But dear, time did heal the scars in my soul;
A change of focus filled that empty hole;
And now you hate to see me, like a bird, free;
You will not let this resolution be;
Upon this recovery of mine, you've become so restless;
How could you be so heartless?"
I ran my fingers over the words, a mix of anger and pride swelling in my chest. Anger for the time I’d wasted believing I was broken beyond repair, and pride for the person I was becoming. Roger might hate the woman I was now, but that wasn’t my burden to bear. His restlessness wasn’t my problem.
I closed the journal and exhaled slowly. My heart felt lighter, my resolve stronger. Whatever came next, I would face it with the same strength that had brought me this far.
Chapter Sixteen
Jackson
I couldn’t help feeling nervous as I turned into the driveway which was actually a small gravel road with no name, about a one quarter mile to the house.
I glanced at Savannah. She turned to look at me, and I resisted the urge to hold out my hand for her to take. Maybe someday. Someday soon, I hoped. But not yet.
I smiled, and she smiled back.
“Thanks so much for doing this, Jackson. It means a lot to me.”
“I know it does, but you should tell my parents” I replied. “I know they would love to hear that from you. They really appreciate it when people show their gratitude.”
She reached over and set her hand on my upper arm. A pleasant tingle ran through me where her touch lingered, and my body heated in response. I had it bad for this beautiful woman.
But I would respect her completely—and her boundaries—until I knew for certain she was free to be with me without distractions getting in the way.
Then again, there would always be distractions. But it was too soon for me to go all gung-ho into a relationship anyway. I had a lot of navigating to do just to get myself out of a bachelor frame of mind.
“Okay, I’ll tell them, too,” she said. “I might’ve been nervous saying that before, but you make me feel at ease. They really do sound kind.”
I nodded, checking the rearview mirror. Alana was in her car seat, staring out the window with both arms propped on the chest piece. Her hands were up in the air, not holding anything, just resting there. She looked adorable.
I thought about being her stepfather. Was I ready for that? Was I responsible enough for that? I was. I knew I was.
I heard Savannah suck in her breath. I looked over at her. I decided to drive really slow so they can take in the view of the property. There were cows to the left of us and a forest to the right.
“Cows, Alana—cows!” Savannah suddenly exclaimed, her voice bright. “That’s where we get milk from!”
I looked in the rearview mirror at Alana, laughing. “I wondered how long it would take someone to point them out.”
Savannah grinned at me, then turned back to Alana. “Do you see the cows, sweetheart?”
“Moo Moo!” Alana squealed, pointing out the window.
“Do those cows belong to your parents?” Savannah asked softly, her voice making my heart pound.
“They do,” I replied, slowing the car to five miles an hour so they could enjoy the scenery.
“Growing up on the farm has been an excellent way to learn, especially with good parents like mine. Everything you seebelongs to them. My dad inherited this land from my grandpa and expanded it.”
“It was a horse farm for most of the 20th century. My grandparents were horse trainers who worked with some of the wealthiest clients in the world.”
