I’m already standing up, nearly fumbling out of my chair. “Of course. I’m already on Main and can be there in two minutes.”
“Great.” She hangs up.
I begin to stand with urgency. “Are we okay? I don’t want to run, but it’s the agent.”
“We’re okay,” he mumbles.
I slide the strap of my purse up my arm and rush to him for a quick hug. “I promise he’s only been the best to me,” I assure him in a whisper.
As I leave, I hear him call out. “Better be! And congratulations.” That wasn’t super enthusiastic, but it’s good enough for me.
I sprint out of Foxy Rox and gallop down the sidewalk then pause at the corner near the real estate office. Smoothing my hair, I take a deep breath, reminding myself that fate is fate.
You’ve got this.
I give myself a little pep talk then stand tall when I walk into the office to see that Ingrid is sitting by Molly’s desk drinking tea.
“Good morning, Hailey.” Molly smiles, but she seems nervous, and that doesn’t bode well for me, does it?
“Hi.”
Ingrid smiles but it’s unreadable. “Have a seat, dear.”
Warily, I take a few steps and sit down on the vacant seat next to her while Molly crosses her arms and leans back against the chair.
“I’ll get right to it,” Ingrid starts.
“Of course.” My heart is pounding and my ears feel warm.
“You and your husband remind me of someone.”
I gulp some air, unsure of where this is going. “Oh?” My voice is unsteady.
“Yes. Me and my husband. We married after two weeks of knowing one another. We stayed married until his passing recently. I understand from the grapevine that there was a bit of… well, an eventful evening.”
My eyes zip to Molly with horror on my face. “Everyone in town already knows about last night?”
She rolls a shoulder back. “I mean, Keats told the Kellys across the street and then they told the new couple with the dog and then someone put a message in the neighborhood chat group which apparently you don’t check.”
Somehow, I still manage to shake my head ruefully because it is kind of funny…just.
Ingrid clears her throat. “I’m not too concerned about all of that, although slightly deceiving, and believe you me that I would no longer consider you if I thought it was all for show. But I met you and your husband and you two are very clearly in love. The kind that reminds me of Fred and me. A long-lasting one. You and Oliver even have more points over us since you’ve known one another for so long.”
We have.
A gift and a curse.
We’ve both watched the other’s life go by, yet we didn’t involve ourselves in each other’s life. Not in the way that I’d always wanted.
“Point is, dear, you two are good together, and I have no qualms. You could even have told me you weren’t married when I met you two and I would have just been convinced otherwise. It’s a silly clause. My grandson, he works for one of those tech companies in Chicago, and he was berating me that I need to keep up with the times. I give in. He’s right. I can’t be a prickly old woman, right?”
My brows rise. “Wait, are you saying in the end we wouldn’t have had to marry?”
Oh, fuck me. All of this for nothing. But it’s anything but. In fact, it’s as though a gust of wind wrapped us together to ensure we confronted our feelings.
“I guess in the end, no. I’m not sure that selling is the right choice anymore, so the clause would be irrelevant. Renting has crossed my mind.”
Instantly, I frown. “I see.”
