Is a gift of love enough to open Aiden’s heart and let Tris back in?<br><br>After the car accident that killed his parents and left his sister paralyzed, Tris is left with nothing. His family is destroyed. His reputation is shot. And all he has is the guilt of knowing it was all his fault. People in town know he’d been drinking that night, and know he should never have gotten behind the wheel. And even Aiden, the man he thought he’d be with forever, blames him too much to stay.<br><br>But Tris can’t let him just disappear. After months of loneliness and isolation, Tris brings Aiden a gift on his birthday, a hawk he’s carved from a chunk of wood they’d found in the forest during an afternoon of love. A small chink seems to open in Aiden’s heart, the first sign of forgiveness. With renewed hope, Tris takes a job renovating one of the older homes in town and tries to rebuild his life. But the townspeople have long memories, and when his sister’s condition worsens, forgiveness -- and Aiden -- seem to slip even further out of reach ...

Without Aiden

“I wish I had died.” The words slipped out. He hadn’t meant to say them but couldn’t take them back.


“If you had, what would have happened to Candice then? I’m serious!” Andrew went on when Tris protested. “I’ve heard that every cent you have is going toward keeping her at home, where she’s happiest. That’s something, Tris. When Elsa’s cancer got the better of her, she had to be hospitalized. It tore me up, knowing she wanted to be at home. But I couldn’t take care of her. Candice is lucky to have a brother who cares for her and loves her like you do.”


Tris shoved away his plate. “If you say so.” He rose and took his dishes to the sink. “Don’t we have work to do?”


He cringed slightly when Andrew came up beside him and dropped an arm on his shoulders. “When Elsa died, I had no one. I pushed all my friends away. I just want you to know, I’m here if you need anything.”


Chapter 12