Page 121 of Back in the Saddle

Even though she didn’t let herself admit it out loud, she had been so scared he would die. Or experience the scary complications.

He was doing well and she felt like she was finally able to breathe again.

‘Are you busy?’ Finn walked into the living room, wearing a pair of tracksuit bottoms and a hoodie. He had shaved his head before the surgery and the hair was starting to slowly grow back.

‘No.’ She sat up, closing a book on her lap. ‘What’s up?’

He put a stack of documents on the coffee table.

Caroline raised her brow. She knew what it was. ‘The divorce papers?’

Finn sat down opposite her in an armchair. He sighed. ‘Yeah. I’ve already signed them.’

‘I didn’t know you wanted to get it done so fast.’

His brown eyes crinkled. ‘I feel like it’s been a formality. I can’t thank you enough for coming back, the past few months … I don’t even want to think about it. But you’ve been there for me when I needed you most. And I’ll always be thankful for that. You have no idea how much it’s meant to me.’

She nodded, swallowing a thick lump in her throat.

‘But I’m doing better now and feel bad keeping you tethered to this place, to me. It isn’t fair on you.’

‘I’d have always come back. There was no question about it,’ she said, and she truly meant it. ‘You’re a part of me, Finn. No matter what happened or happens, that will never change.’

He gave her a watery smile. ‘Maybe we can be friends. Iknow this is the worst line to say, but in our circumstances, I think it makes sense.’

She laughed. ‘I thought we were already friends.’

‘We are. That’s why I know I need to set you free. Especially because I know you’re in love with another man.’

Caroline’s eyes widened. ‘Wh—What?’

Finn sighed and reached into his shorts pocket, pulling outthatphoto strip. One she had been using as a bookmark for all these months. That single token, the only reminder that the memories she had were real. That it wasn’t just a dream.

Finn handed it to her. ‘That’s the guy you went out with after you called me, right? The cowboy?’ He pointed at the photos. ‘I always thought those hats were so tacky. But, never mind.’ He cleared his throat. When his eyes met hers again, there was no sign of anger. Just deep, profound sadness.

Like they both knew this was really the end.

‘It wasn’t just sex, was it? He means something to you,’ Finn said.

She considered her words carefully before responding. ‘He told me he loved me before I left.’

Finn let out a low whistle. ‘Wow.’ He glanced at her. ‘Do you love him?’

The tightness squeezed in her chest again.

‘You don’t have to answer. It’s written all over your face.’

‘It doesn’t matter. That’s all in the past.’ She put the bookmark on top of the book, not looking at it. ‘Do you have a pen?’

Finn handed her an elegant, metal pen.

Caroline pulled up the top sheet from the coffee table, staring at her name and dotted line next to it. With a heavy breath, she signed it and pushed both the papers and the pen away. It might’ve felt a bit dramatic, but she’d had her ownsolicitor looking over the details beforehand; she knew this was coming. She just didn’t expect to be signing it so soon.

‘Thank you,’ Finn said.

‘For what?’

‘I don’t know. In general? This went much better than I had imagined.’