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I’ll call her and tell her how things went with Dad. I would love to hear her voice.
The phone rings a few times, then I get Maddie’s voicemail.
I end the call. She has good news she wants to tell me in person, so I’ll save mine for when we get together as well.
The next evening…
I’m driving along the winding road, the soft hum of the engine providing a comforting background to my thoughts. The sun is setting, casting a warm, orange glow across the landscape. Tonight is the night. The night I’ve been eagerly anticipating for several restless days. The night I’ll see Maddie again.
Uncle Joe is still sick, but Dad and I are good with my change of career. And Maddie… Maddie and I are…
In love, I hope. At least we are on my end. I can’t wait to say those three words to her again tonight. Maybe she’ll say them back this time.
As I steer through the gentle curves of the road, I can’t help but smile. It’s funny how life can take unexpected turns. I remember the first time Maddie and I talked when we were younger, how her laughter was like music, and her eyes held a spark of curiosity that drew me in. There she was, all this time, right in front of me.
I glance at my rearview mirror, checking my reflection. I want to look my best for her, even though she’s seen me at my most ordinary. Now that Dad is behind my change on the ranch and Uncle Talon has welcomed me aboard, the puzzle pieces are clicking together.
Maddie is the final piece.
A smile tugs at my lips again as I imagine her smile, the way her eyes light up when she sees me, the warmth of her touch. This is it, the real deal, and I couldn’t be happier.
I close my eyes for a moment, dreaming of the life we’ll forge tog?—
A deafening roar.
A massive truck swerves into my lane, its blinding headlights flooding my vision. Panic seizes my heart, and I grip the steering wheel, trying to swerve out of the way. But it’s too late. The truck barrels into me, and everything goes dark.
My consciousness slips away as if it’s been stolen. Time stops, and…
Silence.
Nothing but silence.
Then, a rush of sensations—the taste of blood, the throbbing pain in my head, the metallic smell of the twisted wreckage that used to be my car.
I try to move, but I can’t. Fear grips me.
“Maddie!” I call out her name, but my voice is weak, barely a whisper. All I can think about in this moment is her.
The girl I’ve fallen in love with.
The girl I was supposed to meet tonight.
As the darkness closes in around me, I cling to the hope that somehow, some way, I’ll see her again. I want to tell her how much she means to me, how my love for her burns brighter than anything I’ve ever known.
But for now, all I can do is hold on…
Pray that fate will give us another chance.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Maddie
This is so not happening.
I will not cry.
I’m dressed to kill, in a little black number that accentuates my curves. The Colorado winter is mild, so I even forwent wearing pantyhose, and I’ve got some gorgeous patent leather pumps on my feet.
