Anthony watched as Cassidy rode in front of him. They’d had some extra clothes in the barn, and both had changed. He realized his cheek muscles hurt from smiling so much. The woman he was with cared nothing for her clothes and everything for the thrill of riding the horse. This was what he’d missed in a woman. Genuineness, realness.

How many women had he dated over the years who’d been so concerned about how they looked and how he looked and the outfit they wore to the party and who they were talking to? Cass wasn’t like that. Sure, she fit into this world, the fancy one. She was drop-dead gorgeous. The truth, though, was he was even more frustrated because he’d seen what happened the other night when he’d kissed her at the dance club. He wanted her to be comfortable being with him.

After their ride, they walked back to the house and he found the party was pretty much over. The staff was cleaning up. His father was nowhere in sight.

“Oh, man.” She touched her hair, which was coming loose from the bun at the back of her head. Strands were falling everywhere, yet she looked so beautiful. “I better get back.”

“Do want to hear something first?”

She looked suspicious for a moment. “What?”

“Trust me.” He reached out his hand.

Hesitating, she reached back. “Okay.”

With that small feat accomplished, he began leading her through the ballroom, down another corridor.

“Your mother’s room,” she said softly.

He nodded.

They went through more hallways. Of course, the house was always kept in immaculate shape. His father would, on a whim, invite people to stay from all over the country. No one ever went in this room except him, his father, his brother, and now Felicity. Of course, Cass had been here a long time ago. He pushed the doorway open.

His father had turned the whole ceiling into a skylight when his mother had been sick. Moonlight filled the room. At the center of the room was the piano.

She stopped moving. “I love that your dad took the roof off.”

He nodded, appreciating that she had remembered. This was the other thing he liked about Cassidy, she knew him. With some women there was always a façade and he felt like he had to keep that up. With her, there was never a façade. It was just them.

He let go of her hand and walked to the red baby grand piano. His mother had been flashy and always liked red. “I thought I’d show you the end of your song.”

She didn’t move. “Anthony?”

Their eyes held and he felt a resurgence of chemistry, attraction, something so powerful and intoxicating. He had been mesmerized with this woman since he’d seen her again at sports camp.

He started to play the song—he’d written it for her a decade ago. “Finished it last year when I was injured.” His pulse raced. “I never thought I’d get a chance to show it to you.”

Ribbons of music flowed around them, a mix of Bach and some Megadeth themes. Closing his eyes, Anthony felt the music, getting lost in it and time and space, forgetting all these walls around him and letting himself go straight into the flow. There would be no way to guess how much time had passed.

Cassidy sat at his side, the way she always had all those years ago when there hadn’t been any walls between them. Just like the first love he’d held on to for so, so long, it was free and happy and easy. He’d had no idea how hard relationships were until he’d lost her.

He finished the song and turned to see tears now on her cheeks. They simply stared at each other, talking in that language that didn’t require words. This stunned, suspended, happy feeling encompassed them and he took her hand again. This time she didn’t resist.

His heart raced and he wanted to kiss her, but he gently lifted his other hand and caressed her face, peering into her deep blue eyes. He could sense something inside of her. Fear. Pain. “Poe, I want to kiss you,” he said softly.

Blinking, she shook her head. “I want to kiss you, too, but I’m a mess, Anthony. A complete mess. I told you. Losing Kyle … my dad …” Their breath mingled and she didn’t pull away.

He pulled her in and held her. “It’s okay. It’s okay.” If she needed to grieve still, he would be patient.

She held to him and cried.

For the first time since Cassidy had come back into his life, he felt like it was real again. Like there were no longer any walls. Gently running his hand down the back of her head, he was so grateful she was in his arms. “Life is messy, Poe.” He let out a light laugh. “That’s the only thing I learned after I got injured. Sometimes life is messy and you just have to give it time.” He didn’t want to give it time, whatever was happening with him and Cassidy again. But he would. “You have to trust in God. I had to learn that.”

She sighed and laid her head against his chest. “I guess I have to face the fact people die.” She pulled back, her Cleopatra eyes looked up at him. “I would rather live in a fairy tale sometimes. The one where the prince never dies and my father lives.”

Holding her tighter, his emotions spiraled. Would he be lying to say he wished her fiancé was still alive? He shook his head. That was dumb to even think about, so he focused on the now. “I think the truth is that sometimes the messy part of life is the thing that makes us appreciate every moment. It forces us to choose to believe more good is coming.”

She sniffed. “Is that what you believe?”

Holding her closely, he wanted to shield her from all pain, wishing he could promise her dad would live. “Yes, I choose to believe good is always coming. And it’s a choice—to believe or not to believe.”

Looking up at him, she smiled. “I like that.”

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

She said, “Remember how I told you I used to wish you’d come to Florida.”

Of course he remembered, she’d wanted him to be her prince. A pang of guilt centered in the middle of his chest. “Yes.”

“Before I met Kyle—I mean, you were in college, but I just thought …” She waved a hand. “Never mind.”

A million regrets filled him and emotion welled inside his throat. Gently, he stroked her face. “I loved you then, Cass, and—” He wanted to tell her he still loved her, but it wasn’t the right time yet. He stared down at her and the desire to kiss her intensified. “I want to kiss you, but I will wait until you’re ready.”

She blinked. “I want to kiss you, too. But I just …”

“Then we’ll wait,” he said immediately. “Because good is coming.”

Slowly, she smiled. “I actually want to believe that.”