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“I beg your pardon?”
“Don’t leave. Not yet. Give it a few more days. I’m sure she’ll show up again. You just have to have a little faith.”
“Henry,” she said softly, almost patronizingly, “I’ve been putting too much faith into finding her already. It’s time I actually do something.”
“What do you mean?”
Rachel shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe I need to hire a private investigator. At least I have a starting point. But the longer I wait, the harder it’s going to become to find her again. I can’t waste any more time here, hoping she’ll show up. Deep down, I think you know that.” Her brows creased and she reached out to touch his forearm. “I get the feeling that there was something between the two of you. I mean, why else would you come looking for me?” Her empathetic smile tore him to shreds. They both cared about Athena. They both wanted her back safe.
He nodded, unable to speak.
“If I find her, I’ll let you know.” She patted his arm once more, then turned toward the setting sun. “It was nice to see one more sunset where my sister once sat. Maybe I’ll come back to visit again. This place really grows on you.” She gave him one more smile and then brushed past him to head for the house.
That was that. No more Athena. No more Rachel.
Yes, there was a chance Rachel would find her sister. But if Athena didn’t want Henry to find her, then what else could he do but let her be?
28
Athena
“Well? Are you going to go up there? That’s the house, ain’t it?”
Athena remained glued to her seat despite Christopher urging her to get out. All her belongings were in the truck just in case she was welcomed back. Never before had she thought she’d feel like she could be compared to the prodigal son. And yet here she was, fighting her reckless ways to come back to the only place that had felt like home since before she could remember.
“You won’t figure out if you’re welcome if you don’t knock on that door.”
“I know,” she said quietly.
“Then you might as well get out of the truck. I can’t sit here all day. I have a hair appointment.”
Athena let out a sharp laugh and looked at the man who had managed to weasel into her heart in such a short amount of time. “I cut your hair last week.”
“That’s why I need it done again. You did a shoddy job.”
She gasped. “I told you I didn’t know how to cut hair.”
He chuckled before turning his gaze to the house. “It’s not quite what I expected. You said twelve of them live here?”
“Some of them have moved out. It’s hard to keep track,” she said softly, following his gaze. “It’s bigger than it looks.”
Christopher pressed his lips together, the creases in his face deepening as he seemed to consider her words. “Well, if this is home for you, the only way you’re going to get it back is by taking those first steps.”
“I’m gonna do it, sheesh!” Her eyes darted to meet his. “But if they don’t want me—”
“I’ll be just down the street. You don’t have to worry about that. I’ll wait for thirty minutes, and if you don’t come, then I’ll know to go.”
Thirty minutes didn’t seem nearly long enough for her to make amends and ask for her room back. These people might feel like family to her, but she was nothing more than a stranger to them—except for Henry. She’d shared so much of her life with him that she couldn’t think of a single thing she hadn’t told him. The only things he didn’t know, she also had no clue about.
There was only one bit of her past that he had access to that she’d refused. Her family.
Her real family.
Athena took in a shuddering breath, but it didn’t do any good. She couldn’t get a handle on her nerves. While she thought she knew Henry well enough, she couldn’t say for certain if he would take her back. The others would take cues from him—maybe not Hudson. He didn’t seem to care if she left or if she stayed. He just didn’t want her to string his brother along.
She could barely breathe as she reached for the door handle. Pausing before she pushed the door open, she glanced over to Christopher. “Thank you,” she whispered. “For everything.”
His warm smile was the only thing that made this moment feel less intimidating. “You’re going to do great.” Then he jerked his chin toward the back seat. “I gave you a little extra with your wages this week. I hope it helps you get off on the right foot.”
