TheLaureneveryone expects me to be—I don’t even know who she is. She fell for someone I don’t even like. I can’t help but hope she’s gone for good. I feel like a stranger in my own life.
Maybe you should come home, Lauren. Escape the pressure. Maybe you’ll feel more like yourself.
Tempting.
You can stay with me till your job starts in January. I’m sure your new boss will understand.
But Lauren had committed through the end of the year. She couldn’t risk losing the job at Glitter. She had to finish well here. She wasn’t a quitter. And maybe Olivia would understand if she explained about the brain injury, but she didn’t want to give the woman cause to worry about her mental health—she’d asked Tammy not to mention it to her friend. It didn’t sound as if they kept in close contact anyway.
That’s sweet of you, but I only have a few more months here. The family has been so nice to me, I’d hate to desert them. There are good things too. They’ve made a lot of the changes I’ve suggested. Meg says they’re very happy with the increase in revenue, and she’s been a good friend through this.
I had no doubt you’d do a great job. But just know my door is open if you change your mind about coming home or about me coming there.
Thanks. It helps knowing that.
She thought about this morning when Jonah had asked if she wanted to see the barn she’d apparently begun renovating. “You were really excited about turning it into a venue,” he’d said. “We got it cleaned out and tore away all the scrub brush from the exterior. I thought you might like to see it.”
He was obviously eager to spend time alone together. And maybe he hoped her seeing it would spark a memory. She wasn’t interested ineither. She told him she wanted to finish inventory today. The disappointment that spread across his face made her heart squeeze a little.
She stared down at the cursor in the text box. Then she began writing.Did I talk to you about Jonah?What did I see in him?Before she could second-guess herself, she sent the message. Then wished she hadn’t asked. Because she didn’t want to have feelings for Jonah.
Once you got to know him you thought he was sweet. You said he made you laugh.
That just didn’t compute with what she remembered of him.It doesn’t seem possible.
I was a firsthand witness. I’ve never seen you like that before.
Like what?
So happy. Unguarded. You don’t drop your guard for just anyone. I was skeptical at first, but after seeing you together those few days, I could tell it was the real thing.
It doesn’t feel anywhere close to real.
Trust me, it was. I was jealous!??Here I am on every dating site in existence, going out on multiple dates a week, and I can’t even find a guy worthy of a second date. And you happen upon some prince in backwoods New Hampshire.
But where was it all going? We were presumably in love, but my life is in Boston and his is here.
You were mulling all that over the last time we spoke in mid-August. I don’t think you and Jonah had talked it through yet. But you thought he might expect you to change your plans, and you admitted that you wereactually consideringit.
This is such a mess.
Hey, it’sgonnawork out. Hang in there.
Thanks for chatting. I should get back to the spreadsheets.
Don’t overdo it!
Yes, Mommy.
Chapter 12
The following Monday morning Jonah found Lauren sweeping off her deck. He probably should’ve been home studying—his grades had gone to crap the past two weeks. But it was her day off and he hoped to spend time with her.
He caught sight of her through the pine forest, face freshly washed, hair still mussed from sleep. She nudged Graham playfully with the broom. The dog snapped at the bristles, then jumped to attention, tail wagging.
Lauren brushed at his feet. “Take that, puppers.”
Graham barked.
