Page 80 of Meet Me in Ivy Falls

‘I’ll talk to Manny. See what he says.’

‘He admires you. Trusts your judgment. I’m sure he’ll agree.’

Iris and Rose continued to run around the park as the sun inched farther up into the sky.

‘What happens now that the house is almost done?’ she said casually. ‘Will you and Beck continue to see each other?’

I kicked at a small dirt clod with my flip-flop. ‘I’m not sure. Things have been busy with his work.’ I opened my mouth to say more but couldn’t find the words.

‘What are you holding back, Tor?’

‘I can’t ignore that when he’s around it feels like the fractured pieces of my heart are suddenly whole. That the world feels brighter when we are together.’

‘That’s good, right?’

‘I’m scared. He cut me off once and I don’t ever want to feel that kind of pain again. It nearly broke me last time, Tess.’

She gripped my hand and gave me that unwavering stare. ‘From what you’ve told me, he’s been through a lot since his parents’ death. Maybe the two of you were meant to be. The house being the catalyst forcing you back together. But you’ll never know until you fully open your heart to him again. Are you ready to do that?’

‘He’s spent these last weeks telling me about his life and the accident. All of his surgeries. What he’s done to keep Piper sober. I think I love him more now than when we were kids.’

The words spilled out before I could stop them.

Shit. I still loved Beck.

Tessa clapped her hands together and let out a small squeal. ‘Yes! I knew it.’ She threw her arms around me and tucked me into a warm hug. The girls, as if sensing something was happening, flew toward us until we all dissolved into a dogpile of hugs and kisses.

Beck had bulldozed into my life and flipped it over, but he’d also supported me, pushed me to take chances with the house. That day we sat in the council room, his steady gaze never wavering, I finally understood what I’d been missing these last years. I’d been holding on to the memory of him so tight and it’d made it impossible for me to open my heart to anyone else.

It was like something deep inside me had always been waiting for him to return. To prove to me that he was worthy of being a part of my life again. For better or worse, Ivy Falls was rooted in my blood just as my love for him was permanently stamped onto my heart.

‘So after all that confession, what’s your number today?’

The twinkle in Tessa’s eyes said she already knew my answer.

‘Definitely a solid seven,’ I replied.

Her beautiful laugh carried all the way up into the high branches shading us from the midday sun. Rose wrapped her little arms around my neck. ‘Piggyback to the car to get my bike?’ she begged.

‘Of course!’ I hefted her up and moved in step with my sister, who led Iris through the maze of people who made Ivy Falls home.

Chapter Thirty-Five

BECK

You Can’t Expect Me To Take You Seriously When You’re Wearing That Shirt.

I tried not to panic when Piper’s phone went straight to voicemail for the tenth time. She’d called and left a message during the Brinkley meeting. In her usual pissy tone, she insisted she was fine. Pete’s words about not living her life for her bounced around like a ping-pong ball in my head. He was right, but it was hard to shake my need to check on her. Make sure she was doing okay.

‘It’s a holiday. Get your ass out of here.’ Pete stared at me from the doorway. Bogie sat beside him, panting with his little pink tongue hanging out. A red, white and blue bow tie hung around his neck and matched the outrageous paint-splatter-style shirt Pete was wearing.

‘I’m working on it. The Brinkley contract came in late yesterday and I wanted to look it over.’

I slid the ringer to high and pushed the phone into my pocket. After Sienna promised to change the line about the biscuits, and we guaranteed he could see the Ivy Falls property in person, Teddy Ray gave us the account. I believed he’d honor our handshake, but I couldn’t rest until I saw his signature on our contract in black and white.

Pete took two long strides toward my desk and shuffled the various papers into a small pile. ‘As your closest friend and partner, I’m ordering you to leave.’

His attempt at being a hard-ass sucked. ‘You can’t expect me to take you seriously when you’re wearing that shirt.’