God, what is going on? Why are You leaving me with the one man who has the power to break me?

One night Shay heard the quiet murmur of his voice, punctuated by Olivia’s giggles. She shuffled across the living room and listened around the corner. He was reading aloud to her, imitating each character’s voice. Shay listened to his falsetto, a grin tugging her lips at the incongruity of a cowboy reading The Princess Diaries.

She drew in a breath of salty sea air and let it out, mentally disconnecting with life on land even as the boat whisked her away from it. Just for today, she’d leave her worries behind and surrender to the wind’s wiles.

It’s fear that makes an act courageous.

Her jaw set, she passed him, going to the high.

He was so tired of trying to convince other people he was worthy of their love. Tired of being forced on people who didn’t even want him.

Your identity doesn’t come from your address.

I’m not trying to take your freedom. God knows you deserve it after being married to that monster. I don’t want to trap you or hold you back or control you.” He gently cupped her face. “I only want to love you, honey.

That was something, wasn’t it? Trust was a good place to start. Especially after the kind of betrayal she’d been through. It made him want to prove he was the kind of man she deserved. The kind of man who’d love her for better or worse. The kind who was faithful and true.

We have to be more careful,” she said. “I don’t have the time or energy for a broken heart.” He felt a squeeze in his chest. “I wasn’t planning to break your heart, Kate.” Her eyes fell to the floor before rising back to his. “Nobody ever does.” A fist tightened in his gut as he watched her retreat. He stood there for a long time, her words hitting hard, sinking deep. She’d been let down by a lot of people, and his name wasn’t going to be added to the list.