Chapter 22
22
“ D id you hear she’s leaving?”
Sam and Pete had been discussing the placement of the towel bars in the upstairs bathrooms when Pete tossed that surprise at him. Sam had been wondering when she’d leave and what, if anything, he’d do about it. “No, I hadn’t heard.”
Pete didn’t look up from the plans. “Yup, not sure what she’ll do since she quit her job.”
He wasn’t going to admit he already knew that because Pete would want to know how and Sam was not telling him about Martin Southerfield’s visit. Nope, not sharing that. He waited a full ten seconds before he responded. “Huh.”
“Yup, and the boss is all panicked about it, trying to get her to stay in some role… Remote… Consulting… Whatever.” He jotted a few notes on the side of the plans, shrugged. “Guess the old guy really does care about her as more than an employee.” He glanced at Sam, blue gaze saying more than his words could. “Funny how that works… Emotion just comes out when you realize you really do care about someone and you’ll do anything to keep them.”
“Yeah, funny.” The guy was baiting him, trying to get him to admit how he felt about Hope.
Good luck with that. Lily Desantro had tried to convince him and nobody wanted to disappoint Lily. The visit from Martin Southerfield hadn’t worked either. Sam had trusted Hope and whether or not she meant to hurt him and his family, it had happened. If the woman had that effect on him now, and he’d only known her a short time, what would happen in a year, three, five?
“I see where that brain’s going: analyzing and trying to convince yourself that you aren’t going to take the chance. Good luck with that.” The expression on Pete Finnegan’s face said he knew what it was like to be in so deep, the other person owned your oxygen. Not a good place to be. Hell no. “Do what you want to do, but I’m telling you this as a friend. Those second chances with her are closing up. She’s waited and tried and you’ve avoided her, pretty much told her you’ll never trust her again. Sure, do that. She’s not the same person she was when she came here, or maybe she is. Maybe the person she really is came out. But this one is not going to put up with your crap. So fine. Let her go. Let her walk out of Magdalena and your life, because she will find somebody who deserves her, but right now she thinks it’s you.” A shake of his head, a laugh. “We both know you don’t really deserve her just like I didn’t deserve Elissa, but… Once I had my pity party and got over the she-done-me-wrong stint, I had to admit she lived in my soul and I wanted a life with her. Was it going to be easy? Nope. Was it going to be worth it.” A nod and a slow smile. “Hell, yes.”
Sam stared at the man who’d become his friend. “I’m glad it worked out for you.” He did not want to care about Hope. “You and Elissa deserve the best.” And then he turned back to the plans spread across the table and pointed to a narrow space in the yet-to-be-started living room. “What do you think about a built-in bookshelf here?”
“I think it’s a good idea, but it’s also the easy way out.” Pete’s next words pierced Sam’s brain. “There’s a better way. It’s a little trickier, but it gives you the best results in the long run. I think what you’re really interested in is the long haul, right?” When Sam didn’t respond, he said, “Let me show you what I’m talking about, and in regard to that other long-haul a.k.a. Hope Newland? Tomorrow is the last day you have to avoid her. There’s a big sendoff at the Heart Sent, Mimi’s got it all organized.” His voice turned curious. “Guess you didn’t get an invitation.”
Sam spent the rest of the day trying to shut down Pete’s news. Did his parents know she was leaving? Had they been invited to the going away party at Mimi’s? When he saw them after work, he tossed around several questions regarding their plans for tomorrow evening. His mother stumbled around and never got past Well… . His father sidestepped a straight-out answer with We’ve been invited to a get-together at Mimi’s. I’m surprised you didn’t hear about it. That’s when Sam had his answer. Hope didn’t want him there. Maybe she’d decided it was time to move on. But the truth slipped out the next afternoon when Mimi Pendergrass called him. I just wanted you to know that she’s leaving tomorrow, and a lot of people are coming to the Heart Sent this evening to say goodbye. Just thought you’d want to know.
Hope had finished packing earlier today and had made her way to Mimi’s garden for one last afternoon. When she returned to Alexandria, she planned to visit the garden center and purchase lavender, impatiens, and Gerbera daisies. Mimi had already packed up zinnia and cosmo seeds and told her there was still enough growing time to plant them. Remember what I taught you about completing the plant cycle. Sow the seeds, enjoy the blooms, harvest the seeds, and replant again in late spring. Share the seeds with friends and neighbors. It’s a wonderful feeling and you’re contributing to the pollinators.
Mimi Pendergrass had taught her a lot of things: how to make buttermilk biscuits, unclog a sink, create a compost bin, and the best way to tell if a watermelon is ripe. But she’d also taught her how to honor and accept the past, enjoy the present moment, and find pleasure in a single bloom. Mimi encouraged Hope to accept herself with all of her imperfections and to be okay with that. Authentic. Real. Not manufactured. The woman was indeed an “original” with an unsinkable quality about her; she never gave up on Hope or an opportunity to see the good in a dire situation—like Hope and Sam getting together.
I believe it’s going to happen once that young man realizes you’re the color in his world. You’ll see. You may be back home or somewhere else, but it will happen… I’m certain of it.
I appreciate your confidence, but I can’t say I share that same conviction. I have to be okay with that, don’t I? Mimi had nodded, her blue eyes tearing up. I will be. Eventually. I owe that strength to you, Mimi. You are the true meaning of family.
Oh child, I will miss you.
Wherever I am and whatever I’m doing, I’ll only be a phone call, a car ride, or a plane ticket away. I’m thinking of checking out Reunion Gap. Who knows? I might relocate there. If your daughter lives in that town, that means you’ll be visiting. Yes, she’d been thinking a lot about visiting the bed-and-breakfast that had been under consideration by her company. If it were even half as special as Magdalena, then Hope would find peace there. A simpler life, a place to garden and get to know the neighbors… And find pockets of joy.
Martin hadn’t called her in three days, not since she accepted a remote consulting position with the company. The one condition she had right now was that she be allowed time to figure out the next steps in her life, without his constant apologies or attempts to persuade her to choose another path. She needed space and she needed time.
Tomorrow, she returned to Alexandria, a place she no longer considered home, and then she’d begin making plans for a long stay in Reunion Gap, Pennsylvania. Mimi would contact her daughter in a few days and let her know Hope would be staying at her bed-and-breakfast. Hope couldn’t wait to meet Mimi’s daughter and looked forward to another bed-and-breakfast stay. The dread and sad memories she’d once felt when she thought of such places had long since vanished, and been replaced with happiness, new memories, and the wisdom of her good friend, Mimi Pendergrass.
Hope had just finished watering the cone flowers when the back door opened and a man she didn’t recognize stepped out. Tall, lean, rugged, his longish hair brushing his neck. She guessed he was older than she was, and the tan indicated he worked outdoors. The T-shirt, jeans, ball cap, and work boots pointed to some sort of manual labor. Who was he and why was he here? “Hello. May I help you?”
He moved toward her and extended a hand. “Hello, Hope. Pete Finnegan. It’s about time.”
This was Pete Finnegan? Strong jaw, broad shoulders, and the bluest eyes. The man was handsome, despite the stubbled jaw, tousled hair, and ripped jeans.
He shook her hand, his lips pulling into a slow smile. “I’ve heard a lot about you. I can see why…”
He stopped before he finished, but no doubt that sentence would include Sam’s name. “It’s nice to meet you as well. I understand you’re about to be a father again.” Before she came to Magdalena, she might have inquired about parenthood, but she’d only spoken out of politeness, not genuine interest. But now? She really did want to know, and not just a blanket response, but more in-depth answers. Do you know the gender? Have you chosen names? Is the nursery ready? Are you ready?
When had that changed? How and why had it changed? Was it because she’d grown comfortable in Magdalena? Or had Mimi been the reason? Or Harry Blacksworth? Maybe Pop Benito, or Nick and Delilah Borado? Yes, they’d all been important, but she could not deny that Sam Harrington had been behind most of it.
“So, I only have a few minutes because I promised my wife I’d take the kid to the park.” His tanned face relaxed, and he grinned. “A pregnant wife can be a grouchy wife, so any way I can help…”
“Thank you for taking the time to stop by. That’s very kind of you.”
The narrowed gaze and long sigh fell out before his words. “Not sure kindness has much to do with it. This is more about trying to get my life back to normal and not looking at miserable every day.” He did not give her time to respond before he added, “Miserable even has a name and I’m sure you know him.”
Hope opened her mouth to speak, closed it, and waited to hear more.
“Right. That guy. Pain in the butt and so unreasonable. I laid it all out for him, told him how it was going to go, what he needed to do and dang if that man didn’t straight up ignore me and tell me I was full of it. Sure, it’s not like I haven’t been there, but we’ll let him think he has a choice.” Another sigh, another shake of his head. “He’s a fool and a very hardheaded one… Maybe even more than I was. But he’ll come around and then he’ll either turn more miserable or he’ll find you and turn into a human being again.”
Was Sam really miserable because he missed her? Or was he just miserable because she was still in Magdalena and he had to be careful to avoid her? “If I’m the cause of his misery, it’s probably because I’m still in his town.”
“ His town? Excuse me, this is not Sam Harrington’s town. It’s our town… All of us. And from what I’m hearing from my wife…who can never give up on a sad story…the town has basically adopted you. So, if Sadsack Sam doesn’t get it together, he might be the one getting booted.”
The man was quite entertaining, and she could picture him living a jet-set life, but she was glad he’d chosen this one… Or maybe this life had chosen him after he’d fallen. “I’m not sure he’ll see it that way.”
“Right, it might take him a while, but that doesn’t mean I won’t stop working on him, sending subliminal messages, bringing up the suggestions you made for the house… That will definitely get to him. Everybody screws up, me more than most, but eventually, we have to open our eyes and figure out what we really want and what we’re willing to do to get it. Is it so important to be right? Is it so important to protect yourself so you never open up and risk getting hurt? That’s what Sam has to figure out, and while he might be book smart, he’s not very people smart. Anyway, once he gets his head together, he’ll come looking for you. Just make sure we know where you are because that time can’t happen soon enough.” He pulled his phone out of his back pocket, checked the time. “Oops. I have to go. I want to stop by Sal’s and pick up Elissa’s latest craving—chocolate covered pretzels.”
“Good luck and thank you again for stopping by. I’ll make sure Mimi fills me in on the baby.”
There was no doubting the emotion or the love in Pete Finnegan’s expression when he said, “Thanks. I never imagined a wife and two kids, and now I can’t imagine my life without them.”