process this, let alone react to it. I
have nothing. I have literally nothing.”
“ Literally
Nothing . Andy Peters – ”
“Jackson,
stop!”
“I’m
just trying to lighten the mood.”
“It
isn’t even close to working.”
“Faith.”
He pulled himself into a sitting position and paused, waiting for her to respond.
“Faith, look at me.” She uncovered her eyes, taking one last glance at the
peacefulness of the tree, and sat up, running her hand through her unruly curls
and clearing away the stray pieces of grass. “It’ll be okay.”
“I’ve
heard that before,” she mumbled.
“I
know. From me. And I always keep my promises, right?”
She
looked at him critically – the friendly smile, the kind eyes – and replied with
the optimism he deserved instead of the cynicism she felt. “Yeah, you do.”
“Not
much enthusiasm but I’ll take it.” He opened his briefcase and took out a
manila envelope. “Here. You need to sign these.”
“What
are they?” she asked, reaching for them automatically.
“Divorce
papers.” Faith recoiled, snatching her hand back. “Did you not see this
coming?” he asked.
“I
did not see this coming.” She’d just begun thinking about Dustin and her
together, now he wanted to cleave them apart again. Her mind was suffering from
whiplash. “This is too much. This is just too damn much.”
They
stretched into silence. “Do you want to stay married to him?” Jackson asked in
a gentle voice, his hand reaching for her shoulder.
“No!”
She opened her mouth in shock, aghast even at the thought. “I just… I just…”
His eyes were so kind, and she remembered that he was one of the only people she
ever let see her brokenness, the one she hid behind songwriting labels. She
closed her eyes and finished on a whisper. “I left him once and never went
back because I wasn’t sure I could walk away again. I don’t know if I can make
that decision.” Ten years later – did she feel differently or exactly the
same?
“It’ll
be okay,” he murmured. He reached his hand up to her cheek and pulled her in
close, placing a kiss against her temple. “You don’t have to do anything you
don’t want to.”
She
brushed her fingers against his elbow, comforted by the feel of his Italian
suit. “Thank you.”
He
leaned his cheek against the top of her head. “But we need to do something. I’ll
get a process server out to his house tomorrow morning. Divorce lawyers and
threat of lawsuit if he doesn’t sign or tries to contact you. You never have
to see him again.”
“No,”
Faith said on a sigh, the sound reluctantly pulled out of her. She pulled away
from Jackson and cast a glance back to the small citrus grove on the edge of
her property, her yard rimmed with lemons. “I have to go. I have to see it
again. I don’t think I can move on unless I see it again.”
Jackson’s
eyebrows knit together. “See what?” But then he followed her gaze and nodded.
“You want to see the tree.”
“Drunken
Faith really did tell you everything, didn’t she?”
“I
think so. But I’m going to go rent the movie just to be sure.”
Chapter 6
Faith
pulled her car off the highway onto a narrow dirt road you had to know was there
to find. Dust flew up around her cute little Audi, and she cursed at her own
foolishness – but still didn’t raise the top on her car. She’d wanted to feel
the wind in her hair, remember what the freedom of the country was like. This
was the only remembering she was going to allow herself, and she was going to
soak up every minute of it
There
was a moment of indecision as the car ricocheted over a hole in the road – would
they even still be here? But that was her guilt talking. The Andrews family
had owned the property for decades; there was no way they’d part with it.
Dustin might be living in the city romancing blondes and singing in
have nothing. I have literally nothing.”
“ Literally
Nothing . Andy Peters – ”
“Jackson,
stop!”
“I’m
just trying to lighten the mood.”
“It
isn’t even close to working.”
“Faith.”
He pulled himself into a sitting position and paused, waiting for her to respond.
“Faith, look at me.” She uncovered her eyes, taking one last glance at the
peacefulness of the tree, and sat up, running her hand through her unruly curls
and clearing away the stray pieces of grass. “It’ll be okay.”
“I’ve
heard that before,” she mumbled.
“I
know. From me. And I always keep my promises, right?”
She
looked at him critically – the friendly smile, the kind eyes – and replied with
the optimism he deserved instead of the cynicism she felt. “Yeah, you do.”
“Not
much enthusiasm but I’ll take it.” He opened his briefcase and took out a
manila envelope. “Here. You need to sign these.”
“What
are they?” she asked, reaching for them automatically.
“Divorce
papers.” Faith recoiled, snatching her hand back. “Did you not see this
coming?” he asked.
“I
did not see this coming.” She’d just begun thinking about Dustin and her
together, now he wanted to cleave them apart again. Her mind was suffering from
whiplash. “This is too much. This is just too damn much.”
They
stretched into silence. “Do you want to stay married to him?” Jackson asked in
a gentle voice, his hand reaching for her shoulder.
“No!”
She opened her mouth in shock, aghast even at the thought. “I just… I just…”
His eyes were so kind, and she remembered that he was one of the only people she
ever let see her brokenness, the one she hid behind songwriting labels. She
closed her eyes and finished on a whisper. “I left him once and never went
back because I wasn’t sure I could walk away again. I don’t know if I can make
that decision.” Ten years later – did she feel differently or exactly the
same?
“It’ll
be okay,” he murmured. He reached his hand up to her cheek and pulled her in
close, placing a kiss against her temple. “You don’t have to do anything you
don’t want to.”
She
brushed her fingers against his elbow, comforted by the feel of his Italian
suit. “Thank you.”
He
leaned his cheek against the top of her head. “But we need to do something. I’ll
get a process server out to his house tomorrow morning. Divorce lawyers and
threat of lawsuit if he doesn’t sign or tries to contact you. You never have
to see him again.”
“No,”
Faith said on a sigh, the sound reluctantly pulled out of her. She pulled away
from Jackson and cast a glance back to the small citrus grove on the edge of
her property, her yard rimmed with lemons. “I have to go. I have to see it
again. I don’t think I can move on unless I see it again.”
Jackson’s
eyebrows knit together. “See what?” But then he followed her gaze and nodded.
“You want to see the tree.”
“Drunken
Faith really did tell you everything, didn’t she?”
“I
think so. But I’m going to go rent the movie just to be sure.”
Chapter 6
Faith
pulled her car off the highway onto a narrow dirt road you had to know was there
to find. Dust flew up around her cute little Audi, and she cursed at her own
foolishness – but still didn’t raise the top on her car. She’d wanted to feel
the wind in her hair, remember what the freedom of the country was like. This
was the only remembering she was going to allow herself, and she was going to
soak up every minute of it
There
was a moment of indecision as the car ricocheted over a hole in the road – would
they even still be here? But that was her guilt talking. The Andrews family
had owned the property for decades; there was no way they’d part with it.
Dustin might be living in the city romancing blondes and singing in
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