“Hey,” he says, and his freaking kindness is the last straw. It breaks me, and I double over, wracked with sobs. He drops to his knees in front of me and wraps his strong arms around my shoulders, holding me while I fall apart. “It’s okay, Grace.”

“No. It’s not.”

“Did something happen? Are you okay?” he asks like the good man he is.

Cooper wouldn’t do this. He wouldn’t run out without a word.

I shake my head back and forth as the tears soak his shirt. “Trent left.”

“Left?”

“He’s gone.” I pull back and try to collect myself. “He was here, then he disappeared, took time off work, but no one knows why. I don’t know . . .”

Cooper looks at me as if I’m crazy. “Seriously? I heard you guys have been great and moved in together.”

This is what has me thinking there has to be more to this. “I didn’t want to leave in case he came here . . . but I got a text from Hank, and all I know is he’s not sure when Trent will be back.”

I start to wonder if I should have stayed home. What if he packed his shit while I was here?

Cooper sits beside me and rests his elbows on his knees. “You and I both know that Trent doesn’t handle personal shit well. He’s not good at reactin’ to things when it comes to anything serious. You knew this when you chose to go back to him.”

That doesn’t excuse his behavior.

“I can’t keep doing this.” Cooper doesn’t say anything, and I instantly feel like shit. “God,” I sigh. “I’m such a bitch. I’m sittin’ here tellin’ you about this. I’m so sorry. I’m such a stupid girl.”

Cooper laughs and then takes my hand. “We’re friends. And we are much better friends now that we both know that’s all it’s going to be.” He nudges me. “But as your friend, I’m going to say something you’re not going to like.”

“Coop.”

“No, Grace, I think you need to hear it. You know this is what he does when he’s scared. He runs because emotion scares the fuck out of him. Something must’ve spooked him, and he cut tail. I don’t agree with it, but that’s who he is. For better or worse, this is how he deals with life. So, now you’ve got a choice.”

“Me?”

He nods. “Yeah, Grace. You chose him. You love him, but you have to love all of him. You have to accept him for who is, and that means knowin’ when he gets like this . . . he’s going to shut down. But you’re the only one who can reach him. I think you know that, which is what’s eatin’ you up inside.”

I suck in a deep breath. “No, I’m hurt. I’m angry that he hasn’t called me back or anything. I left him close to a hundred messages.”

“Yeah, you’re angry. Yeah, it sucks and it’s wrong, but he’s your guy. We’re dumb. We screw up like it’s our job. So, you can sit here waitin’ for him to come back when we both know that ain’t happenin’, or you can go find him.”

I lean back in the seat and let what Cooper says penetrate. Trent has told me time and time again he needs me to not let him fail. He’s asked me to step in and help. I just don’t know how.

“He needs you, Grace. If you love him, then do what he needs you to do.”

“I don’t even know where he is,” I say frustrated.

“I can’t believe I’m helpin’ his dumb ass,” Cooper complains. “Think about where you’d go to get away from life.”

Where would he go? My mind reels with the possibilities. I’ve already checked most, but . . . maybe I just missed him. Cooper is right, though, I need to find a place he’d go to escape.

“Thank you, Coop.”

I give him a hug and make my way out the door.

“I saw you guys a week ago,” Cooper calls out.

I stop and turn around. “You did?”

I haven’t seen Cooper since the night I almost set my house on fire. I thought about dropping by, but I wasn’t sure what to say or how he’d feel about it. Presley told me he’s fine and to stop being an idiot, but I didn’t want to make him uncomfortable.

“You looked happy.” Just a day ago, I was extremely happy. “He makes you smile, Grace. You don’t see other people when you’re with him. I see that now. Go get him before he regrets this more than he already will,” he moves close to me.

“You’re a good friend, to me and to him.”

He chuckles. “Until I tried to steal his girl.”

I smile and touch his arm. “I’ll remind him of this moment.”

“Go.”

I turn and rush out of the hospital. I need to do what I promised to do and pull him back. He isn’t drifting, he’s floating away. I hope I’m strong enough to carry him back to shore.

Chapter 19

T here are only so many places he can go without his truck. I check the lake where his father collapsed, his farm again, and my family’s store. I didn’t think he’d be at the last one, but I’m trying not to leave any stone unturned.

I sit in my car and drum my thumbs against the steering wheel, talking to myself. “Where would you go?”

A smile forms across my face as it hits me, and I berate myself for not thinking of it sooner. I throw the car in reverse and head off to get my horse.

He better have the excuse of a lifetime when I find him. He can run, and turn off his phone, and try to shut the world out, but there’s no way I’m going to quit on him.

Not this time.

I get to my parents’ house and head to the barn.

When I get inside, I’m so focused on what I need to do to get to my and Trent’s spot, that I almost miss the amber light shining from the stable where my old horse used to sleep. I never could let Lightning in there. It felt wrong.

I open the door, confused about who was in here and why they left a light on, but then I see his body on the ground. Anger boils over as I realize he’s been here the whole time. Hiding at my parents’ house instead of coming home.

“Trent?” I ask as he gets to his feet.

The disappointment I was feeling fades away the second his eyes find mine. This isn’t Trent. This isn’t an angry man who ran away because he was afraid of losing his father.