Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Yates spoke with an easy, indifferent air. "Figure out who you're looking for before

you accuse me of stealing your woman."

Vince couldn't help but silently give Yates a nod of approval.

It was the kind of question Timothy simply couldn't answer.

He could only try to find his wife, Jessica.

But when he arrived at the Zimmerman house, there was no one named Jessica.

He asked for Salome, but Salome had nothing to do with him.

Timothy's expression darkened. "So you're against me too?"

"No," Yates replied calmly, "I'm just trying to protect my fiancée. Timothy, if you

can't answer that question, you should go. Your wife isn't here. The only people in

this house are Vince's sister, Mrs. Zimmerman's daughter, and my fiancée."

Inside the house, Jessica and Mrs. Zimmerman emerged from the study. Zachary

set a steaming dish on the dining table and called out, "Salome, your brother and

Yates are outside. Go call them in for dinner."

"Okay."

Jessica opened the front door, surprised to see snow quietly falling outside.

Wonder lit up her delicate features.

She tilted her head back, gazing up at the sky.

hadn't even looked toward the front gate

before she could, a familiar

Timothy's eye.

did he realize just how much he'd

"Jessy!"

yet foreign voice, cut through

ears. She turned

just outside the iron fence, his dark hair dusted

if it

froze for a moment, her heart

steady beat.

stepped to the doorway, calling out to

me to come

go," Vince said, wrapping an arm protectively around Jessica's shoulders

siblings turned to head back

scrambled to his feet, gripping the wrought-iron gate with

wait-please! I need to talk

Jessica stopped, turning back.

go, quickly shrugging off his

worried she might

you have something to say, say it. Everyone's

her eyes as soft and

gentle, almost melodic, but every word landed on Timothy's

like a stone.

had waited for him at

and days they could have

seeing her face felt like

"I'm sorry."

Anything else? Dinner's getting

if she were

day at the

you'd