“I just can’t.” I take a deep breath. “I love him, but damn it, it’s been a shitty week, and I don’t want to talk about him. Just thinking about him hurts.”

“He’s a moron,” Van says, shaking her head, and I just nod in agreement.

“You know what you need?” Charly asks.

“A lobotomy so I can forget how great we had it for a little while? Because it was so great.” I hate myself for falling apart like this. I sit on the couch and hang my head in my hands, just crying. “He was so sweet and I miss him, you guys. I miss his hands, and I miss the way he wouldn’t touch me when I was sleeping so I didn’t get too hot.”

“Wow, I love it when a guy does that,” Charly says.

“I just can’t get the image of him with that woman out of my head,” I continue. “I mean, he hadn’t even broken up with me yet before he moved on.”

“What if I told you that it’s not what you think?” Van asks. “And that he loves you, too.”

“I’d say I don’t know,” I reply honestly. “I just don’t know. I thought I knew him, and then he just… threw me. So frankly, I don’t know what I want. I have a lot on my plate right now, and I just feel overwhelmed. I definitely don’t want him to see me like this.”

“No,” Charly agrees. “I think I have a good idea. You should get away, even if it’s just for a couple of days. Take some time to think. Think about what you want, for you. Then come back and have it out with Declan.”

“I don’t think he’ll want to wait that long to talk to you,” Van says.

“Well, it’s not all up to him, is it?” I reply. “I wanted to see him all week, and he blew me off. So he can wait.”

“Atta girl,” Charly says.

“But I don’t really have anywhere to go,” I add.

“We do,” Van says. “I’ll call Gabby. You should go to the inn for a couple days. It’s quiet there, and it’s out of the city.”

“You guys do remember that it’s your brother that is no longer my boyfriend, and that the thinking I have to do involves whether or not I want to even see his face again?”

“I wonder whether I ever want to see his face again all the time,” Charly says, waving me off.

“We love Declan, Callie,” Van adds, “but I really think he’s messed up here. I like you. I want you two to work it out because I think you’re really good for him. But whether you end up together or not, you’re our friend, and we’d make the same offer to any other friend that we care about.”

“What she said,” Charly says.

God, I’m an emotional mess. What did I do to deserve these sweet women? I bite my lip, but can’t stop the tears from flowing as I simply nod and then say, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Go pack a bag.”

Charly’s already dialing the phone. “Hey Gab, we’re sending Callie to you. Declan’s being a man.”

***

Van was right; it’s very quiet at the inn. I’ve been here for two days. I’ll go home later today, and I’ve loved every minute that I’ve been here.

“Your cinnamon rolls are the best, Gabby,” I say as I watch her knead the dough for the delicious pastries for the next morning.

“Thanks,” she says with a smile. “It’s my mama’s recipe, and it’s usually a big hit.”

“I think I’ve gained ten pounds in the past two days, just from eating too many,” I reply, patting my belly.

“I don’t see any pounds on you, but it does look like a few might have been lifted off your shoulders,” Gabby says and sets the bowl of dough aside to rise, as my phone begins to ring incessantly, just like it did yesterday.

“I had to turn this damn phone off yesterday, and it looks like the same thing’s going to have to happen today.” I glare down at Declan’s name as another text comes in. Without saying a word, Gabby reaches over and takes it from me, then sets it in the fridge.

“Trust me,” she says. “It works.”

“It stops ringing when it’s cold?” I ask.

“No, you can’t hear it when it’s in the fridge,” she replies with a laugh. “Just don’t forget that it’s in there. I’ve done that. Not a good idea.”

I laugh and shrug. Hey, I could use a couple of quiet hours, without the ringing phone in my hand.

“Where’s the baby?” I ask, itching to get my hands on her again. She’s such a sweet little thing, and she smells so good.

“Mama took her last night,” Gabby says with a sigh. “Sam was off to school this morning, and I had two whole hours alone with my husband. It was bliss. But I miss the little stinker. Mama should be back with her soon. You’re sure good with babies.”

“I love babies,” I reply and grin. “I know, I don’t look like the type.”

“Why? Because you’re a strong woman who dresses like a badass? Seems to me you’d be a great mother and wonderful role model for any child.”

I blink at her and have to swallow hard. “Thank you.”

“How are you feeling?” she asks kindly.

“I’m… better.”

“Come to any conclusions?” She grabs two oatmeal raisin cookies and passes one to me.

“I guess I can’t really make any decisions without talking to him,” I reply and bite into the cookie as she nods in agreement.

“Probably a good idea,” she replies. “I tried to figure out my situation with Rhys without Rhys, and boy, did he ever put me in my place when he got his hands on me." She smiles smugly. “I guess that if a decision is being made that involves another person, they should be in on that decision too.”

“I agree, but he’s the one who shut me out last week.”

“Daddy always said, two wrongs just means that you’re both stupid.” She laughs. “He was a blunt man.”

“Sounds like it.” I sigh and take another cookie when she offers it. Yep, I’m going to need some serious time in the gym when I leave here. “Maybe he’s right.”

“He usually was, much to my chagrin.” We both look out the window above the sink when we hear a car pull up. “There’s Mama now.”

“I’ll be sure to say hello to her before she leaves. But in the meantime I’m going to enjoy my last couple of hours here and take a walk.”

“Have you seen the old slave quarters out back?” Gabby asks. “Rhys and I also added a confederate army camp site out back too, where we think the original site was.”

“The confederates camped here?” I ask, amazed.

“They camped just about everywhere along the Mississippi,” she replies with a nod. “Best I could tell, from old diaries that the women kept, we got it right. And let me tell you, it wasn’t a hardship to watch Rhys work with his shirt off, digging some holes and setting up the tents.”

“I’m sure that wasn’t a horrible thing to watch.” I laugh. “I love that you’re still so much in love.”

“It’s only been a year. And honestly, I fall more in love with him every day. I know, it sounds corny, but I can’t help it.”

“It doesn’t sound corny. I think that’s how it’s supposed to be. Okay, I’m going to wander out there, then through the garden.”

“Perfect day for it. Fall’s settling in.”

I nod, wave, and while chewing on the last of my cookie, I wander out back, down a path that leads me through several huge old oaks, like the ones out in front of the house. There are several small cabins lined up that Gabby has preserved in their original conditions, with genuine artifacts that were found around the grounds where the cabins originally stood. Plexiglas covers the windows and doors, so guests can look in without disturbing anything.

Plaques stand near each cabin, describing what slave life was like here on the plantation two hundred years ago. She’s included photocopies of original sales receipts when her ancestor bought or sold each slave. The documentation is striking and amazing.

How incredible is it that all of this was preserved and saved all of this time? It’s a true treasure for the family. How would it feel to belong to a history as vast and as old as this one? To know that no matter where you end up in the world, this is where you belong?