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“I’m here now,” I said. “If you want me, that is.”
He lifted his tear-soaked eyes to mine. “I want you. Very much. I thought she’d ruined this wonderful thing in my life. I’m in love with you for real. No faking.”
“I think I’m in love with you too,” I said. “Although it’s a little early to know for sure.”
“Give me a chance to prove to you how right I am about us?” Darby asked.
“Yes. Yes, I will.”
I climbed onto his lap and kissed him and was about to go in for more when his stomach growled. Laughing, I got up to scare something up for dinner.
21
DARBY
Aweek went by without mishap. I finished the gazebo and was quite pleased with how it turned out, even if it was for my ex-best friend and girlfriend. Rob had reached out several times but I hadn’t called him back. Maybe someday I would contact him, but for now, I didn’t need the toxicity in my life.
We were surprised when Arianna left a note for Jamie at the inn the day after the gazebo was finished.
Dear Jamie,
I’ve decided it’s not good for my mental health or that of my relationship with Rob to have the wedding here. I’m sorry about the gazebo. But hopefully this check will make up for it.
Best,
Arianna
“Can you believe it? After all the trouble we went through?” Jamie asked, cheeks pink. “She actually paid in full. I wasn’t sure she would pay at all.”
“It’s kind of her usual mode of operation but we lucked out,” I said. “Thank God she’s moving on from us. I feel sorry for the next people she ensnares, though.”
“Me too.”
We happily took our share of the money. I was able to buy a new vehicle, a truck this time, to make my construction projects easier. Jamie paid off all of her credit card debt and still had enough left over to put aside for a rainy day.
Then, around Thanksgiving, another surprise came. This time from my dead father. One day my phone rang with a number from California. I almost didn’t answer, figuring it was a sales call. I’m glad I did. The call was from my father’s estate attorney. My father had sold his house before his prosecution to pay for attorney bills. However, even after everyone was paid, there was a sum of two hundred thousand dollars, which he’d left to me.
To say I was stunned would be an understatement. There was no letter to go with the money. No explanation or apology. But the old man had left me money.
“In a million years, I wouldn’t have predicted it,” I said to Jamie that night.
“This is amazing. I’m glad for you. Maybe you can buy a house now.”
I grinned. “My thoughts exactly. I have someplace I want to show you.”
The next afternoon, I drove her out to the Barnes property. A cottage not far from the main house had been empty for years. Mr. Barnes said it would need to be gutted and completely redone. But would I be interested? He asked for much less than he could make on the open market. Since I could do a lot of the work myself, I jumped at the opportunity.
Now, I pulled down the driveway toward the cottage. Mr. Barnes had said we could take care of the sale when I had the money in my account and had given me the keys to the place.
Snow had begun to fall as we’d headed out of downtown and was sticking. We would have snow for Thanksgiving.
“Where are we?” Jamie asked as she got out of the car.
“This is my new cottage. Well, a very old cottage that needs a ton of work.”
“Darby, really?
“Yes, and I want you to see it and help me pick out the finishes and everything else.” I took her by the hand and almost dragged her onto the porch.
