BooksBarbecue
Back The Last Mile
Chapters (49)
  1. Also by
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Epigraph
  5. CHAPTER ONE
  6. CHAPTER TWO
  7. CHAPTER THREE
  8. CHAPTER FOUR
  9. CHAPTER FIVE
  10. CHAPTER SIX
  11. CHAPTER SEVEN
  12. CHAPTER EIGHT
  13. CHAPTER NINE
  14. CHAPTER TEN
  15. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  16. CHAPTER TWELVE
  17. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  18. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  19. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  20. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  21. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  22. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  23. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  24. CHAPTER TWENTY
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  34. CHAPTER THIRTY
  35. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  44. CHAPTER FORTY
  45. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  46. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  47. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  48. EPILOGUE
  49. Teaser chapter

Finally, Gage took hold of her shoulders and eased her away. “I don’t want you to love me, Abby. I just can’t deal with it.”

Pity washed through her. She didn’t want to make him suffer any more than he was already. But she had come this far. She might as well finish it.

“What happened that day on the bridge . . . Cassandra didn’t love you, Gage. She hated you.” He flinched. “That’s right. Cassie hated you because you didn’t love her in return. Because she couldn’t be happy living the life you lived, and you couldn’t be happy living any other way.”

Gage just stared.

“She knew what killing herself would do to you. Don’t you see? She did it to punish you. If she’d loved you, she never would have hurt you that way. It was a selfish, terrible thing to do.”

Abby rested her palm against his cheek. “I would never hurt you like that, Gage. I love you too much to ever do anything that would cause you so much pain.” She wiped a tear from her cheek. “Think about it, honey. Set yourself free.”

The lump in her throat was so painful she could barely swallow. Turning, she walked out of the living room.

Gage didn’t follow.

Abby hadn’t thought he would.

She cried all the way back to her apartment. By the time she got there, her eyes were gritty but dry. She had given Gage everything she had to give. She would always love him, but in some strange way, she finally felt free of him.

Tomorrow night, she would talk to Clay Reynolds. With his help, maybe she could set a new course, find something in life to interest her besides the adventures she wanted to share with Gage.

Abby told herself that as she lay in bed that night.

But deep in her heart, she wished she had stayed, wished she’d had one more night with Gage.

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

ABBY PUT ON A PAIR OF BEIGE SLACKS AND A LOOSE-FITTING GATHERED print top in pale shades of blue. She didn’t want to wear anything sexy. She wanted this to be a professional business meeting.

The supper she was making—baked chicken, baby yellow potatoes, and carrots, along with a crisp green salad—was healthy and not particularly impressive.

She wasn’t trying to impress Clay as a woman. She wanted their conversation to revolve around the opportunities his influence with the museum might provide.

The doorbell rang. Abby wiped her hands on a dish towel, straightened the apron tied around her waist, went to the door and pulled it open.

Clay smiled as he walked in, leaned over, and kissed her cheek. He presented her with a bouquet of pretty pink roses. Not the best start to a business meeting, but the flowers were lovely.