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“I love you, Mom.”
“I love you too, Button.”
We hang up, and my thoughts drift as I sit in stop-and-go traffic.
I have the specs for Noelle’s dream ring in my phone. Halfway through our break, I made an appointment with a jeweler, but something came up at work. For the first year and a half, our relationship was so fun, and I fell in love with her without trying. Then, the wedding bug hit her, and it was all about getting engaged, buying a house, babies. I was in trouble whenever another man dropped to one knee for his woman. We didn’t go to Henry’s wedding because Henry and Raegan got engaged after six weeks and Noelle thought it would be too triggering for her.
“I don’t get why they got engaged so fast. It doesn’t make sense,” she said, staring off into a corner like someone died.
I shrugged it off at the time, neither agreeing or disagreeing. Noelle didn’t know that I understood it, a little too much.
I should marry her. Noelle is perfect.
I dial Noelle. She picks up after one ring.
“Hey, baby!” she says through the dashboard. “I missed you!”
“Hey, baby. I missed you too,” I parrot. It’s silent between us. I’m not sure what she’s been doing, but I have no more clarity since our fight twenty-nine days ago.
“So…”
We had no plans, but I blurt out, “I won’t be able to see you tonight. I’ll be home late. Henry and Raegan had a going-away party in San Francisco, and I stayed a little longer than I planned.”
“Oh, how are they?” Noelle’s cheer sounds fake.
“Great. I’m sorry I stayed longer.”
“No problem. I’ll miss you.” She’s quiet for a second, so I glance at the connection. Traffic is picking up, moving at a good pace, but I keep my eyes on the road. She finally says, “I’ve thought long and hard about it, and you can move in. I can be patient a little longer.”
My throat constricts. “I thought you wanted to be engaged first.”
“I do,” she says. Noelle had lived with a boyfriend for five years who never pulled the trigger. When we started dating, she made that rule. “Our time apart was really eye-opening. I love you, and I can compromise. I would be happy living together for now. It’ll give you time to plan the perfect proposal. I’m sure the ring I want will take time, and I want you to have it when you propose.”
Scratchiness creeps into my throat. “We can talk about it tomorrow. Let’s go to that Japanese place you like so much.”
I’ve never been a fan of that place, but Noelle asks constantly if we can go.
“Really?” she asks, brightness in her voice. “I’ll see if there’s any reservations.”
“We can always sit at the bar, if not.”
“Great,” she says. “I’ll see you tomorrow. I love you.”
“See you tomorrow,” I say, and the guilt hits me in the gut. I should tell her what I’m doing, but it’ll create a Chernobyl-sized explosion. Going to the town where the girl I dated for a week lives is beyond insanity, but I need to know. For me, for my relationship with Noelle. All I need to do is see her in a relationship, with a kid or two, and I can move on. Noelle wouldn’t understand if I told her now, but if it gets a two-carat cushion-cut diamond with a halo on her finger later, she’d be fine.
At least, I hope so.
When I pull into Goldheart, I’m overwhelmed by memories. I notice some changes to the facades of the main street businesses, updates to signs and fresh coats of paint, but it still holds the charm I remember. The gazebo in the middle of town gleams white, and residents and tourists are already out and about, holding coffee or shopping bags full of souvenirs or treats.
A sign tells me, Woody Finch Brewery, up ahead.
Just like Henry said.
I remember conversations with Emily, in the afternoon sun, watching Tin Lake, swapping stories about our families. She mentioned her dad’s hobby of microbrewing, and we even tasted some even though Emily was under twenty-one.
A coffee shop appears, and angels sing. My eyelids feel heavy from the alcohol last night and the lack of sleep at the hotel. If I remember correctly, this town was settled because of the gold rush, so this looks like a building left over from that time, refurbished for modern businesses. I open an outside door to a hallway, and then open the door to Gold Roast.
A pretty woman around my age stands behind the cash register with a welcoming smile.
