She stood on his front porch, her mouth hanging open.

What had just happened and why? She knew he was angry, but had no idea of the cause or what he meant by anything he’d said. Worse, she had a bad feeling that somehow her friendship with Keith had been permanently altered and not for the better.

She knocked, but he didn’t answer. After a few minutes, she retreated to her car. Despite the heat, she shivered. Not only did she feel foolish and exposed, she was afraid. She couldn’t say of what, but the knot of tension and worry sat like a rock in her belly and she had a bad feeling it wasn’t going away anytime soon.

twenty-four

Unity drove the entire way home waiting to cry. She’d already planned she would get off at the closest exit and pull safely into a parking lot to have her breakdown, only it never happened. Not the tears, not the regret, not anything but happy aftershocks from a night spent with Thaddeus.

When she arrived back in Willowbrook, she drove past her own place and headed to Silver Pines where she parked in front of Dagmar’s house. Her friend opened the door before Unity could knock and invited her in.

When they were seated on the sofa, coffee and a tray of cookies in front of them, Unity looked at her friend.

“I spent the night with Thaddeus.”

Dagmar didn’t look impressed. “You were there a couple of weeks ago, weren’t you?”

“I spent the night in his bed.”

Dagmar’s eyebrows rose. “Ah, that’s a different story. Tell me—” She looked away and then back at Unity. “Oh, dear. I’ve found a boundary I can’t cross.” She laughed. “While I want to hear my dear boy is a wonderful lover, we are just too close.” She smiled. “Just tell me everything worked out.”

Unity grinned at her. “It did. You don’t have to worry about him sullying the family name.”

“Oh, good. Are you all right?”

A logical question. “I am. I’m good. Last night was incredible.”

They’d made love several times and she’d slept in his arms. She had assumed it would be difficult for her to share a bed again, but she’d fallen asleep easily and had slept deeply until his roaming hands had awakened her in the most delicious way possible.

“I’m ready to let go,” she said firmly.

Dagmar didn’t look convinced. “Do you want to let go? Truly?”

“It’s time. I’ve learned that I’ve spent my whole life waiting. Waiting to marry Stuart, waiting for our lives to start, waiting to have children. I’ve followed rules that made no sense because I thought I was supposed to.” She swallowed. “I’ve wasted so much time I’ll never get back. I want more. I want a man who loves me and babies. I want to be happy. I don’t want to spend the next twenty years waiting to be old enough to move to Silver Pines so I can live out my life, waiting to die.”