Wyatt picked up the letter and sat down at the breakfast table. He ripped the flap open and took a deep breath before unfolding the single page.
The sight of Brody’s messy handwriting felt like a knife in his heart. Wyatt closed his eyes, took a slow, deep breath and blew it out. Then opened his eyes and began to read.
Wyatt,
If I know you, you’ve found some way to blame yourself for my death.
Wyatt huffed a laugh, and a tear leaked from his eye.
Despite what you believe, I’m telling you—on my deathbed of sorts—that you were the biggest positive impact in my life, and having you in my corner kept me alive years longer than I would have been otherwise.
Pain and love cut through Wyatt’s heart.
I want to thank you for always having my back and giving me some of the happiest times of my life. Belle takes first place, but you’ve got all the rest. In one way or another, you’ve been taking care of me forever. You stood up for me on the playground, ran interference with Mom and Dad, let me tag along with your friends, and you were always there to listen to my crazy talk, even when you didn’t understand what was going on inside me. You supported my decision to marry Francie and go into the service. The fact is, you’ve always supported me, and I’ll never be able to tell you how damned important that has been to me.
Something heavy lifted from his soul.
But now, it’s time to say goodbye. I can’t live in this darkness anymore. I can’t continue to see doctor after doctor with no improvement. I hurt in a way I hope you never understand, and I just can’t take it anymore. You’ve kept me here far past my expiration date, so please, please, please know my decision has nothing to do with anything you did or didn’t do. I know you’ll want to go down the what-if and if-only paths. I’ve already explored those, and they lead nowhere, so don’t waste your time.
I’m so damn proud of what you’ve accomplished and how far you’ve taken your talent. I’ve always known you worried about overshadowing me, but the exact opposite is true. Your success has always been a source of inspiration for me. Your light shone on my life, brightened my world, and lifted me up.
Wyatt’s breath stuttered. He had to reread that paragraph three times before the words sank in, bringing a deep healing to his heart.
I know I don’t have to ask you to take care of Francie and Belle, and I’ll never be able to express how much that means to me. I know you will show Belle all the support, encouragement, and unconditional love you showed me, and that brings immeasurable relief to me as I leave this world.
You are one of the most incredible human beings I’ve ever met, and you deserve all the happiness life can bring. Please take comfort in knowing I no longer suffer. I am finally at peace.
Until we meet again, you have my eternal love and admiration,
Brody
20
Gypsy pulled out her scheduling calendar for the coming month and opened the website for the Grand Ole Opry’s upcoming events. Once she saw who was coming into town next month, she could decide how many employees to schedule. She could also contact some agents and see if the artists performing at the Opry would be willing to swing by the bar for more promotion.
Chin in her hand, she scrolled through the first week of May. But when she looked at the dates, all she could think about was Wyatt. She couldn’t believe it had only been a week since she’d left him at the emergency room with Belle. It felt like forever, which was bizarre, considering she’d gone months without seeing him before this last visit home and hardly given him a second thought.
Her gaze drifted to her desktop, and she slid her index finger beneath the edge of her blotter to ease the guitar pick from its hiding spot. She tilted it back and forth between her fingers, letting the iridescent coating play off the light, shining brilliantly against the black background. The title of the song he’d written recently, one he’d claimed was inspired by Gypsy, shone in metallic silver: Been waitin’ on you.
She didn’t know where Wyatt was, but she guessed by his lack of communication and the commitments he had to fulfill that he’d taken Belle with him, at least until his parents returned.
Just the thought of him made her focus on the hole at the center of her chest. The one that had opened like a chasm the moment she’d walked out of the emergency room.
For the hundredth time, she replayed that day from hell in her mind. She had no doubt that putting Cooper first was the right thing to do. But she regretted what had happened to make her realize that. And she missed Wyatt. The last few weeks had changed everything. But every time she tried to see a path forward for all four of them, she just kept hitting brick walls.
She desperately wanted to apologize to him, but she really had nothing to apologize for. All she’d done was put Cooper first and break off their relationship. It had all be relatively amiable. She wasn’t pissed at him. She was just pissed at herself.
She was damned confused, that was for sure. She missed him and wanted to talk to him, but Cooper was her everything.
A knock on her office door made Gypsy jump and drop the guitar pick.
“Jesus,” she whispered, shoving the pick back under the blotter as the door opened and the noise from the bar flowed in.
Dylan stood in the doorway. He was dressed in office casual, dress pants and a dress shirt.
“Hey.” She stood and rounded her desk to hug him. “I thought you were in Puerto Rico.”
“I was. Just flew in and thought I’d stop by.”
She frowned. “Stop by? You never stop by. You go straight home to Emma and Hali. What’s wrong?” She turned and sat on the sofa. “Sit down.”
He took a chair across from her and looked around the office. “This is an improvement. You had to make paths to walk last time I was here.”
“Brandy, my new manager, is a dream. She’s everything I wanted and needed. I can put Cooper to bed every night, and I found a play group for him three days a week. Not superhero camp, but we’re both surviving.”
“Yeah, I heard about that.”
She smirked. “Word gets around in this family. Miranda, I suppose?”
“No, actually, Cooper.”
Gypsy winced.
“I’m sorry he didn’t get in,” Dylan said. “Since we had Halina, I’ve discovered nothing hurts more than disappointing your kid.”
“Amen.”
“Except maybe breaking off a relationship you were invested in.”
“Okay, that was Miranda.”
He laughed. “Nope. Cooper.”
She frowned. “What? He’s only been over to your house once this week, and it was only for a couple of hours.”
“That boy can be a chatterbox when something’s bothering him.”
“He hasn’t said anything about it to me. He asks about Wyatt, but that’s about it.”
Dylan leaned forward, rested his elbows on his thighs, and clasped his hands. “I know how much you care about Wyatt. You can deny it up one side and down the other, but I’ve seen you with him. And I know Wyatt’s been into you for years. The fact that he kept coming back even though you didn’t give him a sliver of a chance says a lot.”
Gypsy exhaled. “He’s a good guy, and I overreacted. I need to apologize, I already know that. But when I think about patching things up and moving forward, I hit all kinds of walls. I’m in no position to take on another kid when I’m still asking my family to help me with mine. I need someone solid. Someone reliable. Someone to support me, not make life harder for me. And touring…” She shook her head. “I know what goes on when musicians tour. I left that life, and I don’t want it back.”