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He gets in his truck that’s loaded up with boxes filled with my possessions. Once he pulls out of the driveway, I head back inside to take a final look around. The furniture and appliances still remain for Niall to use. It didn’t make sense to take anything when Ryder’s house—make thatourhouse—has plenty of both. It might take me a while to feel like it’s my home too, but that’s more about my own financial insecurities. Ryder’s attitude is that he may have paid for the farm, but he insists I’m the reason it feels like a home.
I trail my fingers over the kitchen island. I started my business in this room. I have a lot of great memories here.
I take a quick peek in each room before I shut down the lights and lock up. I head next door to Lucy’s front porch.
She waves. “Hey, lover!”
“Hey, sex kitten. What’s shaking?”
I sit down next to her and we fall together in a hug. Emotion clogs my throat. Lucy has been right next door whenever I’ve needed her. And now she won’t be.
When we part from each other, there are tears in my eyes. I’m afraid to look at Lucy because if I see her crying, I’ll lose control.
She hands me a glass filled with a frosty margarita, and I look out at the view of our quaint neighborhood. I’m really going to miss moments like this. Lucy sniffles and quickly wipes tears from her eyes while I sip from the ice-cold drink.
“I can’t believe you’re gonna leave me right before Christmas.”
Setting my glass on the coffee table, I shift on the wicker couch, facing her. “Come on. Don’t be like that. In your eyes, there would never be a good time for me to move in with Ryder.”
She tosses her head toward her next door neighbor’s house. “I can’t believe you’re leaving me alone with the creepster. Who’s gonna be my pretend lover now?”
“As it turns out, one of Ryder’s teammates is going to temporarily rent my house. He’s been living in a hotel since July.”
She huffs. “That still leaves me minus one pretend lover.”
“True. I can’t help you with that. Can you have one of your other friends drop over from time to time?”
“Everyone’s married and has kids. You were my last hope.”
I dislike letting her down, but I can’t base my choices on what’s best for Lucy. That’s her responsibility and I’m ecstatic about moving in with Ryder. It’s the next step in our happily ever after. There’ll be no more making the drive back and forth between our homes. I’ll be able to spend every night with him, share a bed, and wake up to see his face first thing every morning.
“I can keep up the lover act every time I visit. You can always say I moved and we’re in a long distance relationship.”
She gives me anare you kiddinglook. “That might work if you weren’t in a relationship with a professional hockey player. Your faces are plastered all over social media,” she says.
I shudder. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t tell me that.”
“Why?”
“Because the idea of total strangers commenting on my life or weighing in on my relationship online is unsettling. They don’t know me or anything about my life. They don’t know what goes on behind closed doors.”
“Look at it like it’s just noise you’ll have to ignore to be with Ryder.”
“I stay off social media, so I don’t see most of the toxic stuff that gets posted, and I don’t even want to know about it, so don’t tell me. Ever.”
“What about the compliments you get? Do you want to hear those?”
I shake my head from side to side. “Nope.”
“Not even when they say you’re beautiful?”
“Nope. My stance is firm.”
What other people think about me or my appearance shouldn’t matter.
She presses her lips together, nodding. “Wow. I’m impressed.”
“How’s your show been?” I ask. “Any new Bigfoot sightings?”
