Just like that?” Dominic shook his head. “That’ll kill him, Amy.”
She sighed and rocked back in the chair. “No. Losing Sara already did that. When Logan looks at me, all he sees is the past. We’ve both spent enough time there. I have to move on for this baby, and maybe if the reminder’s gone, he’ll finally move on, too.”
“I can’t help you do this.” He stood and took a step back. “I can’t do this to Logan.”
“It’s the only thing I can do. I already love this baby as much as I loved Sara. This child deserves a fair shot at life and all my support to thrive. I can’t provide that buried underneath Logan’s guilt and regret.” She raised a hand in appeal. “Logan doesn’t love me. I’ve faced that. Come to terms with it. And I won’t stay here just to be tolerated.”
Dominic turned away, but didn’t immediately leave.
She straightened. “It’s time for me to move on, Dom. I’m leaving. With or without your help. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t need it. I could really use a friend right now.”
He slowly turned back to face her. His frown dissolved and a tight smile took its place. “How soon do you want to head out?”
Amy finished packing within an hour, throwing in everything she’d brought with her except for two items she decided to leave behind. She slipped the necklace over her head and dropped the ring onto the papers on the dresser, swapping them out for her black straw hat.
She took her bags to the kitchen, hugged Pop and Cissy and said the rest of her goodbyes in the driveway while Dominic loaded her luggage in the truck.
“Remember you’re loved,” Betty whispered, hugging her tighter. “No matter where you are.”
Traci wiped away tears and tried to smile. “I want first-class tickets, sis. Not crappy economy.”
It was hard saying goodbye to Betty and Traci but it was sheer torture walking away from the boys.
“But who’s gonna take care of Thunder and keep him happy?” Jayden looked down and twisted the toe of his shoe in the dirt, his cowboy hat hiding his face.
“I was hoping you and Kayden could do that for me. And maybe look out for your uncle Logan, too?” Amy glanced at Kayden and he nodded with a brave smile.
“We can do it, Aunt Amy.” Kayden elbowed his brother, mouth quivering. “Can’t we, Jayden?”
“Yeah,” Jayden whispered. His wide blue eyes peeked up at her from beneath the brim of his hat, glistening with tears. “But who’ll keep you happy? You won’t have Thunder no more. And you won’t have us.”
Amy’s heart squeezed. She knelt down and hugged the boys close. “Oh, I’ll always have the two of you, baby. I’m carrying you both with me.” She leaned back and placed a hand over her heart. “Right here.”
With Sara. And with Logan... She smiled, blinking back her own tears and forcing down the lump in her throat.
“Just like you both will have me.” She touched her hands to their chests. “Right here.”
Kayden rubbed his eyes with his fists. “Will you come back and visit?”
“Of course,” she said. “And your aunt Cissy and I already talked about you coming to see me in Michigan. Maybe next Christmas?”
She felt excitement stirring at the hope of holding her own child on Christmas morning. She straightened Kayden’s hat and squeezed his arms.
“There’s real snow up there,” she said. “You and Jayden can make huge snowballs and throw as many as you want. It won’t hurt like the ice.”
Jayden perked up. “Real snow? Lots of it?”
“Mountains of it. As far as the eye can see.”
Grins broke out across their faces.
Amy kissed the twins once more, hugged Cissy and waited in the truck while Dominic assured Cissy one last time that he’d return safely, soon. He hopped in and they strapped on their seat belts.
Amy glanced up at the sunlight beaming through the windshield. She noticed Logan then. He was several yards away, sitting astride Lightning in the center of the adjoining field. His Stetson was pulled down low and he remained motionless, watching them.
“He’s hurtin’, Amy,” Dominic murmured. “As much as you were.”
“I know.” She twisted her hands together in her lap, resisting the urge to fling the door open and run straight to him.
“You sure you wanna leave?”
“No.” Amy tore her eyes away from Logan, straightened and faced the road ahead. “But I’m done standing still.”
Dominic nodded, cranked the truck and drove away.
Divorce Settlement Agreement.
Logan smoothed his fingertips over the words. The papers crinkled under his touch, the edges worn. He bent them in half then folded them over. Once, twice then a third time, and returned the bundle to the dresser.
The action had become a habit over the past week. One he’d undertaken every night before crawling into an empty bed and every morning when he finally gave up chasing sleep to face the day.
The day. God help him. The things kept coming. Rolling in with the sun, spanning what seemed like thousands of hours and hanging on through the darkness. A darkness he failed to find relief in.
He ached for Amy. His chest burned for her and his hands turned numb from clenching empty air every time he reached for her in the night. Every part of him wanted to follow her but the heavy weight in his chest held him hostage where he stood.
Logan sighed and dragged a hand over his face. Every day, he tried to make himself go and bring Amy back. And, every day, he failed.
“Uncle Logan?”
He spun from the dresser to find the boys hovering in the bedroom doorway. Jayden picked at the legs of his jeans and Kayden peeked up at him with a concerned expression. The same one he’d worn every afternoon for the past week as he’d followed him close, at Logan’s heels around the ranch after school.
“Hey.” Logan cleared the husky note from his voice and strived for a cheerful tone. “You two are up early for a Sunday.”
Jayden nodded, hands clutching his hat in front of his waist. “We asked Uncle Dominic to get us up. We wanna help you with the horses today.”
“You sure you want to spend your day off school working? It’ll be a long one.”
“Yes, sir,” Kayden said.
Jayden put his hat on his head, straightening the brim with both hands, and stuck
