Forsaken Trail (Runaway, #4)

by Devney Perry

Life seemed harder here. Nature was unrelenting and only the strong survived.

Our lives had been harder than they should have been, harder than my parents had planned. We’d walked a rocky, rough road. Maybe it was time to switch directions. To forge a beaten path. And find out if there was a rainbow waiting at the end of my forsaken trail.

“Damn heels.” “Don’t worry. I won’t let you fall.” “You do and you die. Now . . . let’s find some champagne.”

“You love your home. You love your job. What else should I know about you, Aria Saint-James?” That maybe I don’t hate you. “One day, I’d like to have a flower shop and a greenhouse of my own. I’d like to make bouquets like that one and keep growing plants.”

I don’t want my—our—child hating me because I wasn’t there.”

“I know this probably seems strange, the urgency. Why I want to be there. I didn’t have a good father. And I vowed a long time ago not to make the same mistakes that he made.”

“I’m not inflexible.” That earned me an eye roll. “If it’s not your way, then it’s the wrong way. Did you ever think that maybe Aria needed to do this herself? That she needed some time on the road to say goodbye to her old life? She loves surprises and spontaneity, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t let her roots grow deep.”

“Aria needs control in her life. After Mom and Dad died, she became the sister in charge. I didn’t . . . She didn’t fall apart. I did.”

“Give it time.” She gave me a watery smile. “Don’t take her freedom, Brody. Don’t take her control.”

“You wore jeans on Saturday.” “That was different.” “Why?” Because we were hauling boxes? “Because that was for you.” One sentence. One answer. And the world fell away from my feet. Did he realize what he’d just confessed? Did he realize how special he’d just made me feel? I was the exception to his rules.

Aria was more beautiful than any flower in the world. Even mad, she was lovelier than any rose.

When her eyes tipped up to meet mine, the worry in her gaze made it hard to breathe. She shouldn’t worry. She shouldn’t have fears. Aria deserved an easy life. I’d make sure of it, if she’d just let me. “I won’t let you fall.” “You say that and it’s sweet. But you don’t get it.” “Get what?” “I need to do this on my own.” “Understandable. Think of me as the safety net.” “I’ve never had a safety net.” “You do now.”

Aria’s strength was humbling.

“Brody . . . the cradle. The nanny. You do it because you want to help. But I need to earn things. I need to know they are mine.” “They are yours.” “No, they’re not. They’re gifts.” “What’s wrong with gifts?” She stared at me, searching for the right words. When she found them, her gaze softened. “I went for so long wondering what was going to happen. I have spent so long relying only on myself.” “And now you have me.” “Brody, I know this seems strange. I know Clara can take a gift and say thank you. I can’t.” “Why?” “Because tomorrow it might be gone. If I earn it myself, then maybe it won’t disappear.”

I wouldn’t stay with a man who refused to listen to me. I wouldn’t live with a man who didn’t respect why I needed to control my own destiny.

She was giving up on us. But there was so much to fight for. Too much to lose the battle of my lifetime. I refused to let her give up.

“The struggle is what affirms you’re alive. Without it, the bright moments don’t shine.”