Page 92 of Dandelion Sighs

Sheridan

On Sunday, I sat at the desk and stared at my phone. REG’s business card sat next to it. Tomorrow, I’d call. Or maybe I wouldn’t.

The resort was half empty, and normally, those details would stoke my stomach acid to a swirling pool, but between my date with Jasper and the house getting rented for another full week, my mind was elsewhere. I had some extra income thanks to the rental, and a lot to think about.

He’d wait for me.

Was he really serious?

Before, I would talk to my dad—about boys and how they were never hardworking enough for me. He would tell me that I could do anything I put my mind to—until I dropped out of college. After the distance grew between us and then he was gone, I had talked to Mom. She’d been just as supportive. Not as encouraging, which was probably why I had stayed with my ex for too long. Now I had few friends and nearly no family, or at least none whom I talked to.

I didn’t have many friends, but there was Everly. She had told me I was crazy and warned me of all the pitfalls, but she had listened to me lament over my decisions. Then she’d say “I told you so.”

Eventually, I had quit calling. So had she. She was always so happy. She had what I wanted. Had I assumed I was no longer the right person to be in her orbit? Had I given up because why bother when she’d just go away too? Not once had I called her. I’d had Jasper, but I walked out on him. Was I going to torch every connection until I was completely alone?

Everywhere Jasper went, he knew people. He fostered the relationship. He cared.

I needed a friend right now. I called her.

“Oh my god,” she answered, “I thought that town swallowed you up.”

I chuckled despite myself. “It kind of did.”

“What’s wrong?”

“What do you mean?” I must sound as bad as I felt. Was it like picking up the phone to Eeyore?

“You don’t call me unless something’s wrong.”

“I call you other times.”

She stayed quiet as if silently telling me to give her an example—she’d wait.

I worried my lower lip between my teeth. No previous times came to mind. The last time I talked to her was at the coffee shop, and she had called me. I’d been through an emotional roller coaster with Jasper, and I hadn’t reached out. “I guess I don’t.”

“No,” she said gently. “You don’t. But to be fair, I only call you when I want to rage about Will and the kids.”

“We weren’t always like this.”

“Since college, we’ve always lived at least a full state from each other. And then life got busy.”

“We should plan a getaway. Just us.”

“I can come there. I’ll pay, don’t worry. I’m not scamming a free room out of you.”

I rested my elbow on the desk and put my forehead on my fingertips. “About that…I’m worried there’ll be no more resort for you to stay at.”

I told her everything. How I fired Constance and how she’d snatched Maria. REG. The way I met Jasper all the way to last night. I finished with “What do I do?”

“Well. Wow.” A gusty exhale came over the line. “Are you asking me about answering Jasper or selling the resort?”

“Yes.” I was lighter. I had nowhere to float to, but it was good to get it out. I wasn’t alone.

“Each one is life changing.”

“I don’t know if I can do it.” My words were barely audible.

“You don’t know about answering Jasper or selling the resort?”