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“Patty,” Wolfe breathed, eyes brimming with tears.

I whirled, staring at the side of Kilmorran Wolfe was so transfixed on. And it was like God himself took pity on me because the veil dropped away and I saw him. Patty stood by the wall, hands in his pockets. His hair was more red than brown, but the eyes were the same. He smiled at his brother.

“Hello, Royan.”

Wolfe took one step—one disbelieving, awe-struck step.

“God,” he rasped. “Look at you.”

“It’s been some time,” Patty said, extending a hand. “We’ve been waiting for you. Are you ready?” His gaze slid to me and held. Thank you, he mouthed, and a fresh wave of tears slid down my face.

“Avery.” Wolfe turned toward me, agony on his features. “Do you think—” He sucked in a sharp breath. “Do you think that I could go?”

I wept openly, hands clutched to my chest. “Yes,” I said. “Yes, of course.”

There were a thousand unspoken words in the gentle curve of his smile. “I love you.”

“I love you,” I mouthed. I blinked back my tears. I wanted one more clear look at him. Every detail. “For the rest of my life.”

“For the rest of my life,” he echoed. “I’m with you. Always.”

“You’re with me,” I repeated.

I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t stop my heart from breaking as Wolfe reached for his brother. The light around them expanded and opened and I saw them—his family. His mother, his father, his nieces and nephews, generations of Wolfes that had been waiting for him.

He looked back at me only once, face split into a smile so wide it brought me to my knees.

The sun rose, clear and bright in the sky.

On the next gust of wind, Royan Wolfe went with it, winking out of sight.

Chapter 34

Wolfe

In the end, it had only taken one step.

One step to reunite with his family.

One step away from her.

Even as he crossed that line, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d made a mistake. That he was meant to be back in the place he had prayed to leave.

He was meant to stay with her—to love her, protect her, face down all of life with her.

His mother held him first.

Then his father, dark eyes rimmed with tears.

Patty embraced him, then his wife, his children, his grandchildren.

On and on it went.

Wolfe was welcomed home with open arms, but he could not stop himself from looking back across that great divide to the woman that held his heart—his soul.

She shrank from sight, her body hunched on the edge of the world as she cried for him.

Agony seared through him.