“Mostly to apologize. I never got the chance to do that—my fault.” She holds up her hand when I open up my mouth to interrupt her.
“I was young, and although that wasn’t an excuse, I was only thinking of myself and not how my actions would affect others, specifically you. When you … found me, my head was on what it would mean if you needed to come back here permanently after your parents died. I probably self-sabotaged because I wasn’t ready for the kind of responsibility you needed to take on.”
Her words are what I needed to hear for so many years, and yet… Right now? At this point in my life? It means less than I hoped it would. It’s nice to hear where her head was at, but none of it matters anymore. Things happened the way they did and if they happened differently, I may never have had Ainsley in my life now, and that’s not something I can accept anymore. What I’ve always thought was the worst point in my life has developed over the last six months. I no longer think of it as a dark point. I think of it as what I needed to do to be the man that Ainsley deserved. The man that would do anything for his family, and I wouldn’t change that for anything. Seeing Jenna now makes me realize my path was never with her.
“I am truly sorry for everything, Ledger,” Jenna says so softly I almost miss it because I’m so lost in my head.
“I appreciate the apology, although it’s not needed.” I don’t want to dwell on the past, and this entire interaction has made it so blatantly obvious to me. All I want to do now is get her out of my office as fast as possible.
“Is there anything else I can help you with?” I’m not mad, not angry. I’m not even remotely upset. I’m just … done with this interaction.
“Umm…” I’ve thrown her off, but all I want to do right now is call Ainsley and hear her voice.
“Umm,” she continues. “I was actually going to see if you could help my husband and me with some landscaping at the house.”
It’s my turn to be thrown for a loop. But if her ring is anything to go by, this may not be something I want to turn away. The goal has been growing the business, after all.
“Sure. If you want to send an email to me, Ainsley will get you on the schedule for a consult. We usually do out-of-state jobs remotely and use local contractors for you, but we monitor everything closely.” I give her the usual script. She’s just another client now, and I plan to treat her as such until our job with her is done.
It’s strange… A year ago, this conversation—hell, just seeing Jenna—would have sent me into a spiral. I feel a little rude since she flew all the way here, but she’s had many years to give me this apology and only did so when I had something to give her in return. She may act like she’s turned a page, but her actions say otherwise. Good thing it doesn’t affect me anymore.
“Oh, okay. That sounds like a plan. Thanks, Ledger.” She stands up and pauses before saying one last thing. “I am truly sorry for how I handled things. I really hope you’re happy.” She gives me a sad smile before walking out the door.
I sit back in my chair and exhale in relief as I watch her walk out of my office.
I never thought I’d see Jenna again, and I certainly didn’t expect to feel the way I do right now. All I want to do right now is call Ainsley to come down here, but I know I need to make sure my head is completely clear first. Because what I want to tell her can’t be misconstrued in any way.
I pick up my phone and send a message to the family group text.
Me:
Guess who showed up at the nursery?
Willow:
A bear.
Me:
?? What are you talking about?
Willow:
Sorry. I just wrote a scene where a bear tore apart a camper, so apparently my mind is still on it.
Rina:
And people are scared of me… You’re the real one they need to be scared of.
Willow:
That might be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.
Lennox:
Was it food delivery?
Me:
