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I nodded, understanding more than she knew. This wasn’t easy for any of them, but they were holding it together, and that was what mattered.
When we reached the entrance, the staff greeted us warmly, leading Neil’s dad inside with practiced ease. They knew how to handle situations like this, but that didn’t make it any less gut-wrenching for the family watching it all happen. I stayed back, letting Neil, Bessie,and their mom have their moments, offering quiet support from the sidelines.
Neil caught my eye once, only a glance, but it was enough to tell me how much he appreciated me being there. I gave him a slight nod, a silent promise that I’d be there for him through this, no matter how tough it got.
This was the beginning of a new chapter for Neil’s family, one filled with challenges and adjustments. But I knew one thing for sure—I wasn’t going anywhere. I’d be there for Neil, for all of them, for as long as they needed me.
Chapter Twenty-Six
NEIL
The driveback home was suffocating and silent. The kind of silence that felt heavy, pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe. I kept my eyes on the road, the world outside the car a blur of muted colors, Mom and Bessie as quiet as me. Connor followed in his car with Eric and Jason. We theoretically had time to process, but none of us said a thing.
Leaving Dad at the care home had been one of the hardest things I’d ever done. Seeing him so vulnerable, so … diminished, it was like watching a giant crumble before my eyes. Dad had always been this larger-than-life figure—strong, capable, unshakeable. And now? Now he was a shell of that man, lost in a world where I couldn’t reach him, not really.
I couldn’t reconcile the man who had been so strict, the sheriff who had always stuck to the letter of the law, with the one who admitted he’d lied to cover up a death. Did Dad know what Edward had done to his wife? That was a question I knew we’d never get an answer to, andno matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t understand his motives. The more I thought about it, the more it twisted me up inside. How could the man I looked up to, the one who taught me right from wrong, have crossed such a line? It was a part of him I’d never truly grasp, and it left me with a knot in my chest I wasn’t sure would ever untangle.
How did I stop the grief and disappointment from breaking down my walls?
Bessie elected to stay with Mom tonight, so after dropping them both off, I headed home and parked next to Connor’s SUV in the driveway. I killed the engine and sat there, gripping the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white. Now what?
Eventually, I forced myself out of the car, my legs feeling like lead as I trudged to the front door. Connor opened the door for me, and as soon as I stepped inside and the door clicked shut behind us, the weight of the day crashed over me like a tidal wave.
Connor didn’t hesitate. He reached out, tugging me closer, and before I knew it, I was in his arms, my face buried in the crook of his neck. The dam I’d been holding back all day broke, and the tears came, hot and angry and bitter.
“He was always so strong,” I choked out, my voice barely more than a whisper. “He was … he was everything. We used to fight so bad, and he wanted too much from me, and now … now he doesn’t even know who I am half the time. What the hell am I supposed to do with that?”
Connor’s arms tightened around me, one handrubbing slow, soothing circles on my back. “You did everything you could, Neil. You’ve been there for him, for your mom, for everyone. You’ve held it together when most people would’ve crumbled.”
“It’s just…” I trailed off, trying to find the words for the storm raging inside me. “It’s like he’s already gone, but he’s still here, and I don’t know how to … how to deal with that.”
Connor pulled back enough to look me in the eyes, his expression fierce with determination. “You’re not supposed to have all the answers, not all the time. And it’s okay to be sad, angry, and feel like it’s all too much. But I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”
I wished that were true, and I wanted to believe he’d stay in Whisper Ridge, but the grief was so overwhelming, so suffocating, that I couldn’t see a way out of it. “I don’t know how to do this, Connor. I don’t know how to watch him slip away.”
“You don’t always have to be the strong one.” His thumb brushed away a stray tear.
“He suggested he’d talked to Rebecca Lennox, and I think maybe he turned a blind eye to what happened so the kids were safe.” I blurted that out before I could second-guess myself, and for a moment, Connor was quiet.
“Did he write that in the journals he kept?”
“No. I couldn’t make much sense of it, but he started to tell me, and then he closed down and got confused.”
“What are you going to do with that information?”
“What information? He didn’t say anything concrete. Fuck. Connor.” The sheer weight of my emotionsthreatened to pull me under. But he held on, grounding me, making me feel as if I didn’t have to face this alone. Even when I felt like I was falling apart, he would be there to catch the pieces tonight.
“Maybe you share with Micah and Rachel,” he murmured after a while. “Maybe you don’t say anything because your dad isn’t thinking straight. Who will it help, now?”
“I’m the sheriff; it’s my job to uphold the law.”
“Everything will be okay,” he whispered, kissing my temple gently. “Maybe not right away, maybe not for a while, but you’ll figure it out.”
I nodded against his shoulder, taking a deep, shaky breath as I tried to let his words sink in.
“Thank you,” I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. “For being here. For … for everything.”
“It’s all good,” Connor replied, his voice strong and sure. “I’ve got you, babe.”
