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Sarah nodded her agreement. “You are human, Whitney, and you’re allowed to be stressed out and overwhelmed and have moments when you just can’t keep going. It’s okay. And I promise, your secret’s safe with us.”
A tear slid down Whitney’s cheek and her shoulders sagged, the dark circles under her eyes even darker against her pale complexion. “I know what you’re saying is true, but Sarah, I don’t know how to slow down. And life is so busy with work, my mom, and Trent pressuring me about marriage and kids…”
Pressuring. The word hadn’t gone unnoticed.
Whitney sighed. “Not pressuring me, but just expecting answers and decisions and right now my focus is elsewhere.”
Sarah’s voice softened. “I’m not saying you should quit your job or forget your responsibilities, but just recognize that if you need to take a moment to just breathe, it’s okay to do it.”
“Thank you. I appreciate you both being here for me last night, and now…”
“And every day since we were six years old and every day going forward until we’re in adult diapers,” Jessica said, reaching out to wipe the tear from Whitney’s cheek.
“We’re not leaving your side until you are out of this hospital bed,” Sarah said.
Whitney shook her head. “You can’t keep sleeping here. You have your own lives, your own businesses to think about.”
“Sure we can. We’ll buy earplugs, right Jess?” Sarah said, hugging her tight.
Jessica nodded. “Absolutely.” She wanted to be there for her friend just as much as Sarah did. Not just that day, either. Obviously, Whitney was struggling and going through some things and hadn’t wanted to reach out for help. She’d pushed herself to a breaking point and Jessica needed to be there for her. Just like she’d made a promise to be there for Sarah.
What had she been thinking to believe she could actually leave Blue Moon Bay, her career, her friends, her responsibilities? Weight of that reality settled on her shoulders, bringing her back down to earth.
Whitney’s eyes widened as she turned to Jessica. “Oh my God. Did my accident interrupt your road trip with Mitch?”
“It’s okay.” Suddenly, she wasn’t so sure if things were okay. The drive back to Blue Moon Bay had been silently tense as she’d been filled with worry. He’d been there for her, holding her hand, but she’d sensed he knew this had changed things. She’d been wanting to tell him she loved him, but the moment definitely hadn’t been right after receiving the heart-stopping news about her friend.
He’d texted that morning to ask if she needed anything and how Whitney was, but that was their last contact. Right now, this was where she needed to be and she couldn’t focus on Mitch. Or what happened next.
Or more realistically, what didn’t happen.
…
“Are Jess and Sarah still at the hospital?” Lia asked as Mitch entered the B&B. She and Malcolm were packed and waiting for him to drive them back to LAX for their flight to Napa that day.
“Yes. I just brought coffee to them. I couldn’t see them because they were in with Whitney and her doctor, but she’s awake,” he said.
His sister’s shoulders sagged in relief. “Good. That’s good. Did Jess say how she’s doing? What the injuries were?”
“Lots of broken bones and a concussion. I guess she fell asleep at the wheel after visiting her mother in a senior home.” He took a gulp of his coffee. He hadn’t gotten any sleep after dropping Jessica off at the hospital the night before. He’d stayed in the waiting room for a while, but then when it was apparent that she was needed by the other woman’s side, he’d reluctantly headed back to his family’s house. Though the mood there had definitely turned somber as they all worried about Whitney.
“I’m happy Sarah and Jessica are with her. With Trent away…” Lia’s voice trailed.
Mitch nodded, draining the contents of his cup and immediately craving more caffeine. “Yeah, I’ve never seen two next of kin guard dogs quite like your friends.”
Lia hesitated. “They’re your friends, too. In fact, I think you might be a little closer to one of them in particular.” She studied him closely, and he knew it was about the relationship.
“About that…I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I just didn’t know where it was going and we knew it might upset you.”
She gave a weary sigh. “Your life is your business, and from the short time I saw you two together, there definitely seemed to be a genuine connection. I’ve never seen you so caught up in a woman before, and I hate to think that you both thought I’d be an asshole about it.”
“Thank you,” he said, collapsing into an armchair in the foyer. His sister’s words meant a lot, but it didn’t help to clarify the conflict in his heart and mind. Jessica hadn’t yet said whether or not she planned on accepting the offer from Not Just Desserts and coming overseas, but his gut told him she wouldn’t. Not now. And he had to accept that.
He did accept that, even if for a brief moment he’d allowed himself to get his hopes up. When she’d assisted him with the injured child, there had been a moment where he’d thought she, too, could see how exhilarating and rewarding a life traveling and doing good for others in need could be.
But she was already doing that by being here with her friends who also needed her.
Lia sat across from him. “But as Jess’s friend and your sister, someone truly invested in this relationship, I need to ask—where is it leading? Was this just a holiday fling for you? Or is it something more?”
