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She didn’t regret being with Emily.
She just hated that their lives wouldn’t give them the opportunity to be together.
Quinn rested her hands on the cool metal, starting to climb back up the ladder again.
“Do you need a hand?”
Quinn whipped her head around, convinced there was no way that Emily could actually be standing behind her. Her gasp of surprise nearly sent her toppling off the ladder, and Emily’s hands gripped her waist, keeping her from falling.
“Jesus Christ,” Quinn said, her hand on her chest, her heart beating a mile a minute, whether it was from nearly falling or seeing Emily again, she didn’t know. She took the last few steps down, and wrapped her arms around Emily, inhaling her familiar scent.
“Just me,” Emily said, laughter in her voice.
Quinn pulled away, her eyes searching Emily’s. “What are you doing here?”
“I volunteer here on Saturdays, just like you do.”
“Not anymore!”
“Says who?”
“You’re driving back here every weekend to volunteer?”
Emily shrugged. “No. That’s too time-consuming.”
“Exactly.” Although Quinn’s heart sank. She would have loved to know that she’d get to see Emily every weekend.
Quinn took in Emily, her signature red coat buttoned up, her luxurious walnut brown hair falling across her shoulders. “When we said goodbye last weekend, I thought I wouldn’t see you again for months. Weeks at best. Yet, here you are.”
“What if I told you that I’m planning to move back here,” Emily said, her voice barely a whisper.
Quinn didn’t answer right away, her mind swirling with thoughts, wondering if she’d misheard her. She wanted Emily to stay more than anything in the world but also knew her life was in New York. She worked for one of the best marketing agencies in the country. Was she just quitting?
Finally, Quinn asked, “How?”
“Well, I happen to own a home here.”
Quinn held her gaze. “But your job.”
“I talked to Maya before I left about renting her office space at the studio.” Emily smiled as she explained. “I told my boss I wanted to leave the company, and he offered me more money to stay. I asked him for flexibility rather than financial incentives. So, I can work remotely now. From home for the next few weeks until Maya’s renovations are done.”
“You’ve been thinking about this? About figuring out a way to stay?”
Emily nodded. “From the first night I stayed at the cabin, I had this strange sensation come over me. It felt like home. And when I thought about how I was going to say goodbye to you… I just felt sick.”
“So, that’s why I was the only one crying?” Quinn asked with a chuckle, wiping away a tear now that tricked down her cheek. “You knew you’d be back.”
“I wasn’t one hundred percent sure, but it was close. I had enough in savings that I could have quit and since I don’t have a mortgage, I would have had a few months to figure something out. But I didn’t want to tell you unless I was sure that I could do it.”
Quinn raked a hand through her hair. “I don’t know what to say. I can’t believe it.”
“Look, I don’t know… Maybe, you don’t want this as much as I do, but I—”
Quinn silenced her with a kiss, her lips crashing into Emily’s. She snaked a hand underneath Emily’s silky smooth hair as she deepened the kiss, not caring who saw.
When Quinn eventually pulled away, Emily’s lips curved into a smile.
“You know how I feel,” Quinn said with a shake of her head. “Did you seriously doubt it? I barely kept it together until you drove away last week. And I’ve been a mess these last few days.”
