Page 115 of Hidden Depths

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s time for a change.”

“I think a change is a good idea.”

Chapter28

Sara positionedher foot on the bottom rail of the wooden fence and rested her arms on the top. She wiggled her fingers inside her mittens. Before moving to Colorado, she’d had no idea the sun could be so devoid of warmth that it burned you with cold. Even in the early spring, this was a far cry from the tropics.

She didn’t hate it here, but it hadn’t taken long before the bitter, biting cold wormed its way into her bones, and the only way she could thaw was to spend hours next to the fireplace. Not that lounging in front of a crackling fire was so bad.

A frosty sigh escaped her lips. The only problem was that, when she snuggled in the warmth, she struggled to push Tom from her thoughts. Every time anything remotely interesting happened, she wanted to tell him about it, and she wanted to hear about his day. He could tell her about his struggles and how he was getting along with his boss. She wanted to know the things he did besides saving her life. If he hadn’t been the best part of her last season, it may have been easier to let him go.

She squeezed her eyes shut to try to dislodge the disappointment that was constantly nagging at her heart. It was the one thing she couldn’t let go of from her past, and she knew it kept her from moving forward.

“God, you have good things in store for my life. I know you do. I want to love someone one day. I want a family.” It just wouldn’t be with Tom. It could be years before she was free to go wherever she wanted, or maybe even never. Tom would move on. She had to move on.

After drawing in a deep breath, she held it, making a commitment to herself. She had God to hang on to, and He would give her what was right. If He had wanted her and Tom to be together, they would have been. Nothing could have stopped it, so she had to trust that something better was in store for her life.

She let the breath out slowly as she pictured herself laying it all at the foot of God’s throne, and a peace followed.

“Hey,” came a rough voice from behind, startling her. “I thought I’d find you out here.”

She turned and smiled at the silver-haired man wearing a cowboy hat. The tip of his nose was pink.

“Hey, Kev. Looks like you’ve been out riding.”

“Just got in. I was all ready to warm myself by the fire, but I’ve been sent out here on an important mission.”

“Sounds serious.”

“It is. Evie made pie. She wants you to come eat some.”

“That wife of yours loves nothing more than being told what an amazing cook she is.”

“And you don’t mind telling her.”

“Probably why she keeps feeding me like she does.”

“She keeps feeding you because you look like you need feeding. It’s not good being skinny in a place like this. You need the fat for insulation,” he said, patting his stomach, which didn’t have an ounce of fat on it.

“You say that like you have any experience.”

“I can’t help my metabolism.”

“And I can’t help mine. But I’ll eat pie for as long as it’s offered to me.”

“I think she’s hoping that, if she fills you full enough, your head will spin and you’ll let slip where you came from.”

“I don’t know why you two don’t believe me that there’s no story there. California is not as interesting a place as she must think. I have no Hollywood connections to speak of. Living here is the most interesting thing I’ve ever done. Trust me.”

“Maybe, but you’ve got eyes that hold secrets. I can tell.”

Sara squinted. “How about now?”

He laughed. “Now you look deranged.”

“The truth is, I had a lot of fear living inside of me, but I broke free. Coming here is the fresh start I needed. I’m here because I want to leave my past behind, not rehash it.”

“You make a convincing argument. Come inside, and we’ll make a toast to leaving the past behind.”

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