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“You were.” There was no mistaking the delight in my tone. “You werecuddling.”
Still ignoring me, she licked a paw and started washing her face.
I laughed until a sharp pain hit deep in my chest, an ache that had nothing to do with my physical ailments and everything to do with reality.
I had to leave. And I didn’t know how to say goodbye to Molly. I had slowly gained her trust and was starting to earn her love. She was never going to understand.
I decided I’d go to my mother’s house in Tampa, then figure out where to go from there. I wasn’t going to move back to Ohio. I couldn’t. Especially not now that I knew how magical the beach was. I’d find another coastal town and start over.
I could do it. I didn’t want to, but I could. If anything had come out of this wild-goose chase, it was that knowledge.
When my snooze alarm beeped, startling me out of my thoughts, I cleared the alarm and noticed I had unread text messages from both Maggie and Dez.
I hadn’t been at all sure I wanted to see what they had to say, but curiosity got the best of me. Gathering up my courage, I’d opened the message from Maggie first.
Stopped by to see you but you’re asleep and I don’t want to wake you. I’m so sorry for scaring you. All is well. See you tomorrow.
The message had been sent with a bunch of heart emojis, and it was absolutely ridiculous how much those hearts meant to me.
All is well.
All. Is. Well.
Her words went round and round in my head, filling me with hope.
Holding my breath, I’d opened Dez’s message.
I’ve got a job offer for you, Sprite. Staying at Carmella’s tonight. Talk tomorrow.
Sprite. His pet name for me. Surely if he was angry, he wouldn’t have used the special nickname, would he? Plus, a job offer. My broken spirit started stitching itself back together with strong sparkly thread.
“Molly, a job offer!”
She paused in grooming her tail and glared at me, her big blue eyes radiating sorrow.
At her look, my breath caught, and I deflated.
Most likely, Dez’s job offer wouldn’t be for a position at his home. It wouldn’t be with Molly.
A mournful lump grew in my throat as I said, “I’ll visit as often as I can.”
With a graceful leap, she hopped off the bed and ran out of the room.
I’d searched for her before I left for work at the coffeehouse, but she clearly did not want to be found. “I’ll talk to Dez,” I said aloud in the great room, hoping she could hear me. “I’ll see what we can work out.”
As I stood there, talking to her, I could only imagine what my mother would say if she could see me now, trying to console a cat. The thought made me smile, despite my mood.
I needed to call her, my mom. All the talk yesterday about truth and secrets had worked its way under my skin. I shouldn’t have kept the truth from her. Not about moving down here. Not about my health.
“I’ll be back later, Molly,” I yelled. “I’ll see if Norman can come over for a while.”
I waited for a hiss or a meow or anything but heard only my own voice reverberating off the tall ceilings.
I hated to leave, but I was already late for my shift.
When I arrived at the coffeehouse, I’d fully expected to see Maggie, but only Rose was there. Apparently, Maggie had called her late last night and asked if she could handle the opening, because Maggie wanted to take the morning off to sleep in.
Rose had wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. “I heard Donovan’s voice in the background suggesting she take a wholeweekoff.”
