Page 134 of To Belong Together
God was in control, his only comfort.
Well, that and the fact that the only technician to touch the car recently was Erin. She’d driven it, not repaired it, but even if she had replaced the brakes, he would drive the sports car with confidence.
The inconsistency glared at him so brightly, he winced. He’d trust Erin with a repair that would put his safety in her hands, but not with some money? He really had allowed his past experiences to skew his priorities.
The line on his GPS made a right in a quarter mile. A sign featuring a picnic table appeared, and he slowed, coasting as he peered through the watery windshield. The arrow pointed him into the woods on a narrow road crowded by trees.
He’d camped in similar forests as a kid. He’d always felt safe with Hank, but how did Erin feel, sitting out here alone at the site of her father’s final days? And how would she react to seeing John?
At worst, she could order him to leave, but would he do that? Leave her upset and in a dark, secluded area where she might not be safe? He prayed it wouldn’t come to that.
Between swipes of the wipers, he caught sight of the road broadening. Another pass of the wipers later, and he spotted her car. He parked beside it, but the vehicle was dark, and no one appeared to be sitting inside. Neither did he see anyone at the tables immediately in front of the car.
Leaving the headlights on to aid in his search, he pushed open his door. Rain splattered his hand. And the cast.
Some help he was, fighting panic all the way out and now derailed by doctor’s orders to keep the cast dry. He glanced in the backseat, but he kept his car clutter-free. No plastic bags. The cast was going to get wet. He’d deal with the fallout later.
A cold blanket of water spilled into his hair and over his shoulders as he stepped into the rain. His eyes adjusted, and a couple more tables positioned farther out among the trees came into focus. He headed that direction, his jeans heavy and wet, his shirt waterlogged, a trickle running down the inside of the cast to skin he hadn’t been able to itch in weeks.
The rain crackled through needles and against dead leaves and the last patches of melting snow. The scents of forest and water cleaned away the stress of the drive.
Now, if only he could find Erin.
He passed the last picnic table, and then a shadow took form on the far side of a tree. She was sitting on a park bench angled toward the sound of rushing water. A creek must run nearby, impossible to pick out in the dark.
The precipitation had slicked Erin’s hair out of its usual waves. She wore a jacket and jeans and sat cross-legged, hands resting in her lap, head tilted back, eyes closed.
He’d come thinking he’d find her upset, but she looked peaceful.
Such a contrast to his guilt and longing.
Her face angled his direction, and shadows by her eyes shifted, seeming to indicate she’d opened them. “John. What are you doing here?”
“I’ve been looking for you.”
She laughed once. “You found me.”
Right. He just hadn’t expected these circumstances. What should he say? Something about getting out of the rain, or about this place and its meaning.
Something about how he’d overreacted and money not mattering—at least, it didn’t matter the way he’d thought.
Erin was more valuable. So valuable, he was grateful for the ways he’d been able to help her. He’d have paid ten times as much to find her dad or save her childhood home. Even if she’d wanted something less noble, didn’t he want to cover that for her too? Didn’t he want to make her dreams come true?
Absolutely.
Because Gannon was right.
John loved her.
But they hadn’t known each other very long. Should love even be on the table? She’d laughed when he’d asked her to coffee. His invitation had been premature, and here he was again, longing to jump the gun when his own behavior had proved how poor he was at loving her well.
Love would’ve asked more questions in a quest to understand.
Love wouldn’t have looked at the actions and guessed the motivations.
He had to right this. If only there were some way other than words.
What wasErin supposed to make of John’s sudden appearance?
