right. And thank him for helping her see what she truly needed.
“Have you told Mom and Dad?” Jack’s question interrupted her thoughts, presenting a new problem.
While she wanted to be forthcoming, her mother could be… a lot. And she wasn’t sure how she’d react to the news.
“Not yet, but I will,” she promised, adding, “Honestly, Jack. I know it could be something serious, but it’s probably nothing. It might be something as simple as a gluten intolerance.” She wasn’t sure who she needed to convince more, her brother or herself.
“Well, let’s pray you’re allergic to wheatgrass and bean sprouts instead.”
“Good idea.” She grinned, feeling a thousand times better.
As they continued to talk, Lucy realized she didn’t have to decide between facing reality and choosing optimism.
She could still cling to hope.
When it came to her health.
And with Vick.
Vick shoved the wad of T-shirts into an oversize duffel bag, wrestling with an ever-persistent voice of doubt. It began as a whisper, barely audible in the back of his mind, second-guessing his decision to skip town. But the more stuff he packed, the louder the voice grew, determined to talk him out of it.
That’s when he started rationalizing.
Leaving during the Library Benefit Banquet had been the arrangement all along. It made the most sense, like ripping off a Band-Aid with your eyes closed.
There was only one reason he’d put the plan on pause.
Lucy.
Hard as he tried, he couldn’t stop thinking about her, replaying every agonizing second from last night.
He hadn’t just been a hypocrite. He’d been a coward.
The thought of losing Lucy to her illness terrified him more than anything he’d faced before. And yet, he’d walked away when she needed him most.
The realization made his throat and chest burn like he’d downed a shot of acid.
He glanced at the dresser. His costume for the evening lay folded on top.
Part of him wanted to pull it on and go to Lucy right now, to plead for her forgiveness. In the harsh light of a new day, he knew he’d reacted too strongly. He’d been focused on himself when he should’ve tried to see the situation from her perspective.
Whether she admitted it or not, his gut told him that she was scared. And keeping her health concerns a secret had been her coping mechanism.
Instead of lashing out because of his own internal issues, he should’ve been there for her.
Even faced with this knowledge, he wasn’t sure he could be the man she deserved—the man she needed. The one time he’d witnessed her migraine, he almost had a full-blown panic attack. He barely got through it. What if it happened again and he couldn’t keep his own symptoms in check?
Or was that simply an excuse because he didn’t know if he’d survive losing someone else he loved?
He honestly wasn’t sure.
Emotionally defeated, he reached for the next item to toss in the bag.
Frank’s book.
He held the heavy hardback in his hand, feeling the weight of it against his palm.
Frank’s doctor wanted to keep him in the hospital one more day for observation, which presented Vick with a complicated choice.
With one last glance at the glossy cover, he stuffed it inside the duffel, his decision made.