Chapter 17 #2
Sheridan shook her head and swallowed hard, trying so desperately to push down the doubt, the fear that maybe Wyatt did want this woman, had always wanted her. He’d never stopped loving her. “I don’t believe that. He wouldn’t.”
“He did,” Katie insisted, as she continued walking in a circle around her. She didn’t speak again, but her expression spoke volumes. She didn’t have to say anything. The look was enough and said, quite clearly, that she, Sheridan, wasn’t good enough, wasn’t pretty enough. “He doesn’t want you.”
The words echoed in her head, over and over again, and it struck her to the core. Still, she tried to disregard them, wanting to disbelieve Katie, wanting to put her trust and her faith in the man she’d fallen in love with. Her chin rose a notch. “That isn’t true. Wyatt loves me.”
Katie stopped in front of her, the smile on her face beautiful, but there was cruelty beneath that smile. She drew closer, hands on her hips. Dark eyes glittered with something Sheridan couldn’t define. “Are you sure?”
No, she wasn’t sure. She wasn’t confident like this woman seemed to be.
Being in love, being loved by someone, was so new to her, the emotions racing through her bringing her to either laughter or tears with no rhyme or reason.
It was frightening and exciting and confusing and left her full of doubt. How could Wyatt love a woman like her?
“Wyatt loves me.” Katie insisted. “He always has. He always will.”
How could she possibly fight this woman?
Fight for what she wanted? She just plain didn’t know how.
She’d never had to, had never been in love before, nor had she ever really stood up for herself, except that last time when she confronted her grandmother and Aunt Estelle.
And then, she’d done it because she’d hated the way her family had treated Wyatt, Delilah, and Royce.
She stared at the woman standing in front of her. She could feel the tears building behind her eyes, threatening to fall, but she’d be damned if she’d cry in front of her.
“You should leave. Pack your bags and take the next stagecoach out of Serenity. And don’t look back.” Again, the purring voice edged with steel. “You’ll be much happier not seeing Wyatt and me in town.”
“I…” Sheridan had no words, no defense against this woman’s conviction. All the old memories of how she hadn’t been wanted, hadn’t been loved, by people who were supposed to care for her came back with a vengeance and the pain in her chest exploded.
She left the house, quickly untied her rental horse’s reins from the porch railing and climbed into the saddle. She kicked his sides and raced toward town, trying so hard not to cry until she reached the privacy of her room. How could one be so happy one moment, then completely devastated the next?
Sheridan returned the horse to Mr. Yancy, who tried to engage her in conversation, but she just couldn’t—the tears were building, the lump in her throat constricting, preventing her from even being cordial.
She walked home, bereft, struggling with the heartbreak, and the inevitable tears.
She wished she’d never learned how to cry, because it was too easy now.
Life had been so much simpler, too, before she knew she could love and be loved in return.
She swiped at her eyes, furious with the tears filling them, then let herself into the kitchen, hoping to be alone.
Such was not to be. Lily, the most motherly and sympathetic of all the women in her house, was there, pouring tea into a cup from the ceramic teapot on the table.
Lily took one look at her and frowned, causing tiny wrinkles between her eyes. “What’s wrong? I thought you went out to the ranch to bring Wyatt lunch. Why are you home so soon?”
“I did,” Sheridan whispered, nearly choking on the words. “I…he…” She couldn’t finish the sentence over the effort of trying not to cry. Her lungs felt so tight, she could hardly breathe, let alone speak.
“What happened?”
There was such concern reflected on Lily’s face, that whatever control Sheridan had simply disappeared. She flung herself into Lily’s arms and let it all out, all the pain, all the betrayal, blubbering like an idiot against the woman’s soft shoulder.
Lily held her gently and patted her back in shared sympathy, letting her cry until she was almost all cried out—almost—and all that was left was a dry, hacking sound as she tried to breathe.
Lily pulled away to retrieve an embroidered handkerchief from the pocket of her robe and handed it to her. “Dry your tears. As someone who cried all the time because of my husband, I can tell you that no man is worth it.” She moved a chair away from the table. “Sit and tell me what happened.”
Dutifully, Sheridan did as she was told.
If anyone understood heartbreak, it would be Lily, who lived through her own.
Actually, any one of the girls would understand, as they’d all been through it, too.
And so had she. Perhaps, not a love affair gone wrong, but there were other ways to have one’s heart broken.
“Katie’s back,” she stated bluntly. A fresh wave of tears filled her eyes. She swiped them away angrily.
“Again? That woman keeps turning up like a bad penny. Or rather, looking for a hundred pennies and then some.” She scoffed, apparently knowing the woman as well as the whole story. “How do you know she’s back?”
“She was at the ranch, waiting for him. She had made herself quite at home, too!”
“I see.”
“She says Wyatt still loves her. I…I….believe her.”
Lily reached for her hand, offering whatever comfort she could, but still asked, “Why? Why do you believe her?”
“She was so confident, so filled with self-assurance.”
“She could be lying to you, Sheridan. That confidence could all be fake.”
Sheridan shook her head. “I don’t think so.
If you had seen her, you would understand.
” She sniffed, forcing her tears to stop, but it wasn’t working.
How does one stop crying when the whole world has fallen apart?
Still, she tried. “What do I do? I can’t stay here, which is strange, in a way.
When I first came to this house, I couldn’t wait to leave.
Now, I need to leave for an entirely different reason. ”
Lily nodded, her eyes aglow with a wisdom only one who knew pain could understand. “You love him.”
“I do,” she admitted. “With all my heart.”
Lily tilted her head to the side, her smile true, her eyes opening wide, lifting her brows. “Then fight for him.”
Sheridan shook her head. “She obviously still has his heart. I can’t fight that.
I just don’t know how. And what if I do try to fight for him and I lose?
I cannot bear the thought of seeing them in town together, laughing, loving each other.
I just…” She dabbed at her nose with the handkerchief, then inhaled as much as her lungs could hold and let it out slowly.
“No, my only recourse is to go back to New Orleans, back to the life I had. Or someplace else, somewhere where I don’t know anyone, and no one knows me.
Get a teaching position like I had before. ”
“I understand. I do.” Lily nodded, then squeezed her hand. “What will you do with the business?”
“I’ll still need to sell it.”
Lily tugged the edges of her robe together as she rose from her seat and grabbed another teacup. She poured tea into it and slid it across the table to her. “Sell it to us girls.”
“What?”
“We’ve been talking, the girls and I. Remember when I told you that Josie taught us all how to save and invest our money?”
Sheridan nodded, an inkling of hope blossoming in her heart despite the devastation consuming her. “I remember. My mother, apparently, was incredibly good with money.”
“Well, that’s what we’ve been doing. Saving and investing all these years. Between the five of us, we have enough to make you a fair offer. If you accept, then each of the girls will own a share of this house. Even Mrs. Gallagher will own a share.”
The answer was so simple, Sheridan wondered why she hadn’t thought of it before. “I accept your offer.”
“You do?”
“Yes, it makes perfect sense.”
“It does, doesn’t it? Mr. Applebaum—he’s such a nice man—can draw up the papers and then, you can go back to New Orleans, back to your old life, if that’s what you want to do.”
Is that really what she wanted to do? Go back to New Orleans after she fought so hard to stay here?
No, she didn’t want that, but she couldn’t stay here, either.
Sheridan cleared her throat, once again struggling with the urgent need to cry. “Have Mr. Applebaum send me the papers. I’ll let you know where once I’m settled. You can send my belongings there, too.”
“I hate to see you go.”
Sheridan sniffed as her gaze roamed over the woman who’d become such a good friend.
“I hate to go, but I just can’t stay here.
Tell the girls goodbye for me. I don’t think I can do it myself.
You’ve all become so important to me.” She rose from her chair and headed upstairs on legs that felt like stone.
She could make the afternoon stage if she only packed the bare essentials.
“I’m heading to the house.” Wyatt directed his comment to Hank, unable to keep the smile from his face.
Hank laughed. “Ah yes, it’s lunchtime and Sherry will be waiting for you.” He sobered quickly. “I’m so glad you made the right decision, Wyatt. I’ve never seen you happier.”
“Two more days!” he replied, still amazed that he was marrying Sheridan for real.
“I know. Mary has already pressed my suit so I can stand up for you. Twice. I think she’s just as excited as you. She’s been wishing you’d find someone for the longest time.”
“Well, she got her wish. My folks should be here tonight. I’m sure my mother has already planned the reception menu.” His grin widened. “I’ll be back.” He turned his attention to Duke. “You stay here with Hank.” The dog looked at him, then sat, his tail still wagging.