Page 87 of Heartbreak Hill

“After the dance,” he said. “I don’t want to ruin the night for them.”

Reid lay back down next to him.

“What if she tells me I can’t see the girls?” he asked quietly.

She turned and faced him, seeing the pain in his eyes. “Then you listen to what she tells you, and you respect her decision.”

“That would break my heart,” he told Reid.

“And you could break theirs.”

THIRTY-ONE

NADIA

When Nadia came in from watering the front lawn, she caught Lynnea on her phone. The girl’s eyes went wide with horror as she dropped the phone and ran for her room. Nadia picked it up, saw Grayson’s name on the screen, and froze. She glanced toward the upstairs and, in a panic, ended the call.

Maybe he didn’t answer.Either way, her youngest was going to pay for sneaking her phone. Not only that, but for calling Grayson.

After his surprise visit, which had really caught her off guard and elated her at the same time, the girls confided to her that they really liked Grayson and said he reminded them of their father. Nadia cried for days at the revelation. While she’d been excited to see him after all these years, she never wanted the girls to replace their father. Just as she had no intention of ever bringing someone home or remarrying. But having Grayson there, even for a day, had brought so much joy to Gemma and Lynnea. When he left, he promised to come back very soon and made sure Nadia had his number programmed in her phone. He told the girls they could call him whenever their mom would allow. It seemed Lynnea had taken that invitation to heart and forgot she needed permission.

Nadia climbed the stairs and knocked on Lynnea’s door. She heard rustling, but no answer. “Lynnea, may I come in?”

“Lynnea doesn’t live here,” a mousy little voice said.

“Oh no, she doesn’t? She didn’t say goodbye. I’m going to miss her so much. Do you know where she went?”

“No.” This time the voice had changed to a deeper squeak.

“Oh well, now I’m sad. If you see Lynnea, can you tell her that her mommy loves her so very much?”

There was some movement in the room. The knob twisted, the door swung open, and Lynnea launched herself into her mother’s arms. “Oh, you’re here,” Nadia said as she hugged her. “I thought I’d lost you forever.”

“I was just foolin’, Mommy.”

“That makes me so happy.” She carried Lynnea into her room, shut the door, and sat them both down on her bed. Nadia held her youngest on her lap and stroked her hair. “Now, do you want to tell me why you called Grayson without asking me?”

Lynnea shook her head and then buried her face into her mother’s shoulder. Nadia continued to hold her, missing the moments when she was smaller and she could carry her everywhere. She’d give anything to go back in time, to experience some of her favorite memories. To see her husband again. To feel his arms around her.

Nadia still hadn’t cleaned out his side of the closet or emptied his dresser. She didn’t know when she’d be ready to remove him completely from her life. When Kiran had come over, pretending to be in the area but really to check on her, she’d asked him if he wanted anything of Rafe’s. He’d declined but asked for the right to change his mind later, and she’d agreed. It all made sense to her. Each morning, she woke up and stared at the empty side of the bed, praying it was all a dream. She knew it wasn’t, but she had hope.

“Did Grayson answer when you called?”

She nodded, and Nadia’s anxiety skyrocketed. She’d hung up on him and would have to apologize not only for that, but also for whatever Lynnea had said to him.

“What did you and Grayson talk about?” Nadia tried a different tactic.

“The dance.”

Her heart hit the floor with a thud. Last year, she’d ignored the father-daughter dance. The event had happened so close to Rafe’s passing that there was no way she could’ve had the energy to get Gemma ready or even suggest she attend. Her grandfather easily would’ve taken her, or any of her uncles, but Nadia hadn’t been in any frame of mind to get the ball rolling. So, Gemma had missed it, which had added more heartache and devastation to an already brokenhearted girl.

“At your school?”

Lynnea nodded. She was old enough to go this year, but Nadia hadn’t given it much thought. Reuben had said he would take Gemma, and that was that. She’d never stopped to think that Lynnea would want to go. She supposed that, had Rafe been there, he would’ve taken both girls. She’d assumed Reuben would do the same.

“I’m sure Uncle Reuben is taking you. We just haven’t talked about it.”

“I don’t want to go wif him and Gemma.”

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