AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No. I’m working to the end of the festival.” She had a lot to catch him up on. “But Jaime and I had plans for me to stay.”
“No shit? When did this happen?”
“We’ve just been getting so much closer, and he’s like a whole other man from the guy I first met. He was so sure about wanting me to stay that he called his friend at the ski resort I told you about to see about leasing a space.”
“Slow the hell down. You’re opening a bakery there? You said it was way too expensive.”
“It is. But…I don’t know. I was willing to take out a loan orsomething. I’ve got credibility right now because of the festival. It just…it seemed possible.” She slowed to take a sharp turn. “But then Kinny got hurt, and now, I don’t know what we’re doing, and I…I think I got a little carried away.”
“Holy fuck, Grace. You’re talking about owning your own bakery? InWyoming?”
“Yes. I want it more than anything. I know Mom and Dad aren’t going to understand, but I can’t go back to making croissants and muffins. I just can’t. And I don’t want to leave Jaime and Kinny. I love him, Romeo. I love him so much.” All these emotions had been trapped inside her, and it felt good to let them out. “But now, he’s pulling away and—”
“Grace. I want this for you. I do. But you’re not flipping your life upside down for a guy who can’t make up his mind. He’s either in, or you’re out.”
She sat up a little straighter. The cloud of confusion started to clear. “You’re right.”
“If a guy wants you, nothing’s going to stop him. No commitment issues, no fears. Nothing. You know this.”
“I do.”
“And if he wavers? You walk.”
“You’re absolutely right.”
“Now, opening a bakery’s a whole other conversation. That’s not contingent on a relationship.”
“Well, there isn’t a space, and it’s a long waiting list.”
“So? Open it somewhere else.”
“There’s already a gourmet food store in town that has a good bakery. There’re also pastry chefs at the Homestead Inn and Wally’s—those are both fine dining.” But none of that even mattered. “The place I want is Wild Wolff Village. And I can’t stay here without a job.”
“Well, you can. You can run a food truck, build up some cash until something opens... There are options.”
“That’s really hard to justify when Ian’s parents are offering to buy a building for me.”
“They did it.”
“Did what?”
“They bought the building.”
“Oh.” That pretty much sealed her fate, didn’t it? If she stayed here, it would take years to save enough money. It didn’t make sense if she had an opportunity waiting for her at home.
Suddenly, she missed her family fiercely.
In that moment, she understood what her mom kept telling her.Boyfriends come and go, but family’s forever. “Well, then, I guess that settles it.”
“What? No. That’s on them. There’s no obligation for you to take them up on their offer.”
“True.” But it delivered her dream on a platter, and if she didn’t have an option in Calamity, she’d be a fool to stay. She was so distracted with her thoughts she nearly passed the brown sign with yellow lettering that announced the campsite entrance. “I miss you guys anyway. I better go.”
“Okay, but you don’t have to make any decisions right now. You’ve still got—what?”
“Forty-eight hours.”
“Ah. That’s why you’re flippin’ out. You think when they take the truck away, they take your reason for staying there. But I doubt Jaime’s thinking about the timing. He’s focused on his kid. If you tell him you’ve got a decision to make, he’ll probably snap out of it.”
