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“But what about us?” As soon as he said it his face dropped, as though he was remembering their last conversation. “Ally, we need to talk.”
“No.” She had to stay strong, she knew that much. She couldn’t let him talk about them or anything else. It would hurt too much. “I just need you to accept my resignation and them I’m going.”
“What are you going to do for money?” he asked, shock still moulding his expression. “Have you got another job? You can’t leave just because of what happened. You’re a part of this place.”
“That’s my business.”
He looked taken aback at the shortness of her words.
“I’m sorry,” she said, hating every second of this. “I’m going to be working with Lorne for a while. He’s getting old and needs a break. And while I’m working there I’ll think about what I want to do next. I might see if they’re recruiting at the new resort. I heard they were working on getting it back up and running.”
“You could do that while you’re working here.”
She shook her head. “I really couldn’t.” Her voice was soft. “I hope I haven’t left you too high and dry. I’d work my notice but I know you wouldn’t have me with this thing.” She glanced down at her cast.
“So that’s it? We’re done?”
Was he talking about her job or about them? She wasn’t sure. But either way the answer was the same. “Yeah, I think we are.”
Nate said nothing. His jaw so tightly clenched she could see the joint flexing in and out.
“Nate, the steamer’s blocked,” Brad called from behind the counter. “Can you take a look at it?”
“I’ll be there in a minute.”
“You should go,” Ally said. “Before you upset the customers.” She shifted her weight again, leaning back on her crutches. “I’ll see you around.”
“Ally, wait…”
“Nate, we’re out of skim milk.”
His eyes darted from Ally to the counter and back again. “I’ll call you later. To talk about this some more…”
She shook her head. “I’d prefer it if you didn’t.” There were only so many times she could put herself through this pain. She needed it to end. “Goodbye, Nate.”
Those words could have meant anything. A cheerful taking of leave. An easy way to close a conversation. But as they formed on her tongue and her lips before they made their way into the universe she realized that they were so much more. The end of something that had meant so much to her and losing it was supremely painful. She’d take a dozen broken ankles over this.
Without waiting to hear his response, she moved her crutches forward and walked toward the exit, making up in speed what she lacked in grace. And somehow she managed to stop the tears from forming until she made it outside into the warm summer air, lifting her hand up to wipe them impatiently away.
She’d done what she came here to do, no more and no less. So why was it that her heart was hurting more than ever?
* * *
Lorne looked up from the counter as soon as Nate stepped inside the store. He kept his watery eyes on him as Nate passed the racks of surf clothes and sandals, then wound his way through the aisles stacked with sunscreen and board wax. By the time he reached the counter Lorne had closed whatever magazine he was reading and had his hands clasped together, curving his mouth into a half smile.
“I was wondering when you’d be in,” he told the younger man.
It was just before six that evening, the first chance Nate had to leave the shop. Business had been steady all day – something he’d usually be happy about.
But not today.
“I hear you’ve been poaching my staff,” Nate said. There was no malice in his voice. How could there be? This was Lorne. He’d never shown Nate anything but kindness.
“Just one of ‘em.”
“The best one.”
Lorne grinned, revealing a row of perfectly white teeth. Nate found himself wondering if they were real. “I only take on the best,” he told Nate. “And anyway, I didn’t poach her. She came to me.”
