Page 4 of The Life We Left Behind

“But everyone likes chocolate,” she answered smugly.

I wanted to grumble about not getting any chocolate, but Cade’s soft voice cut through the grumpiness with a question. “What happens now?”

“We need to go to Grandpa’s farm and close it up. Arrange the funeral so we can say goodbye.” Cade nodded slowly. “You’re probably going to need to take the end of this term off school, but the school can send you some work to do, okay?”

“What about baseball?”

“I can talk to your coach. I’m sure they’ll understand, honey.”

“No, I mean the game tomorrow. The team is counting on me to be there.” He looked up at me with his sad brown eyes, and I felt a surge of pride at how amazing this kid was. “But you need me too,” he added sadly.

“I’m always going to need you, kid,” I told him, hugging him harder. “But if you want to stay for the game tomorrow, we can wait and go out to the farm in a few days. I can probably do a lot over the phone.”

I had no idea if that was true, but I couldn’t be the first relative who couldn’t drop everything and be there in person, surely. Yes, there were a lot of people I needed to speak to, but maybe I could call and have them start things off and meet with them in a few days. That still left the issue of the livestock,though. I had no idea what arrangements my father had made or who to call to ask.

“How about you go ahead to Willowbrook, and I stay with Cade for his game? We can follow you up after. It will give you time to get some of the boring stuff done without having us around to bug you,” Blake offered.

Everything inside me wanted to say no. My son was hurting right now, and I didn’t want to leave him. Even if it was with Blake, who was so much more than the honorary aunt she’d become to Cade. I was his mother, and I wasn’t about to put anything before him. There was nothing in the world more important to me.

“It’s fine. It won’t make any difference if we go tomorrow or a few days later.”

“This could give you time to do what you need to do before he gets there.” I realized what Blake was trying to say. This was my way to get a feel for Willowbrook and make Cade’s time there as short as possible. It was probably the only chance I’d have at insulating him from the small-town gossip. From everything I’d run from.

“It’s okay, Mom. Auntie Blake can video the game for you, and you can call me whenever you want if you get lonely.” Had I mentioned that this kid had a heart of gold?

“I’m more worried about you than me.” I ruffled his hair playfully, and he looked up at me with a sad smile framed by a chocolate mustache. I swear he did this stuff on purpose because he knew I couldn’t say no.

Blake was giving him starry eyes and leaned in, capturing us both in a hug with a hum of contentment. “You two are hash-tag goals for an old spinster like me.”

A laugh unexpectedly barked out of me. Laughter wasn’t something I expected to have a place in a conversation like this, and yet here we were. My dad would have liked that. He wouldhave enjoyed knowing that no matter how sad I was, I always had someone in my corner who knew how to make it better.

“You are getting pretty old.” Cade’s cheeky smile always meant he could get away with murder in Blake’s eyes, but calling her old might cut it a bit too close, even for him.

Blake spluttered in fake outrage and then dived on top of us both, going straight in to tickle Cade’s ribs. He became a whirlwind of squeals and bony elbows, and even though I felt the breeze of one passing dangerously close to the tip of my nose, I couldn’t help but laugh along with them. Thank God he’d devoured his drink because I’d definitely have been wearing it right about now.

There’d be moments when we fell back into our grief and sadness, but for now, I’d embrace every happy moment we could squeeze out of life. Because come tomorrow, I was heading back to Willowbrook, alone. And I’d have to face down the one man I never wanted to see again…Trace Farrington.

My teenage boyfriend.

The love of my life.

Cade’s father.

And the only man who broke my heart so thoroughly, I’d never let a single soul near it ever again.

CHAPTER TWO

DELANEY

Ten years ago

The pregnancy test was burning a hole through my jacket pocket. Sitting there like a filthy accusation I didn’t have the guts to try to understand.

This was bad. This was really, really bad.

I couldn’t be sixteen and pregnant. I wasn’t that stupid. I did well in school. I helped my dad around the farm. I was a good girl. I did all the right things.

Until I didn’t.

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