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Allie hesitated a moment. She shouldn’t read anything into a text but she couldn’t help but feel that Emma seemed disappointed. She thought back to her Perky the Duck article. If she had outlined that piece ahead of time, instead of simply writing it, would Emma have been excited?
I’m going to write an article about a duck that was supposed to be dead, but when the hunter’s wife opened the freezer and found it alive, she took it to the animal rescue and guess what? Now it’s alive!
Ha! Emma would have probably laughed in her face and told her to try to sell it to the National Enquirer. Instead, Allie had gone ahead and written the piece and the rest was history. She’d trusted her instincts then. Roger was right. She needed to trust her instincts again.
I promise you, it’ll work. Allie texted.
Then go for it. Emma texted back.
Next, she called Jen. “Hey, something’s come up and I’m going to stay up here a little longer.”
“How much longer?” Jen asked.
“Probably at least a week. Or maybe two.”
“Oh, I was going to save this for later, but Sean’s moved in some more of his stuff.”
“How much is some more?”
Jen laughed nervously. “All of it, to be exact. I didn’t think you’d mind since you’re back home in Whispering Pines.”
“It’s Whispering—oh, never mind. Jen…do you think Sean wants to move in permanently?”
“You wouldn’t mind?”
“You know the saying, two’s company, three’s a crowd.”
“I thought three was a ménage a trois.”
Allie got something stuck in her throat. “Well, yeah, it’s that, too. The thing is…I’m totally willing to give up my lease if Sean wants it.”
“Damn, that’s nice of you, Allie. You sure you wouldn’t mind? I know the two of us have been moving kind of fast, but when you know, you just know.”
“Absolutely,” Allie said. And she meant it. Sean and Jen were perfect for one another in that way that two people who seem so totally un-perfect for anyone else, could be. There’s someone for everyone, Buela used to say.
“So when can you move your stuff out?” Jen asked.
“I’m working on a piece right now, but maybe sometime later next week?”
“Great. Um, I hate to ask, but can you cover your portion of next month’s rent? Just till we make the lease switch official. Because after all, you do owe it.”
*~*~*
Allie slowed down as she approached the senior center, or rather,
what was left of it. Despite the fact it was a Saturday, there appeared to be a small construction crew on site. More than likely making up for all the time they’d lost this past week. Big yellow cranes moved the rubble into oversized trash receptacles. Out with the old and in with the new. Progress was coming to Whispering Bay and Tom would be a big part of it.
She got out of her car. Like before, Tom was easy to single out. At least, for her he was. A lump formed in her throat. He looked so handsome. So in charge. How was she going to stay in town and not want to see him? Not want to talk to him? It didn’t feel right that the two of them would be back in Whispering Bay and not be a part of each other’s lives. She thought about Roger and how he was taking a leap of faith to work on this project with her.
Maybe it was time she took her own leap of faith.
Tom spotted her and jogged over to her side. He took off his hard hat and ran a hand through his scalp. “I thought you’d be gone by now.”
“I changed my mind,” she said quickly, before she chickened out. “I wanted you to hear from me that I’m going to be staying in town.”
There was a spark of hope in his eyes that made her heart skip a beat. “For how long?”
“A few weeks, probably. Or maybe....I don’t know, forever?”
