You were truly born alone, Forrester. You were born alone, and mark my words, you will die alone. The words of a dying man must be worth something. The curse of a dying man must be worth something.
So hear this, for this is my curse. No one will ever love you, you little piece of shit. You will destroy anyone you ever try to love. You will find no happiness, and you will give no happiness. If you ever think you’ve found the girl who’s won your heart, you run. You run away from her as far and as fast as you can.
Because if you don’t, you’ll destroy her, just like you destroyed your own mother.
Curse you.
Abraham Snow.
*
Forrester grimaced. He shook his head. He told himself that the letter meant nothing. He scrunched it up and threw it out the window. He wanted nothing to do with it. Through the tears that were filling his eyes, he looked out the windshield of his truck into the diner. There she was. The woman he loved.
Had something changed?
Had his father’s letter poisoned his love?
Forrester didn’t know the answer, all he knew was that he couldn’t go into the diner right then and there. He was an emotional wreck. He’d make a fool of himself, and he’d upset Elle. There was no reason to upset her. He would go back to his hotel room for a while and compose himself. Then he would come back and have a nice breakfast with the girl he loved.
His father’s letter hadn’t changed shit. It hadn’t poisoned shit. He just needed to get his head around the shock of reading it before he went into the diner to see Elle.
The envelope was still sitting on his lap and he realized there was something else in it. It was small and round. It was a ring. His mother’s engagement ring. He’d seen it before. His father had kept it in a box in the basement with his fishing lures. Forrester had found it the time he’d been locked down there with the dogs. The dogs that were supposed to attack him. He’d befriended the dogs, and he’d found the ring. In the moments of darkness and terror down in that basement all those nights, he’d even worn the ring. It had been a perfect fit for his child’s hand. He’d worn it and he’d been convinced to this day that it was the one thing that protected him while he was down there. He looked at it now. Why had his father put it in with the letter. To taunt him? To add insult to injury? It was a beautiful ring, a solitary, clear diamond on a band of gold. He put it in his pocket, turned the ignition on his truck, and pulled out of the lot. He headed up the road toward his hotel. At the same time, Elle looked out the window, and saw him driving away.
Chapter 27
Elle
“THAT’S WEIRD,” ELLE SAID TO Kelly. “That was Forrester.”
“Wasn’t he going to come in and see you?”
“I think so,” Elle said. “That was the plan. Everything went perfectly last night, and this morning. He was going to come here for breakfast.”
“He must have forgotten something,” Kelly said. “He’ll be right back.”
Elle nodded. She felt a moment of fear, although not quite panic, at the sight of Forrester’s taillights driving away.
He’ll be right back, she told herself.
He’ll be right back.
But he didn’t come right back. Thirty minutes passed. Then an hour. And still, no Forrester. She must have looked out the window a thousand times, hoping to see his truck in the lot.
Where was he?
What had changed?
Everything had been perfect.
He’d said he loved her. He’d promised.
One hour turned into two, and two into three, and still, Forrester never showed.
“Elle, child, you look pale,” Grace said when the lunch rush was over.
Elle looked at her watch. It was two.
He wasn’t coming.
“What happened?” she said helplessly to Grace and Kelly as they sat to join her at the counter.
There were still a lot of customers so she couldn’t wait for an answer. She had to put on a brave face and keep doing her job. She refused to let her worry show. Something was delaying Forrester. She’d call his hotel. She went to the phone behind the kitchen and called.
“Forrester Snow, please,” she said.
“Sorry madam, there’s no guest here by that name.”
“What?”
“There’s no guest here by that name.”
“Did he check out?”
“I’m really not at liberty to discuss our guests’ actions, madam. All I can say is there’s no one here by that name.”
“Was there last night?”
“It’s a matter of confidentiality, madam.”
“Confidentiality? I was with him all night. Who’s in the penthouse?”
“The penthouse is empty, madam.”
It wasn’t until eight hours later, after the last customers had cleared out from a long dinner service, that Elle could let the pent up emotion finally pour out of her. It was dark outside. She remembered the sight she’d caught of Forrester’s truck.
Was that the last she’d ever see of him?
She sat down at the counter, practically collapsing onto the stool. Her body was robbed of all its strength.
“Something must have come up,” Kelly said.