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Before I could talk myself out of it, I tapped on his name and held the phone up to my ear. I don’t know why, but I had somehow convinced myself that Leo was going to be sitting next to the phone waiting for it to ring.
He wasn’t.
Because after it rang four times, I was sent to his voicemail. When I heard the beep, I said, “Leo, it’s me. I’m really, really sorry about what I said and how I treated you. I want to make things right and apologize in person. Please call me when you get this. I really am sorry.”
I ended the call and stared at the phone. I’d done all I could do for now. Hopefully, he’d call me back, and I could fix this mess.
I needed him in my life, and the thought that I’d irrevocably ruined what we had was messing with my head.
Ten minutes after I’d left Leo a message, there was a knock at my door. There was no question I’d been hoping he’d received it and decided it was best to just come over, but I knew better.
It was Whitney.
After taking just one look at my face, sorrow washed over hers, and she stepped inside. She didn’t waste a second throwing her arms around me and pulling me in for a hug. The moment I was there, feeling the comfort of a loving embrace, I lost it.
Whitney held on tighter, and I couldn’t have been more grateful to have her there than I already was.
When I finally pulled myself together, which took a substantial amount of time, the two of us closed the front door and moved into the living room area.
“I’m so sorry, Hanna,” she lamented. “I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now.”
Nodding, I replied, “Thanks. I feel like I’ve been through the wringer. It’s been one thing after another. How have you been doing? How was your getaway?”
She offered a small smile, the first I’d seen on her face since before Xavier died. “I think it was just what I needed, because I’m feeling more at peace with everything now. Of course, part of me wishes I could have stayed away, because now I’m dealing with all of the logistics.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Well, there’s Xavier’s whole estate,” she explained. “He didn’t have a wife or any children, so all of his assets have to be handled. Fortunately, he did have a will, so I’ve got an appointment next week to meet with the attorney on that. But even having to do it is just awful.”
Offering her a sympathetic look, I said, “It’s not easy. None of this is. Even having to go on with the day-to-day things is tough. I have guests checking in today, and that’s the only reason I’m over here in the reservation house. If I could just shut everything off and climb into my bed to cry, I would. I’m trying to cope with the losses, accept that I was a person of interest in all of this, and deal with the aftermath of a breakup.”
“A breakup? I didn’t know you were seeing anyone,” she replied.
Thoughts of Leo moved through my mind. It hadn’t been that long, but he still hadn’t called me back. What if he didn’t forgive me for what I’d said to him?
“Yeah, I started seeing a guy, but things got a little messed up in the midst of all that was happening,” I started. “I said some things I shouldn’t have, and I’m trying to fix them now. In fact, I’ll called him just before you got here, but I had to leave him a message. I’m terrified he’s not going to call me back.”
Now it was her turn to send a sympathetic look my way. “Well, maybe he’s just busy right now. What does he do for work?” she asked.
I swallowed hard. “He’s a private investigator.”
Surprise washed over her. “Really? How did you meet him?”
“I actually met him a while ago when he was working on a case for a friend of mine,” I explained. “She had been staying here for a bit, and he had to come by to talk to her about what was going on with her situation. We ran into each other for the first time since then a few weeks ago, and we’ve been seeing each other since.”
“I wish I knew what to say to make this better for you. I’m so sorry you’re dealing with so much right now. How can I help?”
After shooting her an appreciative glance, I insisted, “Just having someone here to listen is helping. I think if I’ve learned anything lately, it’s that I’ve got to hold on to the people I do have in my life.”
“I agree completely,” Whitney returned. “And as sad as it is that it took Xavier’s death to bring us here, I’m glad you and I have found a way to reconnect with one another.”
I smiled at her, feeling the best I had in days. “Me too.”
“So, how about you tell me about business?” she urged. “How are things going here?”
For the next thirty minutes or so, I told Whitney all about what was happening with Short and Sweet. She listened intently while I shared how things were going, what I was doing to drum up additional business, and what my plans were for the future of the place. I wasn’t sure if she’d intentionally asked me about it to take my mind off of everything that had been consuming my thoughts over the last several days, but I was beyond grateful for the distraction it provided.
“So, are you full here tonight?” she asked.
