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* * *
If you’re reading this letter, I’ve flown up to heaven to meet the love of my life.
A tear slips down my cheek and I wipe it away.
Don’t be upset. I lived a long and happy life. I saw every one of my great-grandchildren born, unless your dad and mom decided on a few more after I passed. Ha ha. More than anything, I wanted my grandchildren to find the loves of their lives, just like I did with my Philip. Yes, sometimes I meddled to make sure they didn’t stand in their own way, but I was blessed to witness their love stories firsthand.
This cabin is where your great-grandfather and I loved one another. Oh, the stories those walls could tell. It was our getaway, our seclusion from the world, our hidden sanctuary. And now it’s yours to do with as you wish. If you want to tell the family? That’s fine. Share it with your cousins? That’s fine too. You don’t have to keep it to yourself. There is no stipulation on how you use this special space.
I do have one thing to tell you though—you’re getting this letter and this cabin now because it’s time. I told Gilbert to deliver this when he thought you might need it most. So, I’m going to give you a piece of advice I think you’ve needed to hear for a long time, and I hope you’re finally ready to hear it… sometimes the right person comes into your life at the wrong time. But at some point, it will be the right time and the love they’ll bring into your life will be worth the wait. Be open to receiving it.
Farewell, my first great-grandchild. Enjoy the journey, it goes by way too fast. But if you’re lucky like me, it’s one heck of a ride.
* * *
Love you always, Great-Grandma Dori
* * *
PS: I’m missing a specific tape somewhere. If you find it, could you kindly destroy it? That was for me and your great-grandpa’s eyes only.
A shiver runs down my spine. Please tell me she isn’t talking about a sex tape. I’m pretty sure she is.
I fold up the letter when the sound of a car driving up the gravel catches my attention. I throw the letter in a drawer in the kitchen filled with silverware and rush over to the door.
I open it, assuming it’s Alice and her gang, but I’m wrong. So wrong. And I’m not even close to prepared for who is there.
I slam the door shut before he sees me and pace the room.
Why is Rylan here? I stare at the ceiling, but really, I’m throwing dagger eyes up at heaven.
“What did you do?” I whisper-shout.
I can just see her smirk and shrug, nudging me to answer the door.
The knock on the door is loud and startles me even though I expected it. With one last deep breath, I open the door and Rylan’s eyes meet mine.
“Calista,” he whispers. He clearly wasn’t expecting to find me here.
His gaze travels down my body. If I’d known I would run into him today, I would’ve improved on my outfit—yoga pants and an oversized UCLA sweatshirt that’s seen better days. Mindlessly, I lift my hand to my ponytail. Great. And if my memory serves me right, I’m not wearing a stitch of makeup. What a way to reconnect with “the ex.”
“Rylan?” I don’t sound nearly as surprised as I should.
He leans forward and peeks in. “I was given this note.” He pulls a small piece of paper out of his pocket and hands it to me. “What is it?”
Sure enough, he was given the same note I was. How is Great-Grandma Dori pulling this off from the afterlife?
I hand him back the note and open the door farther, allowing him to come in. “My great-grandma Dori owned this place.”
He walks in, and my eyes drift closed briefly when his scent hits me. It’s a scent that’s only ever been Rylan’s—a combination of crisp cologne and fabric softener. He’s wearing jeans, a blue sweater, and brown boots. As he ventures inside, my gaze soaks him in. God, every damn time he looks better than the time before.
“And you just found out.”
Guess I shouldn’t be surprised he put that much together. He knew our grandmas’ antics and was probably given the card about the meeting from the Grandma Crew 2.0.
“Yeah.” I lean on the counter, watching him inspect the space as I did before finding out I own it, which I still can’t believe. “She left it to me.”
He swivels around and his eyebrows shoot up. “Wasn’t the will already read?”
