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But whatever. Even if he snapped out of it and came begging for another chance, it wouldn’t matter. He just wasn’t healed in a way that would make it safe to give him her whole heart.
Except…that was a lie, wasn’t it? She’d already given it to him.
Whatever.She had to stop obsessing.
Eventually, she’d quit wallowing. She’d gotten out of bed, showered, and headed into Newport to see the building the Adlers bought. It was gorgeous, roomy, elegant…the perfect choice.
But ultimately, she hadn’t accepted their offer. His parents hadn’t stolen from her—Ian had. Besides, she had the money she needed to start her own bakery. And she didn’t see the point in living in Newport. It would just mean unnecessary travel time to get to family birthday parties, graduations, and anniversaries. If she lived in another state—like, say, Wyoming—she wouldn’t be able to attend every single gathering, but when she was only two hours away, she’d feel obligated to come to everything.
Besides, she loved Duff Island, so she’d talked to a realtor and, only a few days later, found a gray clapboard building in an ideal location.
And so, here she stood, on her final walk-through before she made a formal offer and put down her earnest money.
Outside the window, bikes lined up, ready to rent for the end-of-summer tourists. People walked by licking ice cream cones, pushing strollers, and peering into windows of the various shops along Anchor Street.
Upstairs, she had fifteen hundred square feet of recently renovated living space. A nice kitchen, a bedroom, and windows that overlooked the ocean.
She loved the idea of coming down to bake before dawn and then going back to bed. Especially in winter, when she wouldn’t have to trudge through a blizzard.
A toilet flushed upstairs, and a moment later, her brother’s flip-flops smacked on the wood floor. As he made his descent, his muscular legs appeared, then his blue and white board shorts, and then he was there, all tan skin and wind-tousled hair. He flashed his heartbreaker smile. “So, we doing this?”
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t own it yet.”
“Yeah, so?”
“So, you don’t use the bathroom.”
Romeo’s grin widened. “Oops.” He rested his hip against the counter. “You like it?”
“I do.”
“Then, you should definitely buy it. I’ll even help paint.”
“How did you know I’d want to paint?”
“White counters, white café tables and chairs with pink-striped cushions, pale pink walls, big white vases with pink flowers…do I have it right?”
He’d described everything she’d ever dreamed of, and now that it was within her reach, shouldn’t she be way more excited?
Why wasn’t she? “I haven’t imagined any pastries since I’ve been home.” It had only been four days, but still. It was like someone had shut off the spigot.
“What?”
“When I was younger, that’s all I dreamed about. Lemon curd and chocolate mousseline. I would lie in bed and wonder what it would taste like if I put coconut milk in the whipped cream. What if I flavored it with coffee? But that all stopped when Ian and I got together.” And she’d gotten carried away in all her firsts. “And then I had culinary school, and then I was working full time. It came back to me in Calamity. Like, right away. That very first night, when I should’ve been crying about the wedding that never happened, I was imagining pastries.”
“Well, baking’s your therapy.”
“It is. Jaime thought it was hilarious that he stopped at the grocery store after we landed, thinking I’d get milk and yogurt and deli meat or whatever. Instead, I got butter and eggs and baking sheets.” She glanced around the beautiful space, the sunlight pouring in through the windows, the view of the harbor right there, colorful windsocks whipping in a strong breeze. “Something’s very wrong with me because I get to live a dream I never thought could come true. And yet…now that I’m here, in this perfect space with the money to do it, I feel like I’m settling.”
“That’s because you are.”
Stunned, she could only stare at her brother.
“You don’t want this.” He tapped the counter. “You don’t want to be here.”
“Yeah, but I mean, if I have to be here, this is the perfect place. I won’t find better.”
“Why do you have to be here?”
