She loved the status. The acceptance. The control.
I turned back to face her.
“I am sorry for what my father did to your family,” I said quietly. “You did not deserve it. But that does not excuse what you have done. This ends now. I wish you the best, Lynda. You have three days to leave.”
Her shoulders collapsed. Whatever fight she had left drained away.
I walked out and closed the door behind me.
The night air was cold. The sky stretched wide and dark above me.
For the first time in a long while, I breathed freely.
It was over.
And I was ready to move on.
Chapter 33
BAILEY
It had been three days since the incident at the country club, and I could feel something shifting in the air. I felt lighter, more at ease, and finally able to think more clearly and positively. I had been on edge since that day, expecting the police to knock on my cottage door and handcuff me for the second time, convinced I was headed to jail. But none of that happened.
My worries began to fade when Ashton assured me no one would press charges, claiming he had evidence tied to the vandalism. I did not know how he handled the witnesses at the scene, but whatever he did, the town stayed quiet. Only a few harmless whispers and curious stares lingered, and even those quickly led to nothing.
Unfortunately, my time in this town was coming to an end. Staying longer was not an option. Life moved on, and I missed my son terribly. I had also made a decision about the future of the shop I inherited. After much consideration, the outcome had always been the same.
I would preserve it.
To announce my decision, I called Eva and invited Shanna. Shanna had been a great source of emotional support, and I truly valued our newfound friendship. I would miss them both.
They sat nervously at a table while I stood, ready to break the news.
“Thank you both for coming,” I began. “Eva, you have done an amazing job keeping this place running. I’m sure Marie would have been proud of you.”
Eva smiled softly, her eyes glistening.
“And Shanna,” I continued, “when we first met, you were a stranger. But you’ve been such a good listener, you stood by me, and you showed me the true meaning of friendship. I’m glad to call you a friend.”
Shanna beamed. “I’m happy to be your friend too, even though I was a little disappointed when you asked me to stay behind instead of coming with you to the club. I was hoping to get in on some action as your backup.”
I laughed. “I’m glad you weren’t there. Otherwise, it would have been even more chaotic, and we both might have ended up in jail.”
She pouted, pretending to be offended.
“You’re leaving, aren’t you?” Eva asked quietly.
“You know I can’t stay any longer,” I said gently. “I’m leaving tomorrow.”
Their faces fell.
“Does that mean you’re selling this place?” Shanna asked.
“Actually, no,” I replied. “I’ve decided to keep it. That’s why I wanted you both here.”
“What?” Eva said, startled. Then her face lit up. “You’re keeping it?”
“Yes,” I said. “Eva, listen carefully. I need your expertise to run this place. I can’t be in two places at once. I want you to be my partner so we can run it together. I’ll handle the management side, and you’ll focus on operations.”
