Page 35 of Zane

All she knew was that she had no answers and no direction, and she desperately wanted both.

Along the path, she stumbled upon a structured garden area, which, thankfully, offered some places to rest. As she sat on a cement bench, Kelsey rotated her ankles, realizing that perhaps she hadn’t taken into account the possibility of sore feet when she’d set out. Also, she was thirsty and hadn’t thought to bring a water bottle.

She’d have to keep an eye out for a water fountain on the way back. Or stop somewhere to buy some water. And maybe a chocolate bar. She was hungry now, too.

Still, she didn’t rush away from the garden and the small bit of peace she’d found.

All too soon, she’d be on her way back to the house and the difficult situation there. But hopefully, her time away from the house would give her the strength and clarity to keep going.

CHAPTER NINE

Zane watched his nieces and nephews as they clustered together, the older ones playing with the younger. They, more than anything else, showed the lapse of time he’d forgotten. Seeing Layla and Peyton as teenagers had been shocking. And then there were the babies who hadn’t existed four years ago.

Along with Gareth and Aria’s daughter, Janessa and Will’s son, Liam, and Charli and Blake’s son, Micah, were also two that he didn’t remember. The three were already toddlers. All kids had grown up so much in the black hole years, as he was beginning to think of them.

Beyond his marriage to Kelsey, Zane had changed during those years, too.

In that time, he’d learned enough and gained enough experience that he’d been able to land the job in a top restaurant in Tampa.

He’d also abandoned his faith somewhere along the line.

And he’d apparently done something that had upset Sarah enough that she’d broken up with him. He wished he knew what that was.

It didn’t make him feel very good that not all of the changes in his life had been for the better.

A light touch on his shoulder drew his attention from the kids. Glancing up, he saw Rori standing beside him, a concerned look on her face.

“Have you seen Kelsey?”

It took a moment for him to switch gears. Kelsey was not uppermost in his mind when he wasn’t focused on her. He was still having a hard time believing she was his wife.

“No. I haven’t.” He glanced around. “The last time I saw her, she was carrying stuff out of the house.”

Rori nodded, but the concerned look didn’t ease from her face. “I can’t find her.”

“She’s not in the house?” he asked. “Or in her room?”

“No. I checked.” Her frown deepened. “She’s not here.”

Zane didn’t know Kelsey well enough to have any idea of where she might have gone. “Is her car here?”

“I didn’t check that.” Turning, she went to where Lee was talking with Blake and stood at his side, waiting for his attention.

Almost immediately, Lee slipped his arm around her and bent his head down. He listened for a moment, then the two of them made their way across the deck into the house.

Zane wondered if he should follow them to see if there was more he could do. He knew that as Kelsey’s husband, he should be concerned. His lack of feelings for Kelsey was a constant struggle. Knowing he had a wife, but not remembering her or their love, left him confused, so he tried not to dwell on it too much.

Grabbing his crutches, he pushed to his feet, then tucked them under his arms and made his way to the back door.

“Where are you going, sweetheart?” his mom asked as he passed where she sat on a lawn chair.

“Just need to talk to Lee and Rori.” He decided not to mention Kelsey to his mom. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

Inside the kitchen, he found the pair in conversation. They turned to face him as he joined them. “So what’s up?”

“Her car’s here,” Rori said.

“So maybe she went for a walk.”

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