Read this. Remember it. Live by it – and go get your man.
We love you.
- Olivia, Grace, Cam, Ty and Noah
CHAPTER 49
Declan
An open road. The wind at my back. A clear plan laid out in front of me.
I feelgoodfor the first time in days. There’s a sense of peace in my decision that I hadn’t expected. For so many years, I’ve warred between feeling out of place and then panicking when I actually start to feel a little too comfortable somewhere. Planting roots and letting them spread has never been an option for me.
Running is what I’m most comfortable with.
I know the decision I’m making is the right one. Doesn’t make it an easy one. There are people who will be disappointed in me. People who thought they could count on me that misplaced their expectations.
I can’t worry about them now.
With I-95 stretched out in front of me and a clear blue sky overhead, I feel a sense of peace I hadn’t been expecting, but welcome nonetheless.
It’s time for the next adventure.
CHAPTER 50
Elsie
I wake with a clear plan to work things out with Declan, enough butterflies in my belly to fly me to the moon, and a slight hangover.
There’s no time to let it slow me down, though. I chug a big glass of water, take two Advil and make myself an iced coffee. I have a full schedule today and I can’t let my poor decision-making from the night before derail it.
By the time I make it to work, I’m almost feeling good. I arrive a half hour earlier than usual so that I can make some phone calls. My friends helped me research therapists last night and we came up with a list of options for me to call and see if they’re taking new patients. Most of them are located in Portland, but one is only about ten minutes away.
I make my calls while I finish up my coffee. None of them are open at this hour, so I leave messages with requests for a call back.
When Noah arrives at his usual time, he looks surprised to find me sitting in my office. We usually arrive around the same time andget right to work prepping the shop for the day – checking our orders, setting up displays, checking on the plants in the greenhouse. We’ll snap some photos for social media if we have time, or if we remember. Those get passed on to Grace for posting on our social media accounts. She’s been trying to convince us to make videos, but we haven’t ventured into that yet.
“Hey, boss,” Noah says by way of greeting. “How are you feeling?”
“Better now, thanks to my good pal Advil and some coffee.”
“Hope you don’t mind that I brought you some more,” he says, and it’s only now that I notice the two iced drinks in his hands.
“Have I ever told you how much I love you?”
Noah just laughs and hands me a cup across the desk. “Not nearly enough, but it’s okay. I know it’s not your strong suit,” he jokes.
“Jerk,” I mutter, but there’s no heat behind the words.
“Come on,” Noah says, tilting his head toward the door. “Let’s do our chores and you can tell me what you’ve been doing in here.”
∞
When I notice movement in the shop next door a couple hours later, I can’t help myself; I stop what I’m doing and I watch, waiting for a glimpse of Declan. I have no intention of talking things out in the middle of our workday, but I just need to lay eyes on him. Aside from a quick, accidental glance, it’s been days since I’ve properly seen him. It’s been even longer since I’ve glimpsed my favorite crooked smirk, or the muscled canvas of inked skin I miss running my hands across.
I’m disappointed when I realize it’s only Sean. He and Declan typically arrive around the same time, so I idly trim the stems of the bouquet I’m working on that don’t need trimming, keeping one eye on the shop next door.
A few minutes later, I’m still hacking away at the poor bouquet when Noah takes it from my hands.
