Chapters (62)
- Cover
- Half Title Page
- Books by Katie Powner
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
- Back Ads
- Back Cover
“We need to talk about the future.” He raised two fingers in the standard country-road salute as another truck drove by in the other lane. “I’m just not sure what he’s thinking.”
“Grandma can’t stay out here.” Bea turned to him. “She needs to come live at the house.”
“I can’t watch her all the time.”
“I’ll watch her.”
Mitch huffed. He couldn’t agree to that. Couldn’t expect Bea to take on his mother’s care.
“You’re not going to be around much longer, so then what?”
She narrowed her eyes. “You’re trying to get rid of us again?”
His heart squeezed. That was the last thing he wanted. It had been miserable having her gone the past two years. But . . .
“Do you really want to live with your dad forever?”
Bea moved a hand to her stomach. “We’ll find a place in town.”
It’d be a dream come true for him, wouldn’t it? Keeping her close. Watching over her. A bubble of hope began to rise in his chest.
Bea gave a confident nod. “Then I’d be available anytime.”
The bubble popped. Mitch turned onto the gravel drive. Anytime? Sure, except when she had to work or take care of her baby. She had no idea what kind of commitment that was going to be. “You can’t just give up your own life.”
Her eyes flashed. “You can’t just shut me out of this like you did with Mom.”
Oh yes, he could. If that’s what was best for her. “We don’t even know what your grandfather’s going to say.”
“You need to tell him I want to help.”
Mitch grunted but didn’t respond. He couldn’t tie Bea down like that. He wouldn’t. It was his job to protect her, just like when Caroline was diagnosed. Whether she liked it or not.
“Even If It Breaks Your Heart” by Eli Young Band came on the radio, and Mitch glanced over at his daughter. The song was about never giving up on your dreams, but all he could think about was whether he was willing to break his own heart for Bea’s sake and tell her he didn’t want her staying in Moose Creek. Could he really push her away like that?
There was already a distance between them he didn’t know how to breach—a distance he had caused—but if he told her she shouldn’t stick around, told her she could have no part in her grandmother’s care, she might leave and never come back. That wasn’t what he wanted. But what he wanted hadn’t mattered when Caroline was sick, and it didn’t matter now.
