Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Words can slip out in an instant, but if you don't speak up right away, things can change the mood, the people around you-and even if you wanted to say something, the moment can pass, and you end up staying silent.

No wonder Sallie always said people who have trouble expressing themselves tend to overthink and are more sensitive.

He'd always assumed that just because he understood the mechanics of surgery, he could communicate effortlessly with Jessica, even though she couldn't speak.

But looking back, he realized he'd overlooked her feelings far too often, hardly ever paying attention to what she might be going through.

She might not be able to speak, but she had thoughts, she was flesh and blood like anyone else.

He really hadn't been attentive enough.

He'd change that.

Yates let go of Vince and studied Timothy. "You're zoning out. What's on your mind, Timothy?"

Timothy lifted his gaze. "I've been helping Vince look for his sister lately. I think there's still a real chance we'll find her. You're always saying you hate all that old- fashioned stuff, right? So why not break off the arranged engagement with the Zimmermans while she's still missing?"

hear of it. He says he'll only agree if I actually find someone to marry. If I get engaged and Salome still hasn't turned up, then he'll go talk to

not just find someone and

frowned. "You make it sound

to, you'd have

I'm not about to settle just to get out of this engagement. I'm not making that kind of trade. At the very least, I want someone I actually want to

couldn't help but

these years searching for his little sister, no one in their family took the engagement too seriously anymore. His mother had even. hinted to Mrs. Bryant that the whole arrangement could be called off. But the Bryants insisted: Yates isn't married yet, so let's just wait a little

up Yates's life. They'd always said that if Yates found someone he

as long as Yates stayed single, the engagement still

for years, and they

still single and Vince's sister turns

a dramatic sigh. "I'll have to put up a fight, but

dissatisfied with the answer. He didn't dare press further-Vince was sharp, and the more he

cigarettes, offered one to Yates. "Still stuck with that engagement, huh? Must