Page 25 of Caleb

Taylor turned to her, her gratitude too enormous to express. “Thank you, Mom. For everything.”

Grace smiled, her eyes glistening. “Of course, sweetheart. You know I’d do anything for you and Liam.”

Taylor settled into the chair beside Liam’s bed, holding his hand as he chattered about the nurses, the stickers he’d earned, and the “weird machine” they put on his finger. He seemed so small in the oversized bed, his voice a little too quiet for her liking, but his spirits were high, and that was all that mattered.

After a while, Liam drifted off to sleep, his breathing steady and even. Taylor stayed by his side, her hand still holding his. Grace pulled up a chair beside her, sitting in companionable silence for a moment before speaking.

“You look exhausted,” Grace said gently, her gaze searching Taylor’s face.

Taylor let out a shaky laugh. “I’m fine.”

Grace raised an eyebrow, the same look that had always been able to unravel Taylor’s defenses.

“I didn’t sleep much,” Taylor admitted, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

“Or at all,” Grace guessed, her voice careful. “Something tells me there’s more to this than Liam being sick.”

Taylor’s stomach twisted, and she avoided her mother’s gaze. “I came as soon as I heard, Mom. That’s all that matters.”

Grace tilted her head, studying her. “Taylor, you’ve been carrying something since you walked through that door. And I think I know what it is.”

Taylor’s fingers curled against the armrest of her chair.

“It’s Caleb, isn’t it?” Grace asked softly.

The name was enough to make her heart stutter. Taylor exhaled slowly, trying to gather her thoughts. “It’s nothing, Mom. It’s over. Whatever... whatever happened between us, it doesn’t matter anymore. We’re done.”

It felt like poetic justice—leaving him the same way he’d left her in college, slipping away without a word. But there was no satisfaction in it. Instead of triumph, an awful, hollow emptiness had settled in her bones, gnawing at her with every passing mile. What was done was done, and there was no way to take it back.

Grace’s expression didn’t waver, her calm persistence chipping away at Taylor’s defenses.

“It’s true,” Taylor continued, her voice firmer this time. “We’re not... there’s nothing between us. I told myself it wouldn’t go past one night, and it won’t.”

Grace didn’t say anything right away, letting Taylor’s words settle between them. When she finally spoke, her tone was quiet and careful. “And yet, you’re sitting here, looking like it’s breaking your heart.”

Taylor’s throat tightened, the emotions she’d been trying to suppress bubbling to the surface. “I was stupid,” she said, her voice cracking. “I let myself get caught up in the moment, and now I feel... I don’t know. Sad. Angry. Confused. All of it.”

Grace reached over, placing a steadying hand on her daughter’s arm. “Taylor, it’s okay to feel all of that. You’ve been through so much with him. Of course, there’s going to be a part of you that still... cares.”

Taylor shook her head, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. “It doesn’t matter, Mom. It can’t. He’s the same Caleb he’s always been. He doesn’t stay. He doesn’t let anyone in. And I can’t put myself through that again. Not for me, and not for Liam.”

Grace’s grip on her arm tightened just slightly, her voice steady. “But do you think he’s the same Caleb? From the way you’re talking, it doesn’t sound like he is.”

Taylor bit her lip, staring at the sleeping form of her son. “I don’t know. Maybe he’s changed. Or maybe I just want to believe he has. But either way, it doesn’t matter. Last night was... it was a mistake. And it’s done.”

Grace nodded slowly, her gaze softening. “Okay, sweetheart. If that’s what you believe, then I’ll trust you. But don’t shut yourself off entirely, Taylor. You’ve worked so hard to protect yourself and Liam, and I’m so proud of you. But love... real love... doesn’t always follow the rules we set for it.”

Taylor’s mind rebelled at her mother’s words, but she couldn’t bring herself to respond. Instead, she focused on the steady rise and fall of Liam’s chest, the rhythmic sound of his breathing grounding her.

For now, this was where she needed to be. This was what was important.

CHAPTER12

The night on the ranch was dark and still, the vast expanse of land outside Caleb’s window bathed in moonlight. Inside his home, Caleb lay sprawled on his bed, staring at the ceiling as the silence pressed on him.

The clock on the nightstand blinked red numbers at him: 2:12 a.m.

He hadn’t been able to sleep since getting back from the convention. Not really. Whenever he closed his eyes, images of Taylor filled the darkness—her laughter, how her lips had felt against his, the soft curve of her smile when she let her guard down.

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