The Path

by Tawdra Kandle

  “Well, that’s . . . that’s just wonderful, Linc. You must be excited.” Even if I couldn’t see her face, I would’ve known Abby was upset by the way she was speaking—that neutral tone, her words clipped and precise. She finally turned to look at me, and I saw the devastation in her eyes. “Have you ever been to St. Louis before, Ryland? I’ve been once. We looked at a hotel there. Ended up not doing it, but we did spend some time there, on and off. I think I was . . . oh, maybe fourteen or so.”

  “Abby, I didn’t—”

  “Linc, can I help you clean up? That’s my rule, you know. If someone makes me a meal, I like to handle washing dishes.”

  Linc had finally clued into the fact that he’d said something wrong. “Uhh, no, thanks, Abby. I’m really particular about it, and I don’t have anything else to do tonight. I was planning to call my kids and talk to them while I washed up, so I’d rather be alone.”

  “Of course.” She pushed back her chair and stood up, laying her carefully folded napkin alongside the plate. “Linc, thanks very much for a wonderful meal and a lovely evening.” She spared me a passing glance. “Ryland, if you don’t mind, I think I’m just going to go home now. I have a terrible headache, and I’d like to lie down. Alone.”

  Without waiting for me to respond, Abby turned around, grabbed her purse and flew down the steps. She was out the door before I could even get to my feet.

  “Dammit, Linc!” I pounded on the table, and the silverware rattled. “What the hell? Why would you say that?”

  He’d dropped his head into hands. “I know. I’m so sorry, Ry. It never occurred to me—well, I thought you’d told her. You don’t keep secrets.”

  “It wasn’t a secret. I haven’t made up my mind how I’m going to handle it. If I even want to take that job. I figured I’d cross that bridge after the hotel opened.”

  “I didn’t know.” Linc just kept shaking his head. “God, I’m sorry. I was just excited about the job, and I was making conversation. I didn’t stop to think.”

  I blew out a sigh. “Not your fault. Not completely. I’m going after her, see if she’ll talk to me.”

  When I made to the gravel lot that separated the house from the workshop, I was surprised to see Abby’s car still there. And then I spotted her in the driver’s seat, her head bent and her shoulders shaking.

  I opened the door and knelt beside her. “Abby, baby. Don’t cry. This isn’t what you’re thinking. It’s not—”

  “It’s not what, Ryland? It’s not you taking off, moving on? It’s not the next job? The next town? The next project? It’s not you leaving me?” Her voice rose on a sob that broke my heart.

  “No, I haven’t taken the job yet, Abby. It was an offer. I haven’t decided anything.”

  “Linc seemed to think it was pretty much a done deal.” She reached to pull the door closed. “Get away, Ryland. I want to go home. I want to be alone.”

  “Abby, let me come with you. We’ll talk.”

  “I don’t want to talk to you.” She flashed tear-filled eyes up at me. “I’m angry at you. I’m angry at me. I knew better—God, when will I learn? Everyone leaves. No one stays.” She jerked the door handle, but it caught on my leg. “It all comes down to that, right? I was fun while you were in town, but that’s it. I should’ve known I’m not worth staying around for.”

  She pulled the door again, and this time it slammed. I jumped out of the way just in time to avoid being hit by its corner. Abby started up the car, threw it into reverse and blew out of the lot, a spray of gravel in her wake.

  “Sounds like you had a rough evening.”

  I turned to see Cooper standing in the doorway of his workshop. “You could say that. Abby misunderstood—Linc told her about a job we were offered. She thought I meant to take it, to leave the Cove. She’s, uh, a little upset.”

  Cooper laughed. “Sorry, Ryland, but I think that’s like saying the Titanic had a little leak. You got a problem, man.”

  I swallowed. “We didn’t have any commitment. I mean, I never said I was staying in town.” It sounded lame, even to my ears, and Cooper shook his head.

  “Ryland, did you sleep with her? Did you act like you cared for her? And keep in mind I’ve been around the two of you together. I already know the answer to the second question.”

  I blew out a long breath. “Yeah, I slept with her. And I do care for her. I’ve never felt for any other woman what I feel for Abby.”

  “Then there’s your commitment. You know her situation. You know she’s not leaving town. She’s a Cove girl now, and that hotel’s her baby. If you knew you wanted to move on, that you planned to do it, and you weren’t upfront with her—and I mean specifically upfront with her, before you two got together at all—then you’re not the man I took you to be.” He folded his arms over his chest and stared me down.

  “I hadn’t thought about it. I didn’t want to think about it.” I kicked some of the tiny stones on the ground. “But she never asked me to stay either, Cooper. She knows my life, and Abby never said, ‘Stay with me. I need you.’”

  He nodded. “Then that’s something she needs to deal with. But we’re talking about you now. What’re going to do?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “Really? You don’t know. You love that woman, Ryland. Get your ass over to her apartment, get down on your sorry knees, and grovel your heart out. Tell her what she needs to hear, and beg her to forgive you for being an ass.” He paused. “Take it from one who knows. I was almost too stupid to keep the woman I loved. I almost let her get away. Every day of my life now, I’m grateful that I got wise before it was too late.”

  I thought about Abby, the hurt on her face, the words she’d said. Everybody leaves me. I’m not worth staying around for.

  I turned for my truck.

  “Where’re you going?” Cooper called as I opened the door.

  “To not be stupid before it’s too late.”

  Just before I slammed the door, I heard him chuckle.

  I drove back to my apartment almost blind with tears and pushed through the Saturday night crowd to get upstairs. I heard Emmy calling after me, but I ignored her, ran up the steps and slammed the door before I fell onto my sofa and let the sobs overtake me.

  I loved Ryland. Of course I did. I’d known it for weeks now, if not months, but I didn’t rush into anything because we had time. Or so I’d thought. But apparently all the time I’d thought we were building a foundation we could live on for the rest of our lives together, he was planning to leave town.

  He’d never told me otherwise. I’d been a fool not to see that, not to realize that he’d made no promises. When we were planning out my suite at the hotel, he’d never mentioned living there with me. When I’d talked about the future, he’d never committed to anything beyond the day we opened the Riverside. I was stupid, blind. An idiot.

  Pounding at the door jolted me to awareness. “Abby, open the door. We need to talk.”

  “Go away, Ryland. I’m done talking. I want to be alone.” I curled into myself, willing him to leave me be.

  “Abby, I’m not going away. Not tonight. Maybe not ever. Not without you. Please, baby, open the door and talk to me.”

  I shook my head, even though he couldn’t see me. “Stop making promises you don’t want to keep, Ryland. Just go. Go to St. Louis, go to Texas, go to. . .go to hell for all I care.”

  “Abby, I want to make promises to you. I want us to make promises to each other.” He was quiet a minute. “Remember that night after our first date, when we sat in the truck, and I said I didn’t want anything but you? I was wrong.”

  I frowned. Where was he going with this?

  “Abby, I want you. But I want more. I want your future. I want your present. I want your nights and your mornings, and your afternoons. I want your weekends and your holidays. I want your laughter and your tears and your mad and your silly. I want your crappy taste in music and your Chinese food in bed and the way you call me Mr. Kent
when you’re about to—”

  I jumped to my feet and opened the door. The music downstairs was loud, sure, but no way did I want what Ryland had been about to say to be broadcast to anyone who might be standing at the bottom of the steps.

  “Yeah, I thought that would get you.” He advanced into the apartment, his eyes never leaving mine, and kept walking toward me. I backed up until my heels hit my bedroom door.

  “This seems familiar.” He smiled down at me, wiped a tear away from my cheek and kissed my forehead. “Abby, I meant everything I said. I want all that. I want to live here in Cove with you. I don’t know how we’re going to make that work, with your job and mine, but that’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to make a life together. I love you, Abby Donavan, and I never want to say good-bye to you.”

  Something tight and hard inside me broke, flooding my heart with more hope and joy than I’d thought possible. “I wanted you to stay. I never said it, and I should’ve, but I want you to stay. I know there’re places you still want to see, and I know you love your work. I don’t want you to resent me for keeping you here. I don’t know how we’ll make it work, but I want to have a life with you, Ryland. I love you. I never want to stop being in love with you.”

  He took my face in both of his hands. “The world is full of places and people, Abby. We’ll see them together. We’ll work it out. We’ll make it work, our way. But you will be my one true home, forever. Always remember, no matter what might happen, I love you more.” He covered my lips with his, sealing his words with a kiss that promised a lifetime of tomorrows.

  The End

  IT WAS A PERFECT DAY for a party.

  The sun was warm, but not hot. A cool breeze floated over the vast green lawns, rustling the palm fronds as the wind chimes on the porch rang. The sound of the river lapping gently at its banks might have drifted over the throngs of people, had the crowd not been so talkative.

  But they were, and quite a crowd it was. People had come from all over to celebrate what they called a Grand Opening.

  Of course, she knew it was really a rebirth.

  Others had tried to make this happen, had tried to bring her back to life, but until this year, no one had succeeded. At first, she hadn’t trusted them, the two who had walked her halls, at first separately and then together, speaking aloud as they vowed to repair and restore. She’d been skeptical, defensive.

  But then she’d watched them work, and she watched the progress. She’d watched with burgeoning affection as love had taken root and grown between Him and Her. When the woman had run away that first time, she’d encouraged him. Wait. She’ll return. And of course she had.

  For weeks now, she’d watched them walk her grounds and throughout her buildings, holding hands, talking about the past—her past—and their future. They’d furnished the small suite where they’d begin their lives together. She’d smiled the first night they’d spent there, sighed a little at the passion the two shared.

  Love belonged here.

  And now there would be more. There would be guests and families and lovers and children and friends—old friends and new ones. Long-lasting love and love found anew. First love and second love and love for the ages.

  She sighed, and on the front porch, near the chimes, the woman stopped talking. She sniffed the air, scenting the lilacs, and she looked around, rubbing her hands over her skin as though chilled. The man slid his arms beneath hers, glancing around as well. A smile flitted over his face, and he spoke two low words.

  You’re welcome.

  Fitting words for such an occasion, and she smiled, knowing he felt her gratitude and appreciation. With hope brimming in her heart, she looked toward the setting sun and the promise of her new beginning.

  The songs for this book were mostly suggested via the hours I’ve spent on the roads of America this summer. I owe a tremendous debt to Sirius XM Satellite radio, particularly to The Bridge and Love Songs, which brought back wonderful memories from my childhood years, traveling across the country. Ryland may despair of improving Abby’s musical taste, but I love her just the way she is.

  Goodbye To Love The Carpenters

  Ready to Take A Chance Again Barry Manilow

  Anticipation Carly Simon

  Let Me Be There Olivia Newton-John

  Close To You The Carpenters

  You and Me Against the World Helen Reddy

  Song Sung Blue Neil Diamond

  We’ve Only Just Begun The Carpenters

  In My Life The Beatles

  The Crystal Cove Books

  begin with

  The Posse

  See how Jude and Logan found their way to love.

  Being a widow at the age of forty-four was never in Jude Hawthorne’s plans. After her husband’s death, she’s left with her family’s beach restaurant and two nearly-grown children. The last thing she’s looking for is another chance at love.

  However, if her husband’s best friends, the Posse, have anything to say about it, love is just what she’s going to get. The Posse is determined to take care of Jude, and when they decide the best way to do that is for one of them to sweep her off her feet, three begin to vie for her affections. But only one can reach her heart.

  In a story of friendship, loss and second chances,

  Jude will learn her life is far from being over.

  Other Books by the Author

  The King Series

  Fearless

  Breathless

  Restless

  Endless

  Crystal Cove Books

  The Posse

  The Plan

  The Path

  The Perfect Dish Series

  Best Served Cold

  Just Desserts

  I Choose You

  The One Trilogy

  The Last One

  The First One

  The Only One

  The Seredipity Duet

  Undeniable

  Unquenchable

  Recipe for Death Series

  Death Fricassee

  The summer of 2015 has been a whirlwind for me. I’m not sure I ever stopped moving, and it always felt as though I were two or three steps behind where I was supposed to be.

  However, if it weren’t for all these wonderful people, I would’ve been seriously in trouble.

  My fabulous book prep team always shows an extraordinary amount of patience. Kelly Baker is my proofreader extraordinaire and doomed to remain that for time eternal. Stacey Blake of Champagne Formats takes those words and makes them into a book, all pretty and spaced just right! Stephanie Nelson of Once Upon A Time Covers did all the dreamy covers for this summer’s Crystal Cove Romances. I just adore them.

  Marla Wenger jumped into the fray to help with proofing for this book, too. I am so grateful and excited for her new venture as a proofer!

  This summer, my partner in crime Mandie Stevens and I took a leap into an entirely new world: book event planning. We took over and ran Indie BookFest, and while at times I wondered about our joint sanity, in the end it was one of the most satisfying and fun experiences of my life. So big love to Mandie, Jen Rattie and Stacey Blake, as well as to our incredible volunteers: Maria Clark, Melanie Marsh, Tammy Richardson and Kimberly Cheeseman. Shall we do it all again . . . next year?

  Thanks, too, to Maria for all her help with my author life, to my very organized daughter Haley who has taken on the task of personal assistant and to Jen Rattie and Andrea Coventry, who are jumping in for promotions. You all make my life so much more possible!

  Big love to my Temptresses, who are wicked funny, sweetly supportive and full of excellent ideas.

  And always love to Clint and the kiddos, who tolerate Mommy’s wacky lifestyle and help without complaining. I love you all madly.

  Photo by Heather Batchelder

  Tawdra Kandle writes romance, in just about all its forms. She loves unlikely pairings, strong women, sexy guys, hot love scenes and just enough conflict to make it interesting. Her books run fro
m YA paranormal romance through NA paranormal and contemporary romance to adult contemporary and paramystery romance. She lives in central Florida with a husband, kids, sweet pup and too many cats. And yeah, she rocks purple hair.

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