Regret Came Too Late

Grace ended the call abruptly. Only a fool like Alice would look at a guy like Yancey and think he was worth anything.

She turned to head back to Ethan's bedroom, but the lights were off. For a moment, she considered leaving and finding some other place to crash for the night, but then the breeze from the balcony swept in.

That was when she realized Ethan wasn't in bed. He was out there, standing in the dark. She didn't have to get close to smell the cigarette smoke.

"Mr. Henderson, isn't smoking bad for your recovery?"

Wasn't his injury still healing?

The faint glow from the yard made it hard to read his expression, but Grace could still see the intensity in his eyes-something raw and expectant, something that got to her. Maybe visiting Eleanor's grave had put him in a somber mood.

She stayed beside him, unsure of what to say.

himself like a breeze-there one moment, gone the next, but leaving an impression

caught the glow of the cigarette just before

to burn

slowly flicked the cigarette into the ashtray, his eyes still fixed on the horizon. But the damage was done. A red

blew gently on the burn. "Is there a first aid kit around? Do you have burn ointment?

head up to meet Ethan's gaze. He swallowed hard and tried to

your head, but you can't keep neglecting your health like this. As for your insomnia, I'll get in touch with an alternative medicine practitioner and find something that might help. I hope that's okay

left her mouth than he asked, "Do you treat

had regained consciousness, Ethan's behavior toward

over her as long as she kept things respectful. He had even cared for her when she got her period, which