Not Cal, with his terrible social skills and his gentle hands and the way he looked at me like I hung the moon.
There wasn't a job in the world—no matter how perfect—that could compete with waking up in a place where I wanted to be. Where I felt like I belonged.
Where I was building something real.
“Abby,” I said, my voice cracking. “I think I know what I want to do.”
“Yeah?” There was a smile in her voice, like she'd been waiting for me to catch up.
“Yeah.” I sat up straighter in the chair, feeling lighter. “I need to call Lauren.”
“Good.” Abby's voice was warm with approval. “You sure you're okay? I can come over if you want.”
“No, I'm good. Better than good, actually.” I stood up, energy suddenly coursing through me. “Thank you, Abby. For listening. For helping me figure this out.”
“Anytime. That's what friends are for.”
After we hung up, I set the phone on the counter and just stood there for a moment, letting the silence settle around me.
The crushing weight that had been sitting on my chest for days was gone. In its place was something I hadn't felt in weeks—certainty. Not the anxious kind that came from overthinking every angle, but the deep, bone-level knowing that I was exactly where I needed to be.
I walked to the kitchen window and looked out at the barn, its weathered red siding barely visible in the darkness. My barn. My farm. My life.
Thiswas what I'd been running toward when I left Seattle. Not away from Aaron or my old job, but toward something that was entirely mine.
I thought about Cal's face when I'd told him about Lauren's offer. The careful way he'd congratulated me, how he'd refused to influence my decision even when I'd practically begged him to. He'd trusted me to figure it out on my own.
And I had.
I picked up my phone and scrolled to Lauren's number. My finger hovered over the call button for exactly two seconds before I pressed it.
The conversation was easier than I'd expected. Lauren was disappointed, of course, but gracious about it. She told me she understood completely—that sometimes life takes you in directions you never anticipated. By the time we said goodbye, she was already talking about reaching out to other candidates.
I set the phone down and walked outside, breathing in the crisp mountain air. The stars were brilliant here, undimmed by city lights. Crickets chirped in the tall grass, and I could hear the gentle murmur of the creek running along the eastern border of the property.
Thiswas my life now. Not a consolation prize or a temporary escape, but an actual choice. I'd picked this messy, challenging, absolutely perfect existence, and it fit me like nothing ever had.
I belonged here. Finally, completely, entirely.
ChapterTwenty-Two
Callum
The clinic doorstuck when I yanked it open the next morning, swollen from last night's rain. I shouldered through, letting it slam behind me harder than necessary.
Sharon glanced up from the filing cabinet, reading glasses perched on her nose. “You’re not at the farmers’ market?”
“Nope.”
I crossed to the coffee maker and poured myself a cup, black and bitter. Perfect.
“Why not?” Sharon pulled a stack of folders from the drawer. “Rosie's there, isn't she?”
“Probably.”
“And you have dogs that need adopting.”
“They'll survive another week.”
