"No need for pleasantries. We'll thank each other when we've grown a new economic base for this town and my Silicon Valley friends call me the craft gin evangelist."
The door thunked shut and I caught sight of Owen Bartlett. "There you are." He charged across the room. "I've been looking all over for you."
"Found me," Cole chirped. "Look at this, it's gin flavored with beach roses. Do you know what those are? I'm sure you do. Maybe you can show me tomorrow because I have no idea. Also, it's amazing and I worked out a deal so we're getting a case of gin every month. Isn't that awesome?"
Owen smiled at me over Cole's head. "If that makes you happy, baby, then I'm happy."
"Can we go home now?" Cole asked.
"That's why I'm here. I came to get you," Owen replied.
"Good night," I called as they shuffled out, their arms tangled around each other. Watching them together hurt like I couldn't believe, but I had my phone out before the door rattled shut behind them.
This was the only thing for me to do—wrap my arms around her as best I could from hundreds of miles away and ask if she was ready to come home.
JJ:There are a lot of things I want to say. I've been trying to figure out the right place to start all day, but I don't think I know where it is.
JJ:Since there's no good place, I'll start with the thing I wish I'd said the yesterday.
JJ:I don't want you to leave, but I'm not talking about Talbott's Cove. You can go anywhere in the world. I want you to be where you're happy. But please don't leave.
JJ:I didn't tell you about losing Barry and his investment because I didn't want to bother you with it. I know it wouldn't have bothered you. Hell, it might've been a good distraction. But then everything happened with the baby, and the distillery was the last thing on my mind. I can't convince myself I should've added that to your plate, sweetheart. Not right then. I'm sorry it came out the way it did, but I'm not sorry for protecting you.
JJ:I'm going to keep doing that, you know. You'll hate it and you'll throw fire at me, but if I'm extremely lucky, you'll put up with it.
JJ:I think I'm extremely lucky, Brooke.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Brooke
Hedge Fund: a pooled, collective investment vehicle used to yield aggressive returns.
I knockedon Jed's door. At first, it was a polite knock. A light tap of the knuckles against solid wood. When that resulted in nothing, I put some muscle into it. A deep thunk vibrated across the slab and echoed down the street. Damn near bruised my hand in the process.
It was the middle of the night, the summer air heavy on my skin and cicadas hissing in the trees as if I required more recrimination. I did not. I knew where he kept the spare key, but it didn't feel right to let myself in, not when I'd escaped from the Cove before sunrise like a fugitive.
Even if I wanted to climb into his bed and tuck myself up against his body and sleep for the longest time, I couldn't do that. Not until I'd earned the right.
The door swung open to reveal Jed in black boxers, that delicious line of fuzz running down his belly and the octopus climbing his arm. Butterscotch galloped up, her tail wagging her entire body while her front paws danced. She jostled Jed out of the way and circled me twice, huffing and whining as she went. She nudged me over the threshold and into Jed's house.
"Okay, Scotchie, okay," I sang, my hands sweeping over her coat as she nuzzled my legs.
"My dog has never loved anything or anyone the way she loves you," Jed mused. "If you're not here to tell me something good, I hope you know you're gonna break the old girl's heart."
"I tried to go home today," I said, still dividing my attention between him and the dog. "I have a townhouse in Brooklyn. The Vinegar Hill neighborhood. I don't know if I've ever told you that."
He leaned back against the door. “Probably not.”
"But I didn't have a key," I continued. "I'm sure I did at some point, but I couldn't find it today. I couldn't get in."
Jed crossed his arms. "Seems like an important detail."
"Not anymore," I replied. "I sold it. I sold my townhouse."
"Wait—how? In one day? What?"
I ran my hands through my hair, shrugged. "I know people. I know how to get things like this done and I wanted it done."
