“Do you guys’ host bands?” Amy asks, pulling me out of my memories.
“We do. We post on our social media pages and usually have a lineup of bands willing to come out to play. Just small bands, nothing huge like Aerosmith.” I laugh.
“Hey, Aerosmith would be lucky to play here.” Dad beams.
“You know, my son, Theodore, he’s in a band. Maybe he could play here sometime?” Amy suggests.
“That would be cool. What’s his band's name?”
“Maybe you’ve heard of them, Yellow Sundays? He’s touring right now, actually.”
“Wait.” I hold up a hand. “Are you telling me that your son is Theo Grant? Holy shit, yeah, I’ve heard of them. I’ve listened to them since they were just a small band. Their music is great.”
“Well, I can talk to him about this.” Amy points to the small stage. “I’m sure he would be happy to do it. He may be well known, but he’s still my Theodore and never skips any family functions. Especially when his sisters nag him long enough.”
“My stepbrother is Theo Grant. This is absolutely wild. Addie is going to flip her shit when I tell her.”
I notice my dad puts on a smile, but it carries a lot of sadness behind it. He knows Addie doesn’t want to see him, and even though he’s upset about it, he understands.
“Would you guys’ mind if we check in on Ellie? I only saw her this morning before the festival started. Maybe she still has some desserts left.”
“Oh, yes, please. I would love to.” Amy looks at Dad.
“Yeah, let’s go see how she’s doing. I’m excited to see what she’s made.” Dad smiles at me and places a hand on my shoulder, guiding us back inside the brewery.
We haven’t run into Addie. Mostly on purpose because she’s doing her part in avoiding him and Amy as much as she can. I told her I was taking them to check out the brewery, so she made sure she wasn’t around that. She told me where she was setting up the table, and I’ve been kind enough to avoid that area.
But if Dad happens to run into her and sees her at the table, I’m not going to stop whatever he decides to do. Yes, I want to protect Addie. But at the same time, I’m hoping she changes her mind. I wouldreallylove it if she changed her mind.
sixty-four
ELLIE
I amexhausted.I wore my Converse, not thinking I should wear more comfortable shoes, and my babies were howling. I should have known better, but I didn’t think it would be as busy as it was, and that people would flock to our table.
When I get up from the chair to stretch, I look over the throng of festival goers and really notice how crowded it is. Yet I somehow manage to spot the one person that’s been on my mind all day. The bright smile that looks toward me when we lock eyes.
When I see his dad and Amy next to him, my heart feels so full and happy for Rowan. I’ve seen him happy, but not happy like this. He looks like he’s floating on air, and nothing can bring him down. Seeing him like this reminds me just how much I am head over heels for this man.
I’ve always loved him, even if I didn’t let myself have him. I feel like all the pieces are coming together in my life and I don’t regret one moment for leaving it all behind in the city. This is where I’m meant to be. With my friends, my family, andhim.
“There’s my girl,” Rowan shouts as he walks closer toward us.
He’s in a simple dark blue shirt, a hat that’s backward (please calm down, ovaries), and black jeans with black Vans.
I can feel my cheeks heat up, and I tuck my bottom lip in my mouth and bite down on it, trying not to giggle like a teenage girl.His girl.I’m his. I find myself walking toward him, not realizing that I just left the table. All I see is him and the way his blue eyes sparkle in the sunlight. The dark gray swimming along with the blue.
I tilt my head all the way up, placing a hand on his solid chest, and reach up to him for a kiss. He grabs my waist, pulling me into his body, and his soft, full lips melt away all the aches in my body from the long day I’ve had.
“Hey, handsome.” I grin, not taking my eyes off him.
“How did everything go today? Did you sell out of everything like I said you would?”
I close my eyes and nod slowly, then open them back up to him. “I did. But I made sure to save some goodies for your dad and Amy, of course. We just sold the last of everything we had about twenty minutes ago.” I let out a breath of relief. “I just want to go home and lay on the couch while you rub my feet. They are painfully sore.”
He looks down at my shoes and shakes his head before saying, “I told you not to wear those. You should know better, chef.”
I pull my head back, and a smile grows on my face. “Did you just call me chef?” I bite my lip and look away, blushing again.
