“Everything is fine,” she said.
“I promised the doctor that you would lie down as soon as I got you home,” he said.
“I know, and I will.”
A frown deepened the V between his eyes.
“It may seem like I’m fussing, but you came too close to dying because I brought danger to your door. I can’t forget that.”
“But the guilty party is in jail, right?”
He nodded.
“And they’re charging him for your dad’s murder, too?” she added.
“That’s what I was told,” he said.
She frowned. “You don’t seem happy about that.”
“I’m just not sure he’s responsible for both crimes. He admitted to tampering with our brakes, but he swears he had nothing to do with Dad’s death. I don’t want to think that the real killer was handed a get-out-of-jail free card because it was so convenient to blame someone else.”
Talia eyed the muscle jumping at his temple and could only imagine how his whole family must be feeling.
“Life can be so ugly, can’t it, Bowie?”
He hesitated to answer. He’d been raised to stay strong despite whatever was going on, but his father’s murder had shaken his faith.
“Sometimes, yes,” he said.
They rode a couple of miles farther in silence before Bowie reached for her hand and began absently rubbing her ring finger.
“Are you still my girl?” he asked.
“Always,” Talia said.
“Do you want a fancy wedding?”
She shook her head.
“My heart doesn’t feel like partying.”
“That’s how I feel, too,” Bowie said.
“I just want to be able to lie down beside you each night and wake up next to you each morning,” she said, and then her voice began to shake. “I thought I was going to lose you all over again. I thought I was going to die.”
He couldn’t bear that tremor in her voice and pulled over to the side of the road. He wanted her in his arms, but moving her in any way would only cause her more pain, so he settled for holding her hand.
“But you didn’t, and we have the rest of our lives to be together. Are you going to be sad to leave Eden?”
“No. I planned to once before, remember?”
He rubbed her ring finger again.
“I remember. Someday all this will be a story we tell our grandchildren.”
She gave him a look and frowned, as if he’d missed the most obvious point. “We have to make babies first.”
He laughed, then put the car in gear and started driving again.
When they finally reached his family home and parked, they saw Jesse sitting in his rocking chair on the porch. He jumped up and waved, then came running down the steps as Leigh came out the front door.
Bowie grinned.
“Prepare to be loved,” he said, and got out of the car.
Talia swallowed past the knot in her throat. This felt like a homecoming. Then her door opened, and Jesse was leaning in so he could see her face.
“Hi,” he said. “I helped Bowie find you! I have sharp eyes!”
“And I am so grateful to you for that,” Talia said.
Bowie gave his brother a quick pat on the back.
“Hey, Jesse. There’s a suitcase in the trunk. Would you please take it to my room?”
Jesse grinned.
“Yes. Bowie’s girl is going to get well here. I will be quiet, and I will help, won’t I, Mama?”
Leigh slipped up beside him and gave him a hug.
“Yes, you will. Get the suitcase for Bowie and take it to his room now, okay?”
Bowie leaned in to help Talia out, but as soon as she was upright, Leigh wrapped her arms around her, kissed her cheek and gave her a very gentle hug.
“Welcome home, daughter,” Leigh said softly.
Talia’s smile wobbled. “I’ve waited a long time to hear that.”
“I regret the pain you’ve suffered because of us. I think you’re due for some spoiling,” Leigh said, and then led the way back into the house.
Bowie swept Talia up in his arms and followed his mother inside.
There was a cutting of honeysuckle in a vase near the front door, and the sweet scent was another facet of homecoming for Talia. They’d had lilac bushes at the house where she’d grown up, and this felt like a bit of serendipity from the Universe to prove that she was finally back on the right path.
Leigh glanced at the clock.
“It’s a couple of hours ’til lunch. Why don’t you rest a bit, and then Bowie can come get you when it’s time to eat?”
“Yes, thank you, I believe I will,” Talia said.
When Bowie carried her back to his bedroom, Jesse was standing at the foot of the bed holding an afghan like a bullfighter with a cape.
Bowie laid her down, careful not to bump her bruised and swollen knees.
Jesse covered her up.
Talia pulled the afghan beneath her chin and then looked up at them and smiled.
“You have no idea how tall you both look from down here.”
Jesse grinned.
“Going now,” he said, and quickly left the room.