Page 11 of The Promise Of Rain

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Home held no expectations, judgements, or regrets.

A sharp rap on my door shattered my peace.

I jolted forward, blinking hard and hoping against hope whoever it was would go away.

The second knock brought me to my feet.

I lightly ran across the floor on my tiptoes and peered through the peephole.

Deacon stood on the other side.

My breath came fast and broken.

You can’t be here, Deacon.

Not here.

Not in my safe place.

“I know you’re here, Jenny.Your footprints are all over the stairs.I just wanted to bring you your dinner.I’ll leave it here on the step and go.”

He lifted his palm.

A soft thud sounded against the door.

My breath caught as I splayed my fingers against the other side.

Tears rushed in while a low keening grief billowed in my chest.

I locked it down and blinked away my tears.

But I couldn’t blink away the face that somehow seemed more familiar than it had less than half an hour ago.

As if he could see me, he raised his gaze to the peephole.“I’ll check in with you when I come back in a few months.Take care of yourself, baby.”

Baby?

My lungs began to burn.

I expelled the breath I’d been holding in one loud whoosh as he turned.I lost sight of him as he jogged down the stairs, but my hand refused to move.

A blessedly numbing calm settled over me.

My hand slid down the door.

And my patience ran out.

Baxter and Maggie may not yet be ready to hear the truth, but I was ready to let go of the past.

And maybe, just maybe, move on from Moose Lake.

2

No Longer Enough

Jenny

My moment came a few short weeks later when Baxter responded to my ultimatum by meeting me down at the docks.

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