Page 53 of Hard Rain Coming

But that week had turned into a month. And then more months had passed. Her family was close-lipped, and even Benton didn’t know much about his sister’s whereabouts. Pretty soon, the only thing he’d wanted, the one woman who filled up the spaces inside him, was gone, and she never came back. It was easy to be angry and let her take the fall. To believe she’d left him without so much as a word or goodbye.

He’d been an idiot.

Head hung, he stared at the note until her words blurred. Until that anger in him faded and he was left with nothing but a whole lot of emptiness. Until he was left with one conclusion. He’d failed her. Her father had failed her.

And it was up to them to make it right.

Chapter Seventeen

Vivian spent a lot of time thinking about her next move. It consumed her. She prowled the house for hours, mind on things she hadn’t thought about in years and plans she hadn’t dared dream of until now. When the sun rose on the second day after she’d left Dallas at his place, she packed a small bag and wrote two letters.

The first was for her brother Benton. She apologized for taking the large, heavy-duty ranch truck, but with most of the roads still in bad shape from the storm, she couldn’t chance anything else. Vivian told Benton she’d arrange to have it brought back when she was done with it. She told him to give Nora a kiss and to let the little girl know she’d see her soon, and that she’d left Lily in their house for the girl to look after. She didn’t give a return date because she had no idea when it would be. The only thing she was sure of was that this time, she wasn’t leaving like a thief in the night.

And that she’d be back.

The second note was for Dallas. Her eyes blurred as she read it over, making sure she got everything right.

Dallas,

I know what I told you was a shock. I’ve pictured the moment many times, but honestly never thought it would happen. I didn’t think I was strong enough to tell the truth. Partly because I’m ashamed of it. Of what happened between my father and myself. Of that last night when I followed you to Big Bend. Of the things we said to each other. Even after all this time.

I didn’t realize that it would be years before I came back. That it would take Benton getting hurt and Scarlett getting married for me to take those steps. There are still things I can’t face. Things that are painful. I don’t know if I can ever forgive my father for the things he said and did.

But seeing you again has made me realize there are some things I can’t run from anymore. Some things I need to face on my own. Because I think that only then will I have some kind of chance at happiness. I don’t want to live only half a life anymore. My mom would want so much more for me.

Don’t be mad that I left. I mean, for all I know, you might be okay with it. But I will be back. And maybe together we can close the door to a past that wasn’t always kind.

Anyway, I don’t know if any of this makes sense.

Viv

Was there anything left to say?

Of course there was. But they were words that wouldn’t cross her lips again. Not yet, anyway. With a heavy sigh, Vivian folded the letter into an envelope and left it on the kitchen table. She headed out into the brilliant sunshine and made the first move at reclaiming her life.

The flight to Louisiana was delayed twice due to weather, and it was nearly midnight by the time Vivian deplaned. It took nearly an hour to grab her luggage and rental car, and by the time she pulled up to the B and B in Belle Adair, it was nearly three a.m. She’d sent them an update so the owner, a woman named Miss Callie, knew she was checking in much later than she should have been. Luckily, the lady was understanding, and as Vivian slid from her car and stretched, she was happy to see the porch light on.

Miss Callie had given her the code to the front door, with instructions on how to get to her room on the upper level. Said she could check in officially when the sun was up.

Inside the house, the lighting was muted, so she didn’t get a good look around, but then Vivian was so damn tired, all she could think about was a bed and a pillow, and, hopefully, at least six hours of dreamless, uninterrupted sleep.

Her accommodations were beautiful. Up two flights of stairs, it was one of two rooms in a converted loft. Decorated in light blues, creams, and whites, it was spacious, with a kitchenette, seating area, and private bathroom. The bed was king-size, with sheer draped material hanging from four bedposts. If she weren’t so damn tired, she would have taken more time to enjoy the space.

Vivian splashed water over her face, tossed her clothes onto one of the overstuffed chairs near the large window, and fell into bed. She was asleep within minutes, and it was nearly noon before she rolled over and squinted against the bright sun that fell in from two windows. She rubbed at the sleep that made it hard to see. After blinking a few times, she stared up at the ceiling as she took stock of her situation.

She was here. She was really doing this.

Her stomach churned at the thought. With a groan, she slid from bed and headed into the shower. There was no time or space to be weak or flip-floppy. She was done sitting in the back seat when it came to her life. From now on, she was driving that particular train, even if things got rough and she went off the rails.

It was nearly one in the afternoon when she made her way downstairs and over to the front desk located in the foyer. A woman sat there, her shiny silver hair pulled into an expertly done chignon, her delicate features relaxed as she read a book and sipped from a crystal glass. She was older for sure, but her bone structure was timeless and made it hard for Vivian to guess her age.

The woman glanced up as Vivian came to a stop, and soft blue eyes smiled up at her as she got to her feet.

“Why, you must be our midnight visitor.” Her voice was soft, propped up by a slow Southern drawl. “I’m Miss Callie.”

“Hello,” Vivian replied with a smile. “It was a bit later than midnight, and I’m embarrassed that I only got up an hour ago.”

“Don’t be embarrassed by sleep, sugar. Our bodies tell us when we need it, and obviously, you did.” She moved toward the computer. “Now, let’s get you officially on the books, and then I’ll tell you anything you need to know about Belle Adair while you have some luncheon. We serve until two o’clock, so you’ve got time.”