Aidan shook his head. “No, thanks. I’ve had triple my daily quota already.”
“In that case, come and have a seat.” John gestured toward the comfy chairs on the far side of the room. “What’s on your mind?”
Aidan ran his hand through his hair. “A company that’s based in Miami has offered me a job that’s almost too good to turn down. It’s a senior manager’s position at another medical-technology company. They’re developing an exoskeleton for people with spinal injuries. It’ll transform people’s lives.”
John’s eyes widened. “I thought you enjoyed working for BioTech.”
“I do, but it’s an incredible opportunity,” Aidan replied. “But, if I accept the position, I’ll be letting a lot of people down if I leave BioTech.”
“That’s always a factor in any decision. Have you achieved what you wanted to do at BioTech?”
Aidan sighed. “Some days I feel as though I’m just beginning. Each month, we’re discovering another way to push the technology we’re using into areas that would’ve been impossible two years ago. The enhancements to the prosthetics we’re working on will blow most people’s minds when they see them.”
John looked at him thoughtfully. “Would you be happy leaving your job with BioTech?”
Aidan didn’t have to think twice about his answer. And that was the problem. “I could keep working with BioTech for the rest of my life and never be disappointed. The problem is, I’d enjoy working with the other company, too. I’m sure their engineering team’s developing software they’re excited about. But it’s not just the job that’s giving me sleepless nights. Jackie and I have just started dating and I’m worried about how this will affect our relationship.”
John nodded. “I saw you at the Bar and Grill the other night. It looked as though you were enjoying each other’s company.”
“She’s an amazing woman. Living here is important to her.” Aidan hesitated before continuing. “I think it’d be the end of our relationship if I took the job in Miami. I could work from Manhattan or Sapphire Bay with BioTech, but not with the new job.”
John leaned back in his chair. He studied Aidan for a moment before asking, “What’s your heart telling you to do?”
For a brief second, Aidan closed his eyes. Not knowing what he wanted was gnawing away at him. “I don’t know. I feel privileged to work for BioTech. We’re doing some amazing things with the prosthetics. The feedback we’re getting from our clients is incredible. I’d like to stay with BioTech, but opportunities like this don’t come along often.
John nodded. “Have you spoken to Jackie about the job offer?”
“Not yet. She’s stressed enough about the opening of her store. I don’t want to add to her problems.”
John looked at Aidan with a knowing expression. “I understand your concerns, but have you considered that Jackie might want what’s best for you? If this job is a dream come true for you, then she might encourage you to take it.”
Aidan frowned. “But what if it means the end of our relationship?”
“Relationships are about compromise,” John replied. “If you’re truly meant to be together, then distance won’t be an obstacle. But if it’s not meant to be, then it’s better to find out now rather than later.”
Aidan nodded slowly, considering John’s words. “You’re right. I need to talk to Jackie and see where we stand.”
“That would be my advice,” John said. “I know it won’t be easy, but you have a good heart, Aidan. You’ll make the right choice.”
By the time Aidan left the church, he felt better than he had before he’d arrived. As he crossed the parking lot, he looked around him at the picturesque small town that had become his temporary home. He thought about the people he’d met, the connections that were pulling him deeper into a community where everyone truly cared about each other.
Returning to Manhattan would’ve been bad enough. But was he willing to give up everything he had for a job in Miami, even if it meant leaving behind the woman he was falling in love with?
* * *
Jackie had been thinkingabout calling her mom for the last few days. Each time her friends asked if she’d told her, she’d felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Even though her mom wasn’t the most supportive person in the world, Jackie tried to think the best of her.
Someday, her mom might even surprise her—at least that’s what she told herself before she spoke to her. Jackie bit her bottom lip. If she didn’t call her now, she’d have another sleepless night and find even more excuses not to tell her.
Clutching her phone, she pressed the call button. While she waited for her mom to answer, she paced back and forth in her living room, glancing at the yarn-filled baskets and boxes of knitting waiting to be taken into the store. There was still so much to do. So many things that could go wrong. Taking a deep breath, she tried to silence the doubts making her stomach churn.
“Hello?” Carissa’s voice rang out from the other end of the line.
“Hi, Mom,” Jackie said, her voice wavering slightly. “I thought I’d call to see how you’re doing.”
The silence on the other end of the phone was deafening. “It’s been so long since you called that I thought you’d forgotten about me.”
Jackie’s hand tightened around her cell phone. There was no point telling her mom she could have called her. That conversation would only end in an argument.
