When the publishing house had recruited me almost directly out of college, I’d jumped at the chance and had never looked back.Though I’d graduated with a major in business, it had been my minor in English that had always called to me, much to my parents’ severe disappointment.
“Mom, Dad, you remember Professor Lee,” I introduced.
“Mm-hmm,” my mom replied airily while my dad just looked confused.
Professor Lee turned to my parents while taking my hand in hers to squeeze.“I was just about to tell Lucy how impressed I’ve been with her work.I’ve read some of the bestsellers she’s had a hand in.Though I’m not surprised by her success, she was one of my top students.You must be very proud.”
“Yes, yes, of course,” my mom replied, ever the diplomat.“If only it didn’t take away from her fundraising responsibilities.”She sighed.
My former professor looked at her quizzically, clearly shocked by my mother’s disregard for my achievements.
And there it was, the straw.I imagined everyone had one, that last straw that sent you over the edge.
And this was mine.
It wasn’t some large to-do or explosive argument.In the end, it was her quiet dismissal that sent a resounding boom of clarity through my system.
I was done.
Done serving Josh’s ambition and their goals for me that had never been what I actually wanted.Done pretending to be a perfect vessel who had no dreams or ambition of my own.
And in being done, in that moment, I was free.
Chapter 1
My throat was dry, and my neck and shoulders were tight as I sang along to the playlist that had seen me through the flatlands of Kansas and into the mountain range of Colorado.In my three straight days on the road from Washington DC, I’d listened to just about every podcast and playlist at my disposal.The good news was that I was close to my destination of Green River, Colorado.The bad news was that I was losing service.And I’d gotten tired of the sound of my own voice back in Illinois.
When the music officially cut off over the mountains, I squared my shoulders, determined to avoid a meltdown in the last fifty miles.I’d done the previous two thousand with impressive fortitude, if I did say so myself.
Desperate as I was for entertainment, when my phone rang, my mother’s name flashing on the display, I easily hit the red button.Silence was far better than hearing how disappointed she and my dad were over my decision to leave my life in DC, the life they’d all but chosen for me.
The sign for Green River appearing in the twilight a short time later was a welcome sight as I drove through the quaint downtown.Little had changed over the years I’d been visiting.The cute shops and tree-lined streets looked just the same.
I was headed to my new home—a cottage close to town that, from what the landlord had told me, was in need of some TLC.But the price was right, and I was eager for my own space as I navigated a life that was finally mine.
As I pulled to the curb, I took in the white cottage with green shutters.It was quaint from the outside, though in clear need of a paint job and some landscaping in the front.
Aunt Goodie:Are you here yet?
The text came through just as I cut the engine, eager to get out of the car and stretch my stiff limbs.
Lucy:Here!Going to unpack and probably crash early.
Aunt Goodie:Are you sure I can’t come greet you?I can get someone to cover me for a bit.
I smiled fondly at her text, fully aware that she was overwhelmed at Goodie’s Bar and Grill.She and my uncle had opened the brew pub together twenty years ago, and she’d been running it alone following his passing five years ago.
The thought of my uncle made my heart clench.His passing had been sudden, and though she put on a brave face, my aunt was still reeling from the loss all while trying to keep up her responsibilities at the restaurant.
Which was one of the main reasons for my move to Green River.My job allowed me to work on my own schedule and from anywhere, giving me the opportunity to offer her the support I knew she needed but would never ask for.
And I was in desperate need of a fresh start.I honestly wasn’t sure who was saving who.
Lucy:I’m good, promise.
Aunt Goodie:Come by the restaurant for a bite when you get settled if you’re hungry.I need to give you a squeeze!Love you, Lulu.
I smiled at the nickname she’d called me for as long as I could remember.Her warmth was the polar opposite of both my parents and how I’d been raised.
