Chapter 18

18

" W hat're you doing?"

Later that afternoon, Jilly's voice from the doorway startled Iris, and the stack of photographs she'd been holding slipped from her grasp, spilling across the smooth wood floor of her closet. She sat cross-legged with her back to the doorway, so maybe Jilly hadn't seen what she was poring over.

Except, a shadow blocked the afternoon sunlight streaming in the window, and then Jilly was looming over her. Unfortunately, the shoebox of memories remained open at her knee. On top, the wilted corsage of white roses that Callum had given her at prom. The item she'd already hidden in her jeans' pocket seemed to burn through the fabric lining and ignite her skin.

"What's going on?" Jilly asked. "You didn't crack open that old memory box when Callum moved in here."

Iris hesitated over a photo of a younger Callum and herself, standing in front of one of her uncle's horses. In the picture, Iris held the horse's halter rope and stood toe-to-toe with Callum. He looked at her, his feelings for her clearly written across his face.

He'd never been able to hide his feelings from her, though he'd sometimes had trouble verbalizing them.

Jilly leaned over Iris's shoulder and snatched the photo out of her hands.

"Hey!" Iris pushed herself off the floor—she'd been sitting there so long that her knees creaked as she stood. "Give that back."

Jilly held it over her head. So childish. "What's going on?"

Iris crossed her arms over her chest. "Why'd you move in with Uncle Joe?"

They rarely talked about those few months after Jilly's graduation when she'd moved out. She'd first said it was to practice being away at college, but Jilly had skipped college, staying on the ranch even after Iris had gone to New York City.

Jilly shook her head. Sighed. "Dad started getting really controlling. Manipulative. He wanted to dictate every move I made. Where I worked. Who I could hang out with. I was eighteen, so..." She shrugged again. "I wanted freedom."

Iris could understand that. She'd won her own freedom when she'd moved away to dance.

"Tell me what's bothering you," Jilly insisted. She tossed the photograph on Iris's bed. "I know you've been keeping things from me. Whatever it is, I'm not so sick I can't be here for you."

So Iris spilled the whole thing. Uncle Joe driving Callum out of town. How conflicted she was about that. She was tired of holding on to the secrets. Jilly listened.

"You were right," Iris finally said. "I fell for Cal again." She brushed away tears that she couldn't seem to help. "Dad threatened him. Me. Both of us."

She was still reeling from the ugliness of the whole thing.

"What are you gonna do?" Jilly asked. "Whatever it is, I'll stand by you."

More tears came. She brushed these away, too. "Really?"

She'd thought Jilly might not believe her about Uncle Joe. But maybe she was the only one who had seen her beloved uncle through rose-colored glasses.

Jilly hugged her. "You're my sister. What else am I going to do?" She squeezed Iris and let her go. "Is Callum thinking about selling?"

"I...don't know. I haven't spoken to him yet." She'd needed space to try and figure out a plan that could get him out of this unscathed.

"He left once," Jilly reminded her.

"Because he didn't have anyone on his side."

And Iris had the engagement ring in her pocket. A reminder of how close they'd once been.

She loved him enough to fight for him.

Even if the fight was against her own father.

Midday sun streamed down on Main Street. Callum sat in a booth in the front window of Trixie's cafe. He watched the street, scrutinizing every passerby.

Levi and Brandt were oblivious to his tension, sitting on the inside next to him.

He'd put in an order, but he wasn't sure he could eat. His stomach was tied up in knots.

They were meeting Maude for lunch.

Was this a mistake?

His eyes darted to where Cord and Molly sat in the corner booth, sharing a milkshake.

His best bud had refused to let him come alone today, though the two lovebirds planned to keep their distance. They were only there to make sure Maude kept to the agreement they'd made.

Callum was still working on forgiving her, but he was here. He'd chosen a public place because it felt safer.

The door opened with the chime of a bell, and the white-haired woman slipped into the restaurant. She was alone.

He'd thought he'd prepared himself, but his gut still tightened at seeing her so close, those memories of two terrifying nights trying to resurface. He stuffed them back down. Cord nodded to him from the corner booth. He was watching. It was a small relief.

Brandt and Levi kept playing with the sugar packets he'd used to distract them while they waited on their food.

She hesitated, and Callum could see tears welling in her eyes.

"C'mon over."

The boys finally looked up to see her. "Grandma!"

She looked pale underneath her wobbly smile. Amanda had mentioned a health problem. Maybe Maude was telling the truth. She didn't look evil.

She looked old. And hopeful.

She sat in the booth across from him and the boys, her hands trembling as she set her purse beside her.

Her expression radiated pure joy as she looked at him. "Thanks for meeting me," she whispered. Her voice rose when she addressed the twins. "You boys have gotten so big, I can barely believe it."

"I'm three now," Brandt said proudly.

"Me, too!" Levi echoed.

Callum shook his head. Three-year-olds were masters of the obvious.

"I know," Maude said with a patient smile. "Your grandpa and I sent you birthday packages. Did you get them?"

There was a moment of tension as she looked to Callum.

"Yeah, they got them." He could've thrown the packages away, but he hadn't, and now he was glad. "Remember the big tractors, boys?"

"Speaking of your grandpa, I told him we'd try to video call after lunch. If that's all right with your dad." She looked to Callum, her gaze questioning.

He liked that she wasn't taking anything for granted.

"That's probably fine," he said. "How long are you staying in Sutter's Hollow?"

"I'm leaving for Oklahoma tomorrow. I'm sure Jackson can't find the washing machine beneath his piles of dirty laundry."

"We used to live in Oklahoma," Brandt piped up.

"Yes, you did." Maude's face softened as she looked down at the boy.

Levi started lining up pink sugar packets along the edge of the table, already distracted.

Brandt bounced in his seat, knocking into his brother. "Do you got any presents for us today?"

Maude laughed. "Not today, I'm afraid."

They spent almost an hour like that, ping ponging between the boys' orneriness making them laugh and moments of barely-there tension between him and Maude. Cord and Molly stayed the whole time, keeping a watchful eye.

It wasn't perfect. But it was a start.

They'd just tumbled out of the restaurant onto the sidewalk when he felt a prickling of awareness and looked up. Right into Iris's dear face as she stood across the street.

He saw her take in their group. The boys and Maude. Together.

And a gentle smile crossed her lips.

He couldn't summon one in response, not with his heart lodged firmly in his throat and regret swamping him.

"Hi, Iris!" Levi had caught sight of her too and waved wildly.

Callum caught Brandt in mid-leap as he launched off the sidewalk. "No getting in the street, remember?"

"Aw!" the boy cried.

By the time he looked up again, she was gone. Had she ducked in to one of the stores?

She had every right to avoid him. It's what he'd expected after the threats her father had made. What kind of a bully did that to his daughter?

Wade's actions made Callum furious, but he was helpless to respond. He'd reached out to his lawyer, who'd been working long-distance trying to gather evidence that Callum hadn't been negligent while driving. His lawyer had left him a message this morning that the town had requested a meeting tomorrow. Callum didn't know what it was about but if it would make the lawsuit go away…? He was willing to do anything.

Wade's threat remained. How was he supposed to counter that? It would be Wade's word against his. Against Iris's, since apparently the man had no qualms about putting his daughter through hell.

Callum was new in town. His only real connection was Cord, who had only moved back to town a few months ago.

He had no character witnesses. The folks in town didn't have any reason to trust him, to believe that he was innocent of what Wade wanted to claim he'd done.

He was stuck.

Iris was out of reach.

He loved her too much to ask her to stand up for him. Loving her had never been the problem. He'd been born a loser.

He couldn't blame her for walking away just now.

That yawning pit of loneliness opened back up inside him. Not just any loneliness.

This emptiness was an Iris-shaped hole. A black pit of nothingness that would never resolve.