The man looked anything but comfortable. But he nodded and moved out of the room, Officer Tompkins leaving with him.

Neil’s gaze returned to Sydney, but she was looking away and he could feel the shakiness of her breathing. “I’m so sorry this happened, Syd.”

“You shouldn’t be apologizing. I’m the one whose brother—”

“I shouldn’t have let you leave the hospital like that. Especially after what I said, how it must’ve sounded. If I’m frustrated with anyone, it’s myself. She didn’t take the treehouse well.”

“What? Why?”

“It doesn’t matter. The point is, you are not the reason she had a heart attack. And believe it or not, somewhere deep under all my fear and every frantic thought I’ve had since it happened, I know I’m not, either. There’s a hundred things I wish I’d done differently, but Maggie wouldn’t want either one of us blaming ourselves.”

It took effort to say those words, to try to make himself believe them. But giving himself over to guilt, clinging to one regret after another, none of it would help Maggie through surgery.

But instead of easing at Neil’s assurance, Sydney stepped away from him. “I need to talk to Micah. And the police. I need to figure out what happens from here. I guess it’ll depend on what charges are pressed.” She moved toward the entryway. “They’ll want to talk to you too.”

“One thing I don’t get. Tate—what was he doing here?”

“He said the way things came to a head this afternoon had been killing him ever since.” There was a ghost of a smile in her voice. “He decided enough was enough, didn’t care how late it was. He knocked, heard me scream.”

Came to the rescue. He was grateful to the man even as it galled him that he hadn’t been the one who was here when Sydney needed him.

“Micah never did find the ring, so it’s unharmed,” she said, still walking away. “At least there’s that.”

“Syd—” He broke off, catching sight of what he’d missed when he’d first erupted into the house. In the entryway, by the doorway—a suitcase.

And his coat draped over the staircase banister.

She must’ve heard his sharp inhale, because she turned back to him, likely following his gaze and realizing what he’d just seen. “Neil—”

He could only shake his head.

“It’s for the best.”

No. No. “Like when Tate Carter let CarleeAnn walk away?” If the man heard his tumultuous words from the next room, he didn’t care. “I’m supposed to just shrug and watch you leave?”

“It’s not as if I want to. But Maggie’s going to have enough to deal with recovering from surgery.”

If she recovered. If she made it through . . . Oh God, please. Don’t even let my thoughts take me there. He couldn’t lose Maggie.

He couldn’t lose Syd. “You can help her recover. You’ve already helped her so much.”

“How? By reminding her every day that I’m not the granddaughter she lost? You all tried to tell me in different ways when I first got here that this would only end up in disappointment. You were right. But there’s more at stake now than emotions. There’s her health and healing. It’s better if I go.”