Loathe at First Sight: A small-town enemies to lovers romance: The Lawsons: Book 1 (The Lawson's)

42. Didnt See That Coming

forty-two

Jack

It’s been a few days since I’ve heard from Liz. I’ve wanted to call. I’ve wanted to text. I’ve wanted to just go over there and see her.

But I haven’t done any of those things.

I said I wasn’t going to influence her decision, and I meant it—although it’s taken every ounce of willpower I’ve had not to go over there and fuck her senseless and beg for her to stay.

I’ve even been avoiding running so that I wouldn’t bump into her. It’s done wonders for my mood, let me tell you.

While I’m underneath a car, Jamie walks over to me. “Hey, boss.”

“What?” I snap.

“I was going to just say that I’m going to take off for the night. Are you okay? I can stay if you need me to.”

I realize just how much of an asshole I’ve been the past few days. I’ve been practically barking at everyone, and it’s not fair.

“Sorry, Jamie. I’m fine. Have a good night.”

When he’s gone, I get back to work and enjoy the quiet. I think about getting up and going to turn on some loud music, but I really want to try to finish this and then maybe take Ellie for a walk.

The bell on the front door rings again, and I wonder what the hell Jamie is doing back here.

“Jamie, what the fuck did you forget? You’d forget your head if it wasn’t attached.”

I wait for a response but don’t get one until a moment later. “It’s not Jamie.”

Liz.

I try not to seem too eager, so I stay under the car and finish screwing a bolt on before finally sliding out.

When I see her, she looks just as beautiful as ever.

“Hi,” she says with a small smile.

“Hi.”

“Can we talk?”

I hate those words. Immediately, my haunches go up as I prepare to hear the worst.

“Isn’t that what we are already doing?”

I walk over to wipe my greasy hands on a rag.

“I’ve made some decisions,” she begins.

“I figured that’s why you’re here.”

“Are you going to let me tell you what they are, or do you want to keep being a smartass?” She asks pointedly.

“Sorry.”

“I decided to keep the money. I think I’ve found a good use for it. You should have seen the people at the bank. I’m pretty sure they think that I’m in with the mob now or something.” She laughs, but I don’t.

“Liz,” I say, prompting her to go on.

“Right. I’m not going back to LA.”

“Oh?” I ask, trying not to seem too excited.

She shoves her hands in her pockets and starts pacing while she talks. “If I would have gotten this offer when I first got here, I would have taken it in a heartbeat. My life in LA was all I dreamed about. But I got back, and everything changed. Suddenly, my reasons to stay were greater than my reasons to leave.”

“I don’t want you to stay for me,” I tell her. “That’s a recipe for disaster.”

“First of all, Paul Bunyan, don’t think that this is all about you. Are you a part of my decision? Yes. I can’t deny that. Because I love you, you freaking idiot. I don’t want to move a thousand miles away from the man that I love.”

Hearing her say those words makes me ridiculously happy.

She goes on. “But you’re not the only reason. I finally have made amends with my family. My mom and I aren’t fighting. My siblings and I are back to acting like real siblings. And as much as I hate to admit it, this stupid town has a way of growing on you even when you don’t want it to. It”s like mold.”

“So, you’re staying?” I ask.

“I’m not going anywhere,” she reassures me. “Honestly, I knew what my decision would be the day after Mitch came to see me.”

“And what have you been doing the rest of the time? Ignoring me?” I joke.

“There you go again. Thinking it’s all about you.” She grins. “I needed to get my ducks in a row.”

“Do you care to share what your ducks decided to do?”

“Well,” she begins. “I decided to buy the inn.”

I find it hard to hide my shock. “You bought the inn?”

“Well, I’m in the process of buying the inn. But yes. With some of the money that Mitch gave me and some help from a couple of investors, known as my parents, I am going to be the new owner. It’s going to get a facelift, and it’ll be mine.”

When she sees that I’m too stunned to speak, she goes on. “It’s the place I called home since I got back. And I didn’t want to see it go to some corporation.”

“You’re amazing,” I tell her.

“Well, I’m not done yet, so hold your applause.”

“There’s more?”

She nods. “I’m renting a house over on Bleaker Drive. As much as I love the inn, I figure that I can’t live there forever. I went ahead and paid for a whole year of rent.”

“Wow, princess. I guess you just have it all figured out, don’t you?”

“Not quite.”

“What are you missing?”

She runs her fingers through her hair to push it out of her face. It seems like the longer she stays in Lilly Leaf Falls, the wilder it gets.

“See, I have this cute house that seems to be just a little too big just for just me. And it has this great fenced-in backyard. But you know, I don’t have a dog. I was thinking that maybe you and Ellie could come help me fill it up a bit.”

Confused, I ask, “I thought you said you didn’t want us to live together.”

She points her finger at me. “What I said was that I didn’t want to move in here with you and that I needed to figure things out on my own—which I have done. It can be somewhere that we can call ours…together.”

I stand in stunned silence. I was so worried that she would go running back to LA, yet here she was asking me if I want to move in with her.

“Jack, say something,” she prompts.

“Well, I mean, I’ll have to talk it over with Ellie. You know, she’s pretty set in her ways.”

Liz rolls her eyes and smiles. Walking toward me, she says, “Oh, shut up.”

“Yes, princess, I would love to move in with you.”

Looking up at me, she says, “Are you going to kiss me, or what?”

I hold up my still-greasy hands. “I’m all nasty.”

Without warning, she wraps her arms around my neck and jumps up to link her legs behind my back. Instinctively, I grab her, holding her up by the ass.

“Eh, that’s alright. A little dirt never hurt anybody.”