“I lived in Boston for a few years after college.”With Grant, in the apartment I discovered you two in, she added silently. “But when I moved to Florida after I joined the pro tour, my parents moved down there to be closer to me.”
Sydney watched Brynn closely then, to see if any sense of awareness flicked across her features. But there was none to be found; Brynn was seemingly oblivious to how intertwined her and Grant’s lives used to be.
“I love that,” Margie chimed in. “We’re fortunate enough that Brynn hasn’t had wings that seem to want to carry her too far from home.”
Brynn looked both bashful and embarrassed, making her faceappear much younger than her twenty-seven years. “I like New England,” she said with a shrug.
“There’s really no substitute,” Sydney agreed. “I’ve lived in Florida long-term and traveled the world for tournaments, but it’s still the place I love the most.”
Sharon cleared her throat, quiet until now. She’d been quiet all day, really, but Sydney hadn’t had the courage to strike up a casual conversation with her. Maybe ex-boyfriend’s new fiancée and future mother-in-law, at the end of the day, had felt safer than ex-boyfriend and fake girlfriend’s mother.
Wow, she needed to draw herself a chart.
“Reese mentioned earlier today, which makes a lot more sense given that she’s purchased The Stone’s Throw Inn, that she’s officially relocated back to Stoneport,” Sharon said.
Sydney had wondered when the questions would come from Sharon, and now the hairs on her neck started to prickle. Her own mother would have already asked Reese for a five-year plan on their relationship, especially after everything that had happened with Grant.
“Are you moving back then? Or will you two make long distance work in some capacity? If you’re going back to Florida, that is?” There was a hopefulness in Sharon’s voice that Sydney didn’t want to dim with an honest answer.
She wasn’t going to admit that she had no idea what the future held for her. Not professionally. Not personally. She barely knew what each day would hold.
But that wasn’t a bad thing, she’d accepted over the last few weeks.
For the last fifteen years, her life had been so regimented that her day was planned down to the minute. With training, meal prepping—and, well, more training—she could function on autopilot instead of focusing on making decisions about her life.
Her life since coming back to Stoneport had become a veritable ‘choose your own adventure’ novel, with exhilarationand excitement—andpossibilitiesthat she’d only found before in the confines of big matches.
Was this what it meant to make your own fun?
Still… she was conscious not to put Reese in the hot seat, accidentally planning their fake life out together if she’d told Sharon something different. “My retirement was announced about three weeks ago, so I’m happy to be wherever it makes sense to spend time with Reese for the foreseeable future. I do have to head back to Florida in about a week to tie up some loose ends with sponsorships and the business side of things, but as much as possible, I want to be back home in Stoneport for the summer.”
Sharon’s shoulders relaxed, and Sydney felt a genuine smile widen across her own face. She liked the answer she’d given. Even though she’d lived in Florida for the past four years, she’d always seen it astravelingthere and cominghometo Stoneport.
Margie nodded sagely, moving her hands like an ocean wave as she said, “Compromise is the key to any good relationship. Sometimes you’re the one ebbing, and sometimes you’re the one flowing.”
Sydney made a mental note to start keeping track of Margie’s ocean metaphors.
“And Reese is getting everything settled at the inn, so I’m sure some time to focus her attention without me bothering her won’t be a bad thing,” Sydney joked.
“You two seem to have a really good thing going,” Brynn said with an almost wistful sigh. “I’m really happy for you both.”
Sydney was getting glimmers from Brynn’s behavior and language that maybe all that glittered wasn’t gold between the happy couple. She’d barely seen Brynn and Grant speak to one another, let alone engage in any private conversations or moments that helped Sydney understand how throwing it all away with Brynn had been worth it to her ex.
And trust, she had been watching.
There were no light touches. No soft looks. There was noawarenessof the other person, like no matter where the other was in the room, they were attuned.
When she and Reese weren’t actively engaged in conversation, Sydney could feel her presence, keyed into Reese’s moods almost as if they were becoming her own. She attributed it to the charade of keeping their lies together; yes, that was the reason she was always so mentally present wherever Reese was concerned.
The most present relationship she’d seen Grant engaging in was being called to Tripp, who was always hot on the heels of Stan.
“Grant seems to be traveling so much for work—” Brynn’s words were cut off as Reese stepped out of the fitting room area.
“I did the pinning already,” Marcella said, ushering Reese farther into the center of the room.
Reese’s hair was pulled up into a messy updo, framing her high cheekbones and lush lips. Having her shoulders exposed highlighted the features of the bridesmaid dress, the silky, sage-green fabric draped expertly across her body like she’d been poured into it.
Sydney sat up quickly, shifting uncomfortably at the butterflies that had erupted in her stomach. “You look beautiful,” she said before she could even process that she was going to speak.
