I nod and raise my coffee cup. “Amen, sister.”
“Anyway, I gotta run,” Mila tilts her head over to the bakery. “I’ll see you soon, okay? Don’t forget book club at my place next week. Paige can hook you up with a copy.”
“Yup. See you,” I reply. “And thanks for the breakfast!”
“It’s what I do! I feed people,” she says cheerfully over her shoulder as she makes her way back to the bakery. I turn and head outside into the cold morning and get back into my car, turning it on and taking another sip of coffee. Once I’ve loaded directions to the first location I’m headed to, I turn on the radio, smiling when my favourite song comes on. Volume up, heater on high, and coffee in hand, I head out, hangover almost forgotten.
Westport is a nice enough city, smaller than Vancouver, but definitely bigger than Dogwood Cove. It’s got all the big stores, some restaurants that seem intriguing, and a spa that I definitely want to come back and visit.
Two hours later, I’m leaving the antique store where I managed to negotiate an incredible deal on some vintage art prints for the walls of the wine store, when I hear a voice call my name.
“Ashley Elliott, my God, it is you!”
“Tom Coffman?” I cry out in surprise as he wraps me in a hug.
Tom and I had been such close friends all through design school. We partnered on a lot of projects, even though our design preferences were completely different. Many nights were spent drinking cheap wine and putting the finishing touches on assignments and projects. But after finishing our degrees, we lost touch. Last I heard, he had gone back east to Toronto.
“What the hell are you doing over here, baby girl? I thought you were taking the city by storm?” Tom holds me at arm’s length and runs his observant, fashion-forward eyes over me. “Still rocking that boho-chic vibe, I see. Mmm hmm.” He turns me from side to side. “Looking good, honey.”
I pull him back in for another hug. “It is so good to see you, Tom. And I could ask you the same question, what happened to Toronto?”
“Well…love happened.” He drags out that first word, giving me a sly smile, then flips his left hand up to show me a simple band on his ring finger. “I got married!”
“Oh, Tom! Congratulations.” I smile, taking his hand in mine. “Tell me everything.”
Tom wraps my arm in his and we walk down the sidewalk together. “His name is Leo, he’s a freaking doctor, and we moved to Westport a year ago. Now what the hell are you doing here, baby girl?”
“Okay, hang on, a doctor? You married a hot doctor?” I slap him teasingly on the arm. “You found your Doctor McDreamy!” Tom and I had bonded over our obsession with Grey’s Anatomy, binge watching many episodes during school.
“I sure did. And he is McDreamy and McSteamy, all mixed up in one hunk of handsome.”
We come to a stop beside a sushi restaurant and right on cue, my stomach rumbles.
“I’m taking you to lunch,” Tom declares.
“I would kill for a salmon roll,” I admit, and we head inside.
Over lunch, we catch up on the last few years that we’ve been apart. Tom admits he’s followed my career in Vancouver and commiserates with me on the downturn of the market over there. Design styles are fickle and can change on a whim. We discuss my ideas for the winery, and Tom agrees to come and check it out sometime.
Pretty soon, we’re full of sushi and green tea, but we linger over the table chatting. When Tom tells me that he and Doctor McDreamy are looking to adopt a baby, the expression of pure adoration on his face makes me smile.
“You’ll be such a great dad,” I say, reaching over to cover his hand on the table. He squeezes mine in return.
“Thanks, boo. We just have to figure out what we’ll do about work. Leo’s so busy with his practice, and my company is insane right now with clients. I just hired an assistant, but it’s going to be way too much to handle with a baby in the mix.” Tom narrows his eyes at me. “You know, life on the island is pretty amazing. What’s a guy gotta do to convince his favourite design bestie to join forces with him?”
If my jaw could hit the floor, it would. “You’re offering me a job?”
Tom waves his hand in the air dismissively. “Oh no, honey, I’m offering you a partnership. We always said we wanted to work together, didn’t we? And unless you’ve somehow turned into a total bag in the last few years, I think we’d have a ton of fun. I need the help, and we could offer so much more if we combined forces. Your bohemian vibe, my clean lines, we’ve got every style covered. And then when I get my baby, I can slow down a bit because I’ll have someone I trust in charge. You’d be the answer to my prayers.”
I’m speechless. I thought finding a decent sushi place close to Dogwood Cove was a miracle, but this…this is something else.
This could be the answer to all of my problems.
Except, am I ready to leave my Dad, leave the city, leave everything I’ve ever known? It’s not like it’s that far away, but still. I would be giving up my own business, which granted, isn’t doing so well right now. But still — it’s mine. Moving away from my Dad is a tough pill to swallow. My mom died from cancer when I was two, so it’s been just the two of us ever since. I’ve never lived farther than an hour from my childhood home in west Vancouver. Being a ferry ride away feels big, even if it really isn’t.
“Can I think about it? I’m honoured, Tom, really. But it’s a big decision.”
His eyes soften. “Of course, Ash. I’m not trying to pressure you at all. But look, while you’re here, you have to come over for dinner with me and Leo.”
