Miley had been trying to keep my mind off it, inviting me to go hiking or for drinks at the bar when I wasn’t working, but so far, nothing I’d tried had made it better. My thumbs hovered over the screen to tell him that thingscouldbe different.
I didn’t care about money, or what Avery thought, or what Theo’s family expected from him. I just wanted him, the man who’d spilled paint all over my floor and nearly drowned trying to stand up on a paddleboard.
The man who’d listened to me when it’d felt like my world was falling apart and who’d somehow become part of the very fabric of my life in only a couple of months. That was all I wanted.
Theo.
My phone buzzed again before I could muster up the courage to tell him any of that, though.
Theo: One more thing, then I’ll leave you alone. Promise. I have someone who’s interested in the shop. If you meet a man named Colin, he’s a good one. You can trust him.
My eyes widened as it dawned on me what that meant. The realization instantly collided with the heartbroken misery I’d been indulging in. One by one, pieces of the puzzle started snapping into place in my head, and I was suddenly one hundred percent confident that Avery’s news and Theo’s texts were related.
Avery’s miracle buyer hadn’t dropped out of thin air like he seemed to believe. Theo hadsenthim. He might’ve left to go back to Chicago, but he was still trying to help us. He was just doing it from a distance now after Avery had nearly bitten his head off for it the first time around.
This interested buyer of Avery’s was almost definitely the man Theo was referring to. Someone he seemed to trust enoughto vouch for personally, even if it meant breaking a silence we both knew was vital for our survival at this point.
It was extremely unlikely that there were suddenly two people interested in the shop, but I highly doubted Avery knew that Theo had sent him this buyer. If he found out Theo was behind this?
Oh, God.
I dropped my head onto the kitchen table, already knowing that it was going to be an absolute disaster. This was a terrible plan, letting Avery sell to someone Theo had sent his way. It was the worst plan, actually, but it was also the only plan.
As I lifted my head and glanced back at my phone, no new messages had popped up. It seemed he was keeping his word about that being the last one, but I still had so much to say. I wanted to tell him how much I missed him and let him know that I still thought about him every day.
I wanted to make sure that he was happy and that he knew he could always come back if he wasn’t. More than anything, I wanted to tell him that I loved him too, but I didn’t type any of those things.
In fact, I didn’t say anything at all. Theo had reached out to congratulate me on the new business and to let me know that we could trust this Colin person. That was all there was to it.
There was no use in trying to turn the exchange into more than that. Nothing had changed.
Except for the fact that sooner or later, I would have to talk to Avery about this buyer and I had a horrible feeling that neither of us was going to enjoy that conversation. I just hoped it wouldn’t be the blow that tore us apart forever.
CHAPTER 39
THEO
Ididn’t expect Raquel to text me back. I hadn’t sent those messages expecting anything at all, actually. There had simply been a few things I’d wanted to say and I’d said them.
Meanwhile, Colin and I were texting back and forth while I waited for my date to show up. The restaurant Alex had sent us to was ridiculously upscale. About as far away from the cafe Raquel and I had frequented in Quartz Pass as could be.
Colin: I’ve just landed. It’s really hot here. I think someone forgot to tell them that it’s winter. Why do people live here?
I chuckled and fired off a quick response.
Me: Just give it a chance. It’ll grow on you. I swear. Enjoy the sunshine! I’ll just be here, waiting for the girl I’m supposed to marry. Do you remember her name?
Colin: It’s Belle. Seriously, Theo. It’s not that hard. I flew all the way to Arizona for you. You can sit through dinner for Alex.
Me: You flew all the way to Arizona because you and Jane want to expand Thayer Steelworks. It’s not my fault you didn’t think about the autobody market until I mentioned it.
Colin: I’m man enough to admit that I’m intrigued, but still. There is an autobody market outside of Quartz Pass, Arizona. I could’ve investigated much closer to home.
Me: Maybe, but you won’t regret making the trip. You’ve been looking for business opportunities that align with manufacturing, right? I told you months ago that there’s a lot of potential out there. Don’t judge a town by its desert.
Colin: Of course. The booming private sector of Quartz Pass. Don’t worry, I’ll give it a fair shake. Our researchers happen to agree about its potential.
Relief slid through me at the assurance that he was now on the ground and fully invested in making the most of this trip. I truly believed that he would find the opportunities Thayer had been looking for in the area, but my primary motivation for encouraging him to go out there was that I desperately wanted someone to save Raquel and Avery.
