Page 8 of Broken Reins (Whittier Falls #4)

“That’s because he’s genuine. He doesn’t waste attention on people who don’t matter.

” She flashed me a look, then softened a little.

“Anyway, what happened with Ty Higgins was a huge mystery. There was a fight. Everyone saw it that night at a party down by the lake. Next day, Ty was dead. Accident at the gorge.”

I stopped drying my hands. “Wait—he died?”

Sutton nodded, her eyes on the cookies. “Truck went up in flames. Everyone knew they’d fought the night before, Ford was the last person to see him, and next thing you know, Ford just .

. . disappeared. Gone. Didn’t call anyone.

Didn’t tell my brother or the Andersons goodbye.

Nothing. His daddy said he up and moved to California, thought he was too good for this town. And that was that.”

I tried to process it. “So people thought he was?—”

“Involved with Ty’s death?” Sutton finished, voice low. “Yeah. A lot of folks did. Some still do. It’s why nobody here ever really forgave him, even after all this time.”

I glanced back through the window, staring at the now-empty space he’d just occupied.

Sutton kept talking, but softer now. “My brother was never the same after Ty died and Ford left. Walker and Gray, too. They all needed him, and he just left.”

I was quiet for a while, letting the facts settle. I remembered all too well the feeling of being left behind. Of needing someone, and having them walk away. My own scars pulsed a little, a reminder of everything I’d worked so hard to put behind me.

“So he really never came back?” I asked.

Sutton shook her head. “Not for weddings, not for funerals, not even when Mason became a dad. I heard he did some stuff from a distance—like checking in online every once in a while—but he always kept himself separate.”

I rested my head against the wall. The cookies steamed gently, filling the kitchen with bittersweet cocoa and vanilla, like a childhood memory, only definitely not one of mine.

“What do you think?” I asked. “Did he do it?”

She looked at me like I’d missed the whole point.

“Does it matter?” I stared at her, waiting for her to elaborate.

“Some people think he did, some people think he didn’t,” she went on.

“In the end, Ty’s death was ruled an accident, no matter how shady it seemed at the time.

But either way, Ford broke everyone’s heart by leaving.

That’s what matters. I don’t think he should be punished forever, but I get why the guys are struggling with him being here. ”

I thought about the way Ford’s face looked when he didn’t know anyone was watching. The bruised jaw, the guarded eyes, the smile that only showed up when I made a joke. I bet he carried every ounce of that heartbreak with him, like a scar that didn’t heal.

I wondered if he saw the same thing in me.

Sutton finished arranging her cookies, then wiped her hands on her apron and leaned back against the counter. “I think he was just scared,” she said. “He didn’t want to be the villain. So he left before anyone could decide. Only, that pushed them to making him the villain after all.”

I didn’t know what to say.

She gave me a long, searching look. “You know, I don’t say all this to scare you off. If you like him, you should go for it. He’s a good man and life’s too short to let rumors and the past get in the way.”

“I don’t like him like that. I just . . . felt weird about all the whispers. He seems nice, and I know how rough it can be starting over.”

Sutton’s head tilted and she flashed me a pitying look before schooling her features and coming around to sit next to me.

“Hey,” Sutton said, bumping my shoulder with hers. “I don’t tell you enough how amazing you are.”

“Sutt—”

“No, just let me finish. You are. You’re giving yourself and that beautiful little boy an incredible life.”

Tears pricked my eyes. “It doesn’t feel like it.” I don’t know why I said it aloud, but it was true.

“It’s only just getting started.” She grabbed my hand. “You are a million times better off without that asshole. Look at how far you’ve come, Lil. I know you want more, and I have no doubt you’ll get more. But don’t forget to be proud of how far you’ve come, too.”

I rested my head on her shoulder. “Thanks.”

“Of course. Now you go on and clock out. I’ve got the rest of the day handled.”

With one more squeeze of my hand, she stood and walked through the swinging door to the front of the bakery, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I’d already lost everything once. What else was there to be afraid of? I let myself imagine what would happen if I just stopped hiding. If I let myself feel something again, even if it hurt.

But then Sutton’s words came back to me. She was right. I had come so far. Overcame so much. And not only that, but had Noah to think of now. I couldn’t risk it. With feelings, came attachment. And I couldn’t risk that again.

I hung up my apron and grabbed my purse, leaving out the back door.

I was right before. I needed to stop thinking about Ford and stay on my path.

It was safer that way.