“So what do you think I should do?” Casey challenged, seriously hoping for an answer.
“I think you should figure out what it takes to make you happy. And then do it.”
“You make it sound so damned easy.”
“I never said it was easy. Heck, I’m still trying to decide what I want to do for the rest of my life. I just know it’s got to be something t
hat makes me look forward to getting up in the morning. Something I can be proud of. Something that reflects who I am and what makes me happy.”
Aaron had always been the more philosophical of the cousins. The one more prone to expressing his thoughts and emotions. The one who was always the most curious about what was around the next corner, most open to experience and change. Which probably explained why he’d tried half a dozen different jobs already in his short working life, Casey thought wryly. But Aaron always seemed to know what he wanted, even if he hadn’t quite found it yet. Casey realized he should try a bit harder to emulate his younger cousin. He needed to figure out once and for all what he wanted—and then go after it, despite the risk of disappointment or failure.
But did he really have the courage to walk away from his life here again? For good this time?
There were patches of snow on the sides of the roads when Natalie drove up the mountain toward the cabin. She was lucky that the temperatures had been high enough the day before to melt the snow on the roads, though she’d been warned to keep an eye out for icy spots in the shade.She was also fortunate that the cabin had been available for this impulsive weekend visit. She wouldn’t have put it past her aunt and uncle to rearrange any existing reservations on her behalf, but Aunt Jewel had assured her that they really had gotten a cancellation for the cabin. She’d sounded delighted when Natalie said she’d like to spend a couple of nights there to celebrate her thirtieth birthday.
Natalie felt a little guilty for treating herself to a solitary birthday celebration. Her mother had wanted her to come to Mississippi for the occasion, but she had demurred. After all, she’d spent Christmas there with her mother and stepfather, and though she’d had a pleasant enough time, she wasn’t eager to go back so soon.
Instead, she was going to spend her thirtieth birthday torturing herself with painful memories, as she had been for the past lonely weeks. She’d spent entirely too much time looking at the photographs she had taken of Casey, missing him, wondering if he was missing her. She’d rubbed the little broken-heart-shaped rock she’d picked up by the creek until she’d practically left fingerprints embedded in the smooth surface. And sometime during the past month or so, she had decided it was time for a major life change. She needed an evening of relaxation, a quiet walk in the woods, and a soothing soak in the hot tub to brace herself for all the questions to come.
Except for the random patches of snow, the cabin looked exactly as she remembered it. She bit her lip as the memories swept over her, making her wonder if she had made a mistake coming back here.
She slid out of her car and shut the driver’s door, deciding to bring her bags in a little later. She had taken two steps toward the front door of the cabin, when the sound of a dog barking stopped her in her tracks.
Surely that wasn’t…?
Drawn irresistibly toward the sound, she rounded the end of the cabin and looked toward the stream at the back of the property. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the reddish-brown and white dog loping toward her, his tail wagging in frantic welcome. “Buddy?”
The dog stood on his back legs, propping his front feet against her as he tried to lick her face. Laughing, she leaned down to hug him, not even caring that he was getting mud all over her jeans and coat. “What are you doing here?” she demanded, as if he could answer. “I hope you haven’t run away again.”
“Actually, he’s with me.”
She looked up slowly, her heart starting to pound so hard it made her a little dizzy. Keeping a hand on the dog to steady herself, she straightened, looking at the man who smiled at her from only a few feet away. “Casey.”
“Hi, Natalie.”
“I…can’t believe you’re here. I wasn’t expecting you.”
“I know. I hope it’s a good surprise.”
“But—how did you know?”
He laughed briefly. “Do you really have to ask? Molly told me you were going to be here.”
“Oh. Of course she did. So, why…?”
He took a step closer, his eyes locked with hers, the expression in his eyes achingly tender. “Damn, but I’ve missed you,” he said roughly. “I was planning to come to Nashville next week to see you, but when Molly told me you were coming here, I knew this was the right place to find you again.”
“You were coming to Nashville?” She was having a hard time thinking clearly, probably because of the shock of having him near her again. So close she had only to take a couple of steps to be in his arms. Almost quivering with the desire to take those steps, she asked, “Why?”
“Because I’ve missed you so much it’s been tearing me apart. I had to find out if there was any way I could change your mind about giving us another chance. You thought I was in a vulnerable place the last time we were together, maybe on the rebound, not in a position to know what I wanted. And maybe I wondered if you were right. Maybe that’s why I left without fighting harder to change your mind, because I needed to know for sure what I wanted.”
He shook his head firmly. “Well, it’s been almost two months now, Natalie, and my feelings haven’t changed. I still want to be with you. I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to convince you of how good we are together, even if it means moving to Nashville and finding a position there while you make up your mind.”
“That…wouldn’t do you any good,” she said unsteadily.
His eyes darkened and he seemed to brace himself for rejection. “You’re telling me there’s no chance?”
She swallowed, shaken by the raw emotion she saw in his face. “No. I’m telling you I don’t live in Nashville any longer. Or I won’t, after my lease runs out at the end of next month. I’ve already turned in my resignation at the firm.”