“Up until the homecoming picnic, I’ve never seen you happier. It felt good didn’t it? Right?”

Liv thought about it. Had been thinking about it for the last week. “Yes. Yes it did. I felt whole for the first time in my life. But that changed at the picnic because then I began to panic that there was something wrong and he’d dump me any day. I hate feeling like that. It was that way with Matt, just waiting for the other shoe to drop. I want to feel safe. Secure in my relationship. I don’t think it’s too much to ask.”

Maggie nodded. “It isn’t too much to ask. Why don’t you talk to Marc about all this? See what he says?”

“Because he lied to me, Maggie.”

“I told you, he didn’t cheat on you.”

Liv held up a hand to cut her off. “I know that. I’m pretty sure of it anyway. It was a public place. Plus if he had and I’d busted him, he’d have stopped trying to lie about it after a few days and moved on to another woman.”

“Then what are you talking about?”

“The homecoming picnic. There was something wrong and not something about his work. I don’t know what exactly it was, but I know he lied about it and I let it go. I let it go because I was afraid and I know now I can’t live that way.”

“Give him a chance to explain, Liv. He’s fallen apart this week without you. You have nothing left to lose. You’re already in love with him. Don’t run away from the best thing that’s ever happened to you. I want you to be happy. You are happy with Marc. Don’t let fear take this chance at a future with the man you love away from you.”

Nicholas woke up then with a cry and Maggie went to get him.

“Does Marc know you’re here?” Liv asked as settled back in to feed the baby.

“He does. He was so worried I wanted to let him know you were safe and that I was coming to see you. He agreed not to come and bother you until I’d spoken to you. Well, after Polly interceded and talked him out of rushing out here to grab you by the hair and drag you home.”

Liv laughed. “Yeah, he does have that caveman thing going on. Surprising really. I’d never have suspected it. He always seemed the laid back skirt chaser. But he’s got an iron spine beneath that exterior.”

“He’s never had to fight for anything he wanted and stood to lose before.”

Maggie shrugged. “I need to call Kyle and let him know I got here okay. I just texted him when we got here earlier. He was uneasy to have me come to stay the night with Nicholas away from him.”

“Go home, Mags. You’ll be back in Petal by nine and everyone will feel better. Your husband wants you in his bed tonight and he wants to know that his baby is okay. That’s his right and you want that too. I’m not running off again. In fact I’ll be back in town by Sunday.”

“Really? It’s no big deal to stay here. I’m not far away. He knows I’m all right and I want to be here when you need me. I’m still pissed that you ran off.”

“Honey, Nicholas is a precious little bundle of fabulous. Take that lumpkin home to his daddy. And tough. I did it for myself.”

“You’ll talk to Marc?”

“Probably. I don’t know.”

“But you’ll be back by Sunday for sure, you promise?”

Liv held up her pinky. “Pinky swear.”

She helped load them into the car and waved them on their way back home.

Chapter Twelve

On her way back from a small shopping trip, Liv stopped at the cemetery near the hospital. Heading to the back corner near the large oak tree, she walked from the car to the headstone.

Laying lilacs down on the marker she knelt, brushing the dust off the letters that made up her mother’s name.

“I have the urge to lay down and start singing a Madonna song, Mom.” Liv laughed to herself.

“So there’s this guy. Okay, the guy. I love him so much it’s not funny. This is the same one I told you about the last time I was here and yeah, the time before.”

Liv traced a finger over the purple explosion of flowers as she spoke, relating the whole story to herself, wishing her mom really had been there to hear the whole thing and give her advice.

People you loved left you. They died. They moved to Florida. They married and had kids. Things changed and change was scary. If you kept a part of yourself back, protected, it never got hurt. Did it?

Sighing, she arranged the flowers her sister had most likely left and arranged her own with them before standing. Brushing her pant legs off, she walked back to her car, wondering what the price of that little bit of safety was and whether it was worth it.

Head down, bearing packages, she walked down the hall to her hotel room, thinking about all that had happened.

“Let me help you with your burdens.”

The caramel drawl made her stop in her tracks and look up. Marc stood in front of her door.

Her eyes took a lazy tour from the toes of his battered cowboy boots, up the faded denim covering the powerful legs, the deep blue sweater she’d given him on a whim, the face, the handsome set of the jaw, those gorgeous green eyes and the tousled hair. Beautiful. The man was flat out beautiful. He held out a hand and gently tugged on the bags she held and she let go, letting him take them while she unlocked the door and held it open for him. He put them down and turned to face her, saying nothing but his gaze took her in hungrily.

“Oh, sugar.” He reached out and traced the curve of her bottom lip with the pad of his thumb. “I’ve missed you. And here you are with an ache in your eyes that tears at my heart. Will you talk to me?”