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“Oh my God, Maggie, are you okay?” Gage asked, kneeling over me. “Back up, kids, give her some space.”

Theymaybemoved an inch.

But I looked up at him, pressing my hand to the lump growing on my forehead, determined to get this out. “Gage, can I borrow ten thousand dollars to buy the salon? I have a great business plan.”

“Maggie,” he said, but I wouldn’t let him finish. I had to make my pitch, even if it was while lying here on the ground.

“The salon already does well financially, but I think I can bring in nail care to really up our bottom line. I expect with some careful saving, I could pay you back in a year, maybe even less if I could live with Rhett. And I don’t want to give you a sob story because I’m sure you hear them all the time, but I will if I have to because—”

“Maggie.”

“I really need the money because my dad’s house went into foreclosure and Rhett offered to buy the salon for me, but I can’t let him do that because then he can’t afford the land and—”

“Oh my God, Maggie, I will pay you ten thousand dollars to shut up. Just let me look at your head.”

Now I had big fat tears rolling down my cheeks. “Really?”

He let out a small laugh and nodded. “You’re just as stubborn as Rhett. Now tell me, did you hit your head on the way down?”

I scanned my body, only feeling the big throbbing spot on my forehead. “I don’t think so.”

“Okay, let’s sit you up. Levi, help me out.”

The guys got on either side of me, helping me to a sitting position, and soon Farrah was handing me a baggie of ice to put on my forehead.

“That was quick,” I said to her.

She chuckled. “When you have three kids, you have to be ready for a few bumps and bruises.”

“True,” Gage agreed. He held up his hand in front of my face. “Follow my fingers.” He waved them back and forth, then up and down.

“Good. Now look at my phone light.” He pointed it at me and turned on the flashlight. “Good,” he repeated. “Feeling nauseous or anything?”

I shook my head.

“Okay, let’s get inside and we can talk about the salon.”

* * *

An hour later,I was leaving Gage and Farrah’s house with a check for ten thousand dollars and a bag of ice tied to my forehead with a tea towel. I couldn’t believe I was holding that much money in my hands.

I couldn’t believe that after all the chaos of this morning, I was going to be able to live happily ever after with Rhett.

Cam was right. I could figure this out. I could make my life happen instead of letting it happen to me.

But then a new fear struck my heart that almost had me swerving off the road.

Last time I had broken up with Rhett, he had a new woman in his bed that night.

What if this sent him spiraling back to what he’d done all those years ago?

The thought made my gut churn, and I had to take deep breaths not to be sick.

Even though it was late, I was planning to go to Rhonda’s and beg her to consider me again now that I had the money. Instead, when I got back to Cottonwood Falls, I knew I needed to handle the most important matter.

I took dirt roads to Rhett’s house, feeling every opposing emotion at war in my chest, amazed my body could hold so much fear and so much longing at the same time.

Maybe that’s what love was—giving all of yourself to someone who could choose to destroy you or comfort you.