Page 209 of While You Were Trending

She’s staying with me.

Because he’s coming back.

He wouldn’t leave his dog with me if he wasn’t.

“And you’re okay?” Cricket asks me. “You’re sure?”

“Did Mabel send you in?”

“No. But probably only because I haven’t seen her yet this morning. I heard from Olivia that Pip’s saying she needs a personal assistant to write her memoirs. So I think Mabel’s very occupied right now.”

That tracks.

“So, you’re sure you’re okay?” Cricket says.

I nod. Am I? Not really. But my life isn’t going to fall apart because my boyfriend—my boyfriend!—is across the country for work for a couple weeks.

Or months.

“I miss him, and I have all of you and lots of work to do, and Flow’s here for me too,” I reply.

“If you want to go visit him but don’t want to go alone, any of us would go with you,” Olivia says behind Cricket. “All of us would go with you if that’s what you needed.”

And now my eyes are watering. “I love all of you so much,” I tell them.

They crowd into my office and tackle me with hugs, Samantha and Dori and Heath coming in too.

“And we love you,” Mabel says from behind all of them.

“Who has the glove flu?” Pip asks.

“No one, Aunt Pip, but Ginny just got a massive basket of oatmeal walnut chocolate chip cookies.”

Flow whines louder.

“Yes, there are doggie biscuits for you too, Flow,” Mabel says.

“He’s the absolute best,” I whisper into the group hug.

“If youhaveto fall for a man, I suppose he’ll do,” Olivia replies. “Oh. Is that our new website?”

I gesture to my screen. “First pass. I’m making notes for our designer. Isn’t the logo amazing?”

While they all turn their attention to our website draft, I text Declan good luck and emoji smiles and kisses.

And then we all get back to work.

We have a winery to save.

A home to save.

Where Declan will come back to me after he’s reached for his dreams.

42

THE LONG SKATE HOME

Declan