Maya couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Tears burned, although she blinked them away.

“You did this,” she said quietly. “You made up the job so I could come home.”

“I created a position so you could get some work done for me,” the older woman corrected with a smile. “Maya, you’ll always be one of us, and you’ll always have a home here. Having said that, I have to admit that I think you’ve discovered that Fool’s Gold is just a little too small for you right now. It’s time to go explore the world. Just don’t forget to come back and show us what you’ve found.”

* * *

MAYA PULLED THE thumb drive from her computer. She had a stack of DVDs ready to deliver to Del, along with a master set on the drive. She’d finished going through all his footage and editing his videos, just as she’d said she would. What he did with them was up to him, but she thought he had some good material there.

She also went through the B-roll they’d done around town, pulling together a two-minute video of different shots. The last clip was of them kissing.

She’d spent most of the night trying to come up with exactly what to say on the voice-over. She’d paced, written, scratched out, tried to sleep and then had started all over again.

Now she was exhausted, but finished. If there were right words, she couldn’t find them. All she was left with was what she felt in her heart. If it wasn’t enough, then what she and Del had was never going to work, anyway.

She found the file on her computer and started it. The opening shot was of the town, with a slow pan to the park. Del was doing push-ups on the grass. Even with the emptiness inside of her, she smiled as she watched him.

Her voice came through her speakers.

“I’m sorry about everything that happened, Del. Most especially with your mom. I know you don’t agree with what I did. You can’t understand how I kept the truth from you. Cancer is a big deal. I get that. I know you’re angry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

The scene changed to them on the sidewalk in front of The Man Cave. She was trying to get a light reading and he was crowding next to her. They were both laughing.

“I won’t say I should have told you, because I believe that my promise to Elaine was something I couldn’t break. I also get that from your perspective I betrayed you and I lied. Both of which are unforgivable.”

The shot shifted to one of the mountains, then the field. The two of them came into view. They were standing close, talking. She’d muted the sound of their voices, so there were only the gestures, then intensity. Then the kiss.

“This is the wrong place, the wrong time, but I still wanted you to know. I love you. I’ve loved you for the past ten years—I just didn’t realize it. Whatever happens, you’ll always have a place in my heart. I didn’t want you to leave without knowing that. Goodbye Del.”

Her voice faded and the kiss ended, then the screen went dark.

Maya sat in her chair for a few more minutes, then knew there was nothing left to do. She’d said it all—laid herself bare. Now it was up to him.

She figured her odds were well less than 50 percent. Del didn’t believe in second chances and she’d already had hers. He wasn’t going to give her a third. Even so, she could walk away knowing she’d been brave. She’d told the truth.

* * *

DEL STAYED UP through the night. There were hours of videos. He didn’t know when Maya had found the time to edit it all, but she had. She’d taken raw footage, badly filmed sequences and turned them into something impressive. Somehow she’d discovered the very essence of each scene and highlighted it.

By the time the sun had come up, he knew that he’d been the asshole his brothers had claimed and then some. Maya had done nothing but give since she’d moved back to town. She’d worked hard at her job, she’d helped him, helped his mom and had even taught that class. She’d been a friend, a lover—she’d supported him and his family.

And she’d lied to him. She’d withheld significant information about his mother and her illness. He knew better than to trust her again. How could he—

He put in the last DVD. His computer screen filled with a shot of the town. The camera panned to him doing push-ups in the park. There was plenty of background noise, then Maya’s voice as she teased him.

“I’m not impressed by your push-ups,” she said, her voice picked up by the microphone he wore.

“Sure you are.”

She laughed.

There was a pause in the sound, then he heard her speaking—but not from that day. Instead, it was a voice-over.

He listened to the first couple of sentences, and then paused the video and leaned back in his chair. He remembered that day in the park and dozens of other days with her. He knew how she liked her coffee and how careful she was when she framed her shots. She would always take time to speak to a kid or pet a dog or make a couple of old ladies feel special. She was loyal and unshakable. She wouldn’t betray her friend...not even to her lover.

She’d lied to him, and he would bet anything that if the circumstances happened a second time, she would do it again. Which meant that if he needed to trust her absolutely, he couldn’t.

Or could he? Wouldn’t she be as loyal to him? Did what she’d been through with Elaine mean she would risk anger and loss to do the right thing?

He was tired and confused, and the truth that would change everything seemed just out of reach. She’d told him, and his mother had told him, and he’d stubbornly refused to believe either of them. Maya hadn’t wanted to keep the secret, but she had. She hadn’t been acting out of spite but out of love for his mother. For her friend.