The Girl He Left Behind

Bill’s new wife, Melissa, had already given him a child. Will was eleven months old, and the twins were crazy about him. They were crazy about Melissa, too, whom they called Missy. For days, it was “Missy this” and “Missy that” after they’d spent a week with Bill. Their attachment to Bill’s new family was a continual source of disquiet to Eve. She worried that because she was a working mother with limited time, and Melissa was a stay-at-home mother who always had lots of time to bake and play with her two and their baby brother, that one day the twins would prefer to live with their father full-time.

How would she handle it if that happened? There was no way she’d agree, of course, but what good would refusing do her if the twins resented her for it? She didn’t want them by default. She wanted them to want to be with her.

Olivia was always telling her she worried way too much, that she borrowed trouble, but Eve couldn’t seem to help it. She was a worrier, always had been. “Anyway,” as she’d told Olivia just last week when they were discussing the scary possibility Eve might be laid off from the paper, “I don’t have to borrow anything. Trouble just seems to find me!”

Thinking about the twins and Bill and the whole rumored-layoff thing had pushed all thoughts of Adam Crenshaw out of her mind, but when she arrived home and saw the People magazine lying in the middle of her kitchen table, they came rushing back.

Did he ever think about her?

Wonder how she was doing?

Weigh those two little words—what if?

She doubted it. Because he had never, not once in all these years, tried to contact her. And unlike her failed attempts to call him in those early days, it would have been easy for him. After all, she had been here in Crandall Lake the entire time.

Quit torturing yourself. Throw the stupid magazine away. Adam Crenshaw lives in a different world, one you’ll never be a part of. And that’s the way it was always meant to be. You knew that at the time. You have built a good life here. You need to remember that and stop mooning over what might have been.

The magazine gave a satisfying thud as it hit the wastebasket.

Chapter Two (#ulink_702b32ad-f999-5ac8-b280-d4398b2d7693)

Donna had gotten him a seat on a red-eye arriving in Austin at one in the morning. As the plane banked, preparing to approach, Adam gazed down at the lights of the city. Although he was tired, he could never sleep while flying.

By the time they landed and Adam picked up his rental car, he knew it would be close to 3:00 a.m. before he arrived in Crandall Lake. Austin had wanted him to stay with him, but Adam didn’t like being in someone else’s home—he liked his privacy—so his brother had booked a room at the Crandall Lake Inn. Adam couldn’t help smiling wryly at the thought of him, a boy from the wrong side of the tracks, the eldest of the “wild Crenshaw boys,” actually staying at the posh inn. Of course, it might no longer be posh. He might find it had gone from its long-ago glory to a faded facsimile.

But as he pulled into the driveway of the three-story inn, he saw that it had retained much of its charm. In fact, it still looked elegant and the kind of place that attracted only the best. Adam wondered if he would be considered part of that elite circle now.

“Mr. Crenshaw? Welcome to the Crandall Lake Inn.” The young woman at the desk gave him a bright smile, and he could see the excitement in her eyes. “I hope you had a good trip.”

He nodded, returning her smile.

“We’re so happy you chose to stay with us,” she continued as she swiped his credit card and gave him his keys. “Your suite is on the second floor, with a river view.”

“Thank you.”

Because he had only brought one bag, plus his guitar, with him, Adam turned down the help of the bellman and went up to his suite on his own. When he opened the door, the first thing he saw was the grand piano in the far right corner of the living area, which was large and well lit, with a wide expanse of windows and French doors overlooking the river. He wondered if this was a special suite chosen especially for him. He doubted there’d be many grand pianos at the inn. He was happy to see it. If he ended up having to stay in Crandall Lake for a while, it would help him to have it there. When he was writing music, he preferred to sit at his own piano with his guitar nearby. He would have to remember to thank the manager in the morning.

To the left of the living area, an open door revealed the bedroom beyond. Setting his bag and guitar down, he walked over to the French doors, opened them and went out onto the wide balcony, where there were several wicker chairs and a table as well as potted plants. There was also another door leading into the bedroom beyond. The cool night air felt good, and the musical rush of the water below sounded soothing and perfect for sleeping.

He knew he should hit the sack immediately. He wanted to be at the hospital early in the morning, and he hadn’t slept much at all in the past twenty-four hours. But he was wound up and he also knew he wouldn’t fall asleep easily. Deciding a hot shower, followed by a glass of brandy from the minibar, might do the trick, he went into the bedroom and began shedding his clothes. First, though, he would text Austin, let him know he’d arrived and see if there was any change in their mother’s condition. Austin’s answer came within seconds.

Welcome home. Mom sleeping. No change. More tests tomorrow. See you in a.m.

Reassured, Adam headed for the shower. Ten minutes later, standing under the hot spray, he could already feel some of the tenseness leaving his muscles, and he slowly relaxed.

It was going to be interesting, being back in Crandall Lake. For the first time since he’d known he was coming, he allowed his mind to venture into the area he’d unsuccessfully attempted to banish from his thoughts many years ago.

Would he see her?

And if he did, what would he feel?

What did he feel?

He remembered how hurt he’d been by her decision. Her desertion. By the fact she had never tried to contact him afterward. When he’d discovered, a year or so later, that she’d gotten married scant months after he’d left for Nashville, he’d realized how right he’d been. She’d never really loved him. All she cared about was that family of hers. He’d been a fool to ever think otherwise.

Hell, he hoped he would see her.

And when he did, he would make it clear to her and anyone else in the vicinity that she meant absolutely nothing to him.

Less than nothing.

And when his mother was out of danger, he would persuade her to come and live with him, or at least to allow him to have a house built for her on his property in Tennessee. Then when he left Crandall Lake this time, he would not be back.

* * *

“I have something to tell you, Eve.”

Eve looked at Olivia, who sat at the kitchen table, a glass of red wine in front of her. Her tone seemed awfully serious. “Oh? Something happen?” Olivia constantly had problems with her mother-in-law, and lately the problems had seemed to be escalating.

Olivia nodded. “You could say that.”

Eve lowered the heat under her spaghetti sauce. “Cryptic doesn’t work with me, Liv. You know I suck at mysteries. I never know who dunnit.” Satisfied that her sauce would simmer while the pasta cooked, she poured herself some wine and turned to face her cousin and BFF, as the kids would say.

Olivia’s expressive brown eyes met Eve’s. “I almost called you yesterday, but decided this was something I had to tell you in person.”

Concern. That was what Eve was seeing. She frowned.

“Adam Crenshaw was at the hospital today,” Olivia said slowly.

The statement hit Eve like a blow to her stomach. Her mouth dropped open and she stared at Olivia. “A-Adam...is...is here? In Crandall Lake?” But he wasn’t supposed to be coming to Texas until September. In fact, Eve had planned to tell Olivia about his upcoming concert tour tonight.

Olivia’s eyes were soft with sympathy. She was the only one besides Bill who knew about Adam. Eve, in a low moment years ago, had finally told her cousin about him, but Olivia’d been sworn to secrecy. In fact, they never talked about him. Olivia, like Eve, understood it was better not to dwell on things that couldn’t be changed.

Eve, shaking inside, sank into the chair across from Olivia. Her cousin reached across the table and took Eve’s hand.

“Are you okay?” she said softly.

Eve swallowed. “I guess I have to be, don’t I?”

“Oh, hon, I know how you must feel. I’m sorry, but I knew you needed to know.”

Eve nodded. Olivia did know how she felt. Olivia had been through worse. She’d lost her beloved husband, Mark, four years ago when his helicopter crashed in Afghanistan. Thea, her little girl, had been born after he died. “Wh-what was Adam doing at the hospital?”

“He came because of his mother. She had a heart attack yesterday. Apparently, his brother called him, and Adam came home. He told me he got in late last night.”

“You talked to him?”

“Yes.” Olivia worked the day shift in Registration and Admissions at the Crandall Lake Hospital.