Page 54 of Slow Kind of Love

Chapter Nineteen

Poppy didn’t say a word when Elise slid into her vehicle. Which was a miracle considering her state of dress, not to mention her state of mind.

They cleared Link’s driveway, and Poppy would have turned right to head back to town, but Elise shook her head and asked her to take her to Hudson Blackwell’s resort. She pulled out her cell, grateful it was still charged, though the service was iffy. With shaking fingers, she called Heather and waited.

“Hey,” Heather said, sounding as if she weren’t quite awake.

“I’m coming to you,” Elise managed to say.

“Oh.”

A pause.

“Is everything okay?”

“No,” Elise whispered. She shook her head and slammed her eyes shut, trying her hardest to keep it together, aware that her daughter-in-law was sitting inches from her. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes or so.” Elise exhaled. “I’m sorry to bother you. I know how important your overnight with Reg is, I just—”

“You don’t need to be sorry. I’ll have coffee waiting when you get here.”

“Do you have whiskey?”

“I have wine.”

“Good enough.” Elise tossed her cell back into her clutch and tucked a chunk of tangled hair behind her ears. Thank God Rose had left a pair of winter boots in Link’s front closet, or she’d be in heels, and she looked bad enough having pulled on her evening gown underneath the sweatshirt.

God, the sweatshirt still smelled like Link. She resisted the urge to bury her face in the thick folds, because after what she just did to the man she loved, how ridiculous would that be? And love him she did. If she wasn’t one hundred percent sure before, after seeing the pain she’d caused him, she sure as hell knew it now. One hundred percent didn’t even come close.

“Thank you,” she said after a few moments, turning to Poppy, who drove with the kind of determination that would make a NASCAR driver proud.

“Anytime,” Poppy replied. “Is it bad?”

“I think that’s an understatement.” Elise picked at the edge of the sweatshirt. “Link’s going to need a friend.”

Poppy didn’t reply, but her mouth was set tight, and Elise figured she wasn’t exactly happy with Elise for hurting Link. She knew how close the two were. The rest of the ride was silent, and when they reached the resort, it was easy to find Heather’s cabin. The place was deserted save for Heather’s vehicle parked in front of number six. Set back a way and nestled in a grouping of trees, it sat at the edge of the lake.

Poppy pulled up alongside it, and Elise jumped out. She paused before closing her door. “I never meant…I didn’t want to hurt him.”

Poppy’s eyes softened. “I know.”

Elise waited until Poppy backed out and disappeared down the road before she walked up to the cabin. She was about to knock when the door flew open and Heather stood in front of her, hair in a bun, dressed in a fuzzy pink bathrobe with Minnie Mouse emblazoned on the pocket. On her feet were matching slippers.

“Hey,” Heather said softly.

Elise opened her mouth to respond, but found there were no words she could say to convey how bad things were. One tear slipped from the corner of her eye, and then another…and another, until they leaked like a damn had just burst. Heather folded her into her arms, and they retreated inside the cabin, where Elise spent the next half an hour sobbing her heart out.

When she’d finally cried every single tear she had, she leaned back on the sofa exhausted, with swollen eyes and a scratchy throat and a nose that dripped even though she was all cried out.

Reg appeared from nowhere with a tissue box and set it down on the table beside Elise. “Thanks,” she said, offering a sloppy smile she didn’t feel, because how could her face form a smile when she felt so damn broken?

Reg kissed Heather and whispered something in her ear before scooping his keys from the counter and heading outside.

“He’s gone to get takeout from the Coach House. I thought we could use some greasy food.”

“I can’t eat,” Elise replied.

“You’ll eat.” Heather settled into the corner of the chair. “Eventually.” She angled her head a bit. “Are you going to tell me what happened?”

Elise exhaled and blew her nose. “I can’t be with Link,” she said after a few moments.

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