“I really do have to get going now…”
“I’m sorry for being meddlesome.”
“I know, it’s just who you are.” I rolled my eyes in jest. I stepped back, considering her seriously. “But…I do love him, Mom. Maybe this is our second chance, and maybe it’s not going to work out again, but we won’t know if we don’t try. I owe that to Asher, and to the both of us, too.”
For a moment, my words stunned my mother silent.
“If that’s what you want.” She finally said, her voice a little strained and robotic. I could tell she didn’t agree.
“Itiswhat I want. I need to go. I’ll see you later.” I planted a quick kiss on her cheek—for as much as she infuriated me, she was still my mother, and I knew she only wanted what was best for me.
Mom followed me outside, and I locked up the house. I held a smile and waved until she turned and started walking back down the street to her house. I watched until she strolled up to her driveway and in through the front door, before walking warily to my car.
I opened the door and slid in, shoving my key into the ignition. The fuel gauge needle moved from empty to full, and a feeling of warmth settled over me.
Reaching for the gear shift, I stalled, seeing a small folded note with my name scrawled on it in Cal’s penmanship, and a single, long-stemmed red rose placed on the dash.
Tonight I’m gonna fill you like I filled your tank.
–Cal
“I thought you were going to take the next two days off?” Ellery said, brows drawing together, meeting me in the aisle between the café and bookstore when I walked in.
“I am, I promise,” I assured her, lifting my hands in surrender. “I wanted to pick up the rest of the boxes of books for the schools,” I added, gesturing toward the back of the shop. Ellery continued watching me, unsatisfied with my answer, but followed me into the back, leaving the shop in Holly and Shelly’s capable hands. It was quiet this morning—neither she nor I would be missed for a couple of minutes.
She cocked a brow at me. “What’s the real reason?”
“It’s too quiet at the house.” I pouted.
“Where’s Calum?”
Ellery’s question tugged me from my ruminating, although I typed in the password for the door before replying. “He has a meeting with the lawyer for his grandfather’s will reading.”
“Ahhh…” She said, nodding slowly with dawning understanding as she followed me into the office. “It makes perfect sense now. The sexy rock star isn’t around to keep you preoccupied. Of course, you came intowork.”
I gave her a dry look, unzipping my coat and dropping my purse on my desk. “It’s not just that. I had to come here just to escape my mother. She popped by when I was in the shower to lecture me.”
“Yikes. I bet moving in with Calum is looking better and better every second.” She snickered, and I laughed. “Think about it; your neighbours won’t be yourparents. God forbid she came over, and youand himwere in that shower.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Yeah, that wouldn’t have gone over well. Regardless, it’s still way too soon to talk about moving in together.”
“He’salready talking about it,” she pointed out, arching a brow. “Besides…life’s too short to put off the things that make you happy. Calum makes you happy—and even though he’s hurt you in the past, you still look at him like he’s the only man you see. And the kicker is…he looks at youthe exact same way. You two are walking proof of fate being stronger than mistakes.”
“You’re being a little silly about this.” I laughed awkwardly. Her idolization of my relationship made me both uneasy, and yet…at the same time, her visual of us made me a little happy—a little more secure in my decisions.
I’d always felt wholly loved by him with his glances, and his touches, and his smiles. I could never explain it, especially not to the likes of my mother, who I thought would understand. After all, she had followed my father all over Canada when he was in the air force. She sacrificed a lot for their love, and the deployments when they were separated were agony for her. She did her best to mask it, but I saw it.
“I don’t think I am,” Ellery shook her head, and a sense of sadness seeped into her irises, her shoulders drooping a little. “Grant doesn’t look at me like that, the way that Calum looks at you. For the last little while, he’s barely looked at me at all. He’s always staring at his phone or talking to someone else—a teammate, a sports reporter. He half-listens to everything I say and seems to forget it five seconds later.”
“Really? How long has this been going on for?”
“Ever since he got that offer to play in Montreal. I think he’s going to take it…and that’ll be the end of us.”
“I’m sorry. What are you going to do?”
“I haven’t decided yet.” She admitted, lifting a shoulder in a shrug. “I’m not leaving. This is home for me. And right now, I’m not sure he’s even worth leaving it for.”
I placed my hand on her arm. “I feel like the worst friend, I’ve been so wrapped up in Calum and everything, that I didn’t even notice you were going through this. I’m sorry, Ellery.”
