ELIZABETH
Acton, Colorado, was a beautiful place to be. The town we drove through was small and quaint, with friendly faces walking up and down the street, everyone happy to greet their neighbor even on the chilly day.
“Is this considered Acton or Fall Springs?” I ask Quinn, sitting at her adorable kitchen table, enjoying the hot cup of coffee she made for me upon my arrival. Rora was drawing with Alex, Quinn’s daughter, and laughing at her toddler son, JC, who kept stealing their crayons.
“Technically, my address is Fall Springs, but I don’t claim this town so much as I do Acton. Graham’s family grew up in Acton,” Quinn tells me, throwing her hair up into a high bun and smiling. “I’m so glad you’re here! We haven’t gotten to truly catch up in ages.”
“Well, when you throw us in a room with you and Derek’s friends, it’s hard to do.” I say this teasingly, especially since I adore each and every one of the people in his group.
“True.” Quinn smiles softly and taps her finger on the table. “I’m a little surprised Derek didn’t come. Graham was sure he wouldn’t have let you come up to visit us without him.”
When I called Quinn late last night and asked if they were up for a visit, I kept the explanation quick and brief, just mentioning I wanted to catch up. What I didn’t say was that Derek wouldn’t be coming with me.
I still haven’t returned his calls or texts. Not because I don’t want to, because I very much do. But because it’s still so fresh in my mind. The hurt that he created for me, telling me that I wasn’t supposed to take care of him, still makes me feel like breaking down and crying.
“Yeah,” I say softly, taking a sip of coffee and watching at the other end of the table when Rora giggles loudly at JC’s actions.
“That girl needs a sibling,” Quinn tells me, mostly teasing by the look on her face.
The comment makes my eyes water, and I feel absolutely pathetic for it.
“Izzy.” Quinn sits forward, grabbing my hand and looking at me with concern when a tear escapes down my cheek. “Why are you upset?” she asks me quietly, noting how discreet I was being. Rora still has no clue what was going on, and frankly, I’d like to keep it that way.
Though I’m not looking forward to the conversation I will need to have if I can’t work it out with Derek.
“We’re taking some space,” I say, keeping my voice hushed and accepting the tissue that Quinn hands to me.
“You and Derek are?” Quinn looks absolutely devastated by the news, and I know why. Since she met him, they have become great friends. He was her husband’s best friend, and they wanted us to work out.
I glance at Rora, wondering if she heard his name. Thankfully, she’s well and fully distracted.
“What happened? Last time we saw you two, it looked like everything was going so well.”
I nod, trying to get a hold on my emotions but seriously failing to do so. “Things were going well.” I pat my cheeks and sigh. “I love him. So much.”
Quinn’s brows furrow, but there’s a little quirk to her lip that tells me she’s so far past confused it’s silly. “Okay, so something must have changed your mind on that.”
“Nothing changed my mind on that. I love him. I’m pretty sure.” I touch my chest, feeling the physical ache in my heart. “I’m pretty sure he’s my soulmate.”
Quinn’s mouth can’t be helped when it tips up into a broad smile. “I thought so! I knew when he saw you at the wedding he was like”—she snaps her fingers loudly, gathering the attention of her daughter for a moment before she shakes her head and continues drawing—“instantly in love.”
“At the wedding?” I think back to that moment when the handsome man I fell madly in love with talked with me, talked with Rora, and was so kind to us both. I remember leaving his side, thinking he was done talking to me, and then getting asked to dance by someone that works at Graham’s family ranch.
I didn’t want to say yes to him because something pulled at me with Derek. Even then. But he didn’t talk to me again after that.
“Oh yeah.” Quinn giggles, pressing her hand to her mouth and saying, “Did he tell you why it took him so long to ask you out?”
“No.” I furrow my brows, waiting for the explanation.
“Well.” She clears her throat. “At the wedding, he was, like, obsessed with you, and our friends were teasing him. Boys are so dumb sometimes.” Quinn rolls her eyes atwhatever memory is passing through, but I’m eager for her to get it out. “So he swore off dating and took a vow not to date for an indefinite amount of time. Then, I invited you to game night.”
“And threw myself at him,” I recall with embarrassment. I guess I don’t need to feel embarrassed now that I know he was into me.
“Yeah, he was beside himself that he didn’t ask you out then. We all teased him for offering to babysit instead of being the reason you needed one.”
I crack a smile. “Yeah, that was weird,” I admit, then tilt my head. “But also really sweet.”
“It was so sweet!” Quinn assures me, patting my hand. “But he was so into you, and I genuinely felt bad because he was holding up his end of the bargain, and the guys had completely forgotten about the bet.”
