He filled her plate with more food than she could possibly consume as she helplessly watched him.
“Go. Sit over there, and I’ll bring you something to drink.”
She nodded, taking the opportunity to get off her feet. She was healed, but her energy levels were nowhere near what they once were. She’d tried to go back to work, but she couldn’t face the gallery and the sad faces of her colleagues. She even tried picking up her paintbrush, but that wasn’t working either.
“How is she?” asked Bodhi, nudging his brother.
“Fucking broken,” frowned Cade, piling on the roast beef. His brother stared at him, then gripped his wrist. Cade stared at his big brother, wanting to weep in his arms. “She’s torn apart, Bodhi, and I can’t fix her. I want to. I want to make it better for her, but I can’t.”
“All you can do is be there, Cade. You’re doing that. Don’t give up on her,” said Bodhi. Cade looked at his big brother, literally and figuratively.
“When did you get so wise, oh sage?” Bodhi gave a half-grin. “Why don’t you go after Vivienne?”
“She needs to find herself first, then I’ll see if she’s still interested,” he said calmly. He looked at Cassidy seated at the table furthest from everyone else. Carrie was seated beside her holding her hands. “Your little bird looks ready to fly away. Go feed her, Cade.”
Cade could see that Cass was deep in conversation with Carrie. He didn’t want to interrupt, but something on Robbie’s face told him that he should.
“You have to tell him, Cass. It’s only fair. Talk to Cade.”
“Talk to Cade about what?” he asked, setting down the plates of food. Cass looked at Carrie, who stood, kissing her sister’s cheek. She gripped Cade’s arm, and he bent down, allowing her to kiss his cheek as well.
“Talk to me about what, Cass?”
“I can’t stay here, Cade. I need to go away for a while.”
Cade felt as though she’d punched him in the gut. His knees nearly buckled, and he swallowed, staring at the beautiful young woman.
“Where are you going?” he said quietly.
“A cabin in the Canadian Rockies. Robbie’s father owns it, and it’s just sitting there vacant.”
“You’re going alone?” he asked.
Cass nodded, not able to look up at him. He pulled out the chair, sitting across from her. Gripping her chin between his thumb and forefinger, he raised her eyes to look at him. He saw it. From across the room, Hex saw it as well. So did a dozen other men. He saw the look that he’d seen in a dozen soldiers. This was a one-way trip.
“When do you leave?”
“Tomorrow. I have to, Cade. Please understand. It’s not you. You’ve been the best friend in the world to me and a wonderful, wonderful man,” she stuttered. She shook her head, her eyes filling with tears.
“Cass, don’t go,” he said quietly. “Please.”
Cass stood in front of his chair, her hands on his shoulders. Leaning down, she kissed his cheek, whispering in his ear.
“You’re the best man I know, Cade Norgenson. In another lifetime, I could have loved you.” She kissed him again, turning to run toward her parents’ cottage. Cade thought about running after her, but for some reason, he was glued to his seat.
“She’s scared, mon frére,” said Robbie, taking the seat beside him. “She’s scared and confused and in pain. Don’t let her be those things all by herself.”
“She doesn’t want me, Robbie.”
“Yes, she does. She just can’t see through her own pain to know it.”
Irene stepped up to the table and bent down, kissing Cade’s cheek. She slid a piece of paper in his hand and smiled at him.
“A good man knows what to do with that.”
