Chapter 29

Diana flagged down Grace at the market. “Where’s your brother? I went to your house after I left the hospital, but he wasn’t there. And he’s not picking up his phone.”

“Off being moody somewhere,” Grace replied with a wry smile. “Probably blaming himself for what happened.”

Diana bit her lip. He was likely reliving Peggy’s death. She could feel it in her bones—he needed someone. He needed her.

“Do you have any idea where he might be?”

Grace’s eyes softened. “I know exactly where he is. We have a little family cottage down by the lake—about an hour south. It’s his favorite thinking spot.” She gave Diana a wink. “Go get him.”

Without a second thought, Diana jumped into her car and drove, the road blurring beneath her tires as her heart pounded. She needed to see him. To tell him he wasn’t alone.

When she arrived, the sun had begun to dip toward the horizon. The air smelled like pine and water. She spotted Steve sitting by the lake, his shoulders slumped, his silhouette framed by the golden wash of late afternoon. A sigh of relief left her lips. Grace had been right.

From the first day she met him, Steve had stood by her side. And now, she’d doubted him. Let fear get the best of her. She hated that she’d even entertained the thought that he could betray her. If anyone in the world was loyal, it was Steve—the man who had clung to his wife’s dream long after she was gone.

He was everything Diana never believed a man could be. Steady. Compassionate. Devoted. Yes, maybe he tried to protect the people he loved a little too fiercely, but wasn’t that a reflection of his heart?

“And I want to be with him,” she whispered, surprised by her own words. She slapped a hand over her mouth, but it was too late. It was the truth. She stepped forward, her heart fluttering in her chest.

Steve tossed a stone into the water. The splash rippled outward across the surface of the lake. In his mind, the faces of the kids from Equal Opportunity danced before him—bright, hopeful, vulnerable. Closing the program would be a disservice to them.

But what about Nancy? And Peggy?

Memories twisted through him like wind through trees. Peggy’s laughter echoing across the water, her off-key singing as he strummed his guitar, the feel of her fingers brushing his. Her face was imprinted on his soul.

He sat on a smooth rock, staring out at the lake, and began to speak aloud. At first, Diana thought he had seen her—but then she realized: he wasn’t talking to her. He was talking to Peggy.

“Hi, Peg,” he murmured, his voice raw. “It’s been a while, huh? I’m sorry. Time’s just been slipping away lately. It’s strange how life keeps moving. After you died ... I didn’t know how to go on. I didn’t want to go on.”

His voice cracked. Diana could see tears streaking down his cheeks, falling silently onto the rock beneath him.

“You were my whole world. I thought I’d spend the rest of my life with you, and then you were just ... gone. I couldn’t breathe. For so long, I felt like I was walking around with half a heart. We had some amazing years, didn’t we? Full of love, laughter, even when things got tough. You were my best friend. My soulmate.”

He paused, covering his mouth as more tears fell.

“I need you to know something. I will always love you. Always. But I’m tired of being alone. I miss having someone to come home to. Someone to talk to ... to hold. I miss the intimacy, the connection. And you knew how much I wanted kids. We fought about that the night you died.”

His breath hitched, and he braced himself with his hands on his knees. Diana felt her own tears rising, her throat tight.

“For a long time, I thought I’d never love again. Grace kept nudging me, telling me to date, but it all felt wrong. Then ... I met her. Her name is Diana.”

He smiled a little, looking down at his hands.

“I think you’d like her. She’s passionate, kind, a little stubborn, and she challenges me in ways I didn’t know I needed. She makes me feel like the sun came out after years of rain.”

Diana’s lips trembled. Her heart swelled with love and grief and something new—hope.

“She loves those kids at Equal Opportunity. Just like you did. Don’t worry, I’m not going to close it down. Diana wouldn’t let me. But I will fight for better safety measures. Probably hire a security guard. This time, the board will listen. She’ll help me. I trust her.”

He lowered his head, his next words nearly a whisper.

“I think I’m ready to love again. I’m not replacing you, Peg. I could never. But I’m moving forward, not moving on. You’ll always be a part of me ... but I know you’d want me to be happy again. To find someone who makes me laugh. Who holds me when I need it.”

He paused again—then froze.

A quiet sound behind him. The presence of someone close.

Steve turned slowly—and there she was. Diana. Smiling through her tears.

“Steve,” she breathed, her voice catching. “I’m sorry ... I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I just ... I couldn’t interrupt.”

“You’re here,” he whispered, rising to his feet.

She rushed to him, arms wrapping around his chest like a harbor, anchoring them both. She breathed him in—the warmth, the comfort. It felt like home.

“I love you,” he whispered. “I’m sorry I tried so hard to protect you. I didn’t mean to smother you. I just—needed to keep you safe.”

Diana smiled, brushing her fingers down his cheek. “You know ... having someone who cares enough to want to protect me? That’s not such a bad thing.”