Shane nodded in understanding. “You’re right—go take care of your woman. And make sure she knows that there’s no hard feelings on Tiff’s part. She didn’t mean what she said back there. This whole mess has been tough on her too, Jackie.”
“I know. I’ll talk to her tomorrow before we leave, try to make things right,” he said gruffly.
“I know she’d appreciate that.”
The two men rose from their chairs, eyeing each other for a moment, and then Shane stepped forward and hugged him.
Jackson’s heart ached uncontrollably as he returned the embrace. It was the first physical contact he and Shane had made since the incident in the barn eight years ago, and when they finally broke apart, they both had tears in their eyes.
“I love you, Jackie. I need you to know that.”
“I love you too, big brother.”
The emotion tightening his chest didn’t let up, not even when he slid back into the pickup and made the short drive back to the main house. He was suddenly itching to see Mia, to throw his arms around her and thank her profusely for persuading him to come home. Because of her, he’d finally mended the rift with his brother and found the solace he’d been seeking all these years.
He parked the truck and jumped out eagerly, but when he glimpsed his parents sitting in a pair of wicker chairs on the porch, his happiness dissolved like a cloud of smoke. It was past eleven, way past their bedtime. His folks woke up at the crack of dawn every day—they didn’t normally shoot the shit on the porch this close to midnight.
The identical grave expressions on their faces brought a frown to his lips. “What’s goin’ on?” he demanded.
Kurt and Arlene exchanged a look.
The frown deepened. “Tell me.”
Jackson’s father cleared his throat, distinctly uncomfortable. “Your woman’s gone.”
His pulse sped up. “What?”
“Mia’s gone,” Arlene said softly. “She left.”
Shock and confusion spiraled through him. “What do you mean, she left? Why didn’t you stop her?”
“We were asleep,” his mom admitted.
“Woke up when we heard the taxi pull into the drive,” Kurt said gruffly. “By the time we got outside, she was gone.”
“We tried callin’ you, sweetie, but your phone went to voicemail.”
As his heart thundered in his chest, Jackson dug his phone out of his pocket and frantically searched the screen. He’d put it on silent before heading over to his brother’s, and sure enough, he had several missed calls from the ranch number.
Along with a text message.
From Mia.
He quickly read the text, once, twice, unable to believe his eyes.
“She’s catchin’ a flight home.” He checked his watch and cursed. “Son of a bitch. The flight was at ten thirty. It’s already taken off.”
His mother’s brown eyes filled with sympathy. “Oh, sweetie.”
“It’s too late to stop her,” he mumbled. “She’s already gone.”
“Why?” his father asked, looking bewildered. “Why would she go?”
Jackson set his jaw and took a step to the door. “Shane’ll fill you in. I’ve gotta pack.”
He flew into the house without another word. As he sprinted up the stairs, he heard footsteps pounding behind him. A glance over his shoulder revealed Arlene, whose cheeks were red as she struggled to reach her son.
“You’re leaving?” she said in dismay.
“I have to.” Misery clogged his throat. “I have to go to her.”
His mom didn’t voice another objection. She simply followed him into his bedroom and stood in the doorway as he rapidly shoved items of clothing into his carryon.
“She’s the one.”
He froze.
“You know that, right?” Arlene said gently.
He slowly met his mother’s eyes, his heart squeezing painfully. “I know.”
She gave a brisk nod. “Good. Now go get her, son.”
Standing in her dark apartment, Mia stared at her brother and waited for him to explain himself.
But rather than shed light on his startling presence, Danny turned the tables on her. “What are you doing home? I thought you were coming back tomorrow!”
“I caught an earlier flight,” she sputtered. “And don’t you dare make this about me, pal! Why aren’t you in Reno with Mom?”
Very slowly, Danny lowered the baseball bat. “I didn’t feel like going,” he mumbled.
Mia narrowed her eyes. “Daniel.”
“I…” He sucked in a breath. “She…”
After a beat, the bat slid out of his hand and clattered to the floor with a sharp, metallic ding.
Worry washed over her, followed by a jolt of panic when she saw Danny’s entire face collapse.
“What happened?” she demanded.
“Mom never showed up.”
The four desperation-laced words hovered in the air.
And broke Mia’s heart.
“Oh God,” she whispered.
As nausea churned in her stomach, the six-foot-tall young man standing in front of her transformed into a lost little boy right in front of her eyes. Danny’s bottom lip trembled, his broad shoulders drooping as if he couldn’t support his own weight.
Mia didn’t waste time—she threw her arms around him and hugged him with everything she had.