Page 19 of This Broken Heart

“She let Maven fall.”

“Did she push her?”

I huff a breath. “No.”

“Your dad let Maven fall off a hay bale last week.”

My eyebrows fly up. “He did what?”

“We didn’t mention it because you’re so overprotective.”

“I am not.”

“You are. You’d wrap those kids in bubble wrap if you could get away with it.” Mom steps closer. “Maven’s a precocious girl. She likes to explore. Climbing and falling go hand in hand. But that doesn’t mean you should stop her from trying.”

I get the feeling she’s not just talking about Maven anymore. Mom and dad have been incredibly patient with me, but they’re worried. It’s been two years and I think they just want to see me get on with my life.

The fact is, I’ll never get on with it. Ana took part of my heart with her. I’m happy with the life we had together. I don’t need more.

But the kids do. They deserve so much more, and I can’t raise them inside a mausoleum.

Even I can see that.

Mom has a sharp eye. She spots the crack in my defense and drives the point home. “I want you to march back in there and apologize. Get on your knees if you have to.”

“A little strong, don’t you think?”

“No, I do not think. That girl is perfect for this family, and you are not going to let her slip away. Not without putting up a good fight first.”

She literally pushes me towards the house.

I step inside but hesitate by the door.

What the hell am I supposed to say to the poor girl?

Her voice travels back to me. She’s singing some soft song.

She sounds… sad.

No surprise there. Some surly farmer was just a complete dick to her.

I stop in the kitchen doorway, watching her work at the sink. She’s scrubbing Ana’s mixing bowl, handling it like it's made from spun glass.

I’m almost hyper aware of her now.

Her scent fills the kitchen, like peaches and cream.

She seems to sense me watching her, turning to look at me with wary eyes.

I run a hand through my hair. “I think we should talk.”

13.

Erin

I don’t want to talk to him.

We already talked.