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“Cindy, if I’ve done anything right in my life, I’ve always kept my word.”
“That’s true.”
I took her hand in mine and brought it to my lips. I kissed her knuckles.
“But if I’m making you a promise, I want one in return,” I told her.
She raised an eyebrow.
“I want your word that you’re not going to leave without saying goodbye again.”
“I promise. I’m not leaving.”
I smiled. “I thought you were convinced that Blue Creek would never feel like home again.”
“I was,” she said. She closed the distance between us and pressed her body against mine. “But there’s something about this town. No matter where I go, I think I’ll always keep finding my way back to it.”
I wrapped my arms around her and pressed my lips to her temple.
“Or maybe it’s the people in it,” she whispered.
Twenty-Six
Cindy
The next few weeks were a blur. Luke moved everything into his new apartment and took the written exam to be a firefighter. It made me so happy to see him hopeful and working on something he was really proud of. Carter had officially taken over Kane Construction, and Elias was planning to partner up with him full time to handle the financial side of the business. Luke was free to pursue whatever he wanted. And he was taking full advantage of it.
Even his relationship with his mother had improved now that he no longer lived under her roof. His youngest brother, Max, had moved in and was taking care of Ramona. Not to mention that things between Mrs. Kane and her… church gentleman were getting a little more serious. Luke still drove her to St. Mary’s every Friday night, but he didn’t grumble about it anymore. He did it because he loved her, not because he was obligated to care for her.
My fate, at least as far as my future in Blue Creek was concerned, still hung in the balance. I mean, I’d promised Luke that I was sticking around, and I intended to. But it had been nearly two weeks since I’d interviewed at Farrelly Grove, and I still hadn’t heard anything about the job. I debated following up with them, but I was pretty sure the answer was no.
I was disappointed, but I shook it off. This was the week of Steph and Maya’s wedding. I couldn’t worry about myself right now.
Stephanieand I arrived at the airport and waited at baggage claim for our parents. Our mom and her boyfriend, Rod, were coming in from Florida, and our father was supposed to be on a flight from Las Vegas that would land in the next half hour or so. Stephanie tracked the information on her phone.
“There are my girls,” a familiar voice called.
Steph and I turned around to see our mother and Rod coming toward us, dragging their luggage behind them. I took their suitcases while they lavished Stephanie with congratulations and hugs. I smiled. It was nice to know that she still cared about us. At least enough to make the trip back to Blue Creek for the wedding.
“I’ll take these out to the car,” I told them. “You three can wait for Dad. He should be landing soon.”
My mother winced and looked to Rod for support. “You mean he didn’t tell you?”
“Tell us what?” Steph asked nervously.
“Ugh, that man. He’s an overgrown child,” Mom grumbled. “So glad you two took after me.”
“Tell us what,” I demanded, bypassing the jab at our father.
“He’s not coming. He got invited on some boys’ weekend trip with the guys in his condo complex,” she informed us. “He wanted me to tell you, but I told him to nut up and do it himself. I guess he just decided to run from the problem altogether. Typical Hal. I can’t fucking believe him.”
Mom got on her phone and started dialing furiously. I went over to Steph and put a hand on her shoulder.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
She shrugged. “I should have seen this coming.”
“I’m sorry, Steph. I thought he’d come through this time.”
