Chapter 37
A t a walk-up coffee stand nestled into a sunny corner of Portland, Margot handed Will a steaming cup of something too fancy to pronounce. She followed it up with a grin and a treat pulled from her pocket, which she gave to Fetch, who wagged his tail like she’d just handed him the world.
“You spoil him,” Will said, arching a brow as he took a sip from his drink.
Margot shrugged with mock innocence. “He deserves it. He’s your writing partner.”
Will chuckled but didn’t argue. They moved to a bench nearby, and Margot leaned in, eyes narrowed, all business—or rather, all nosy best friend. “So, tell me… everything.”
Will feigned confusion, but Margot wasn’t having it. “Don’t play coy. I’ve known you longer than anyone else in this industry. I can read you like a book—pun intended.”
“That’s not really a pun,” Will muttered into his cup.
“That’s why you’re the writer. Now spill it. You just landed the biggest deal in publishing history, and you’re sulking like someone canceled Christmas.”
“I’m not sulking,” Will argued, failing miserably at sounding convincing.
Margot smirked. “Please. When I tracked you down in that little mountain town, you were practically glowing. New series, new girl…”
He shook his head. “No new girl. False alarm. Pretty sure we had different ideas about what we were.”
Margot blinked. “How so?”
Will’s shoulders sagged. “She has someone. I saw them together. It looked… serious.”
A passing jogger slowed as she approached the bench, clearly recognizing Will. Her eyes widened, and her pace faltered with excitement as she pulled out her phone. Will gave Margot a knowing glance just as the jogger veered closer.
Without missing a beat, Margot rose and motioned for Will and Fetch to follow. The three of them slipped away from the growing curiosity on the jogger’s face, heading down the tree-lined sidewalk in search of privacy.
Will offered a polite smile and a nod, but before the jogger could launch into fangirl mode, Margot stepped in like a seasoned bodyguard. With a gentle tug on Will’s elbow, she gestured down the sidewalk. “Walk and talk, bestselling author.”
Will gave a sheepish wave and followed, Fetch trotting faithfully at his side. As they made their way beneath a canopy of leafy trees, Margot nudged him. “Okay, spill.”
Will exhaled and began reliving it. The moment.
The twirl. The guy hadn’t just lifted Alex—he’d swept her right off her feet, arms wrapped securely around her waist as she laughed, head tossed back, her hair catching the light like something out of a scripted daydream.
Then he’d spun her in a slow, giddy circle, like she was the only person in the world who mattered.
Will had watched it all from the porch of the B&B, rooted in place, helpless to look away.
And just like that, the memory soured his expression all over again, dragging a fresh ache through his chest.
Margot frowned. “Did you actually talk to her about it?”
Will didn’t answer right away. He didn’t need to. His silence said everything.
“It was pretty clear she was happy to see him,” he finally admitted. “Didn’t seem like there was much room for misinterpretation.”
Margot wasn’t buying it. “If what you told me about your time with her is even half true, then something’s off. That guy isn’t who you think he is.”
Will slowed his step. “That guy…” he started—then stopped. Across the street, two familiar figures approached. Georgie… and that guy.
Will’s eyebrows lifted as they drew closer. “...is right there.”
Georgie wasted no time. “Well, if it isn’t the heartbreaker himself.”
Will glanced around, confused, then pointed to his own chest. “Who, me? I think you mean this guy.” He gestured toward Tye.
Georgie folded her arms. “Did you leave McKenzie on a whim without even leaving a note?”
“I told Zack at the front desk.”
“Not the same,” Georgie said flatly. “So much for the king of romantic love stories.”
Will’s eyebrows jumped. “Wait, people call me that?”
“They do now. I just made it up. You get the point.”
“I don’t know what you heard, but I didn’t break anyone’s heart. Alex has a boyfriend.”
“Funny,” Georgie replied, “because it was starting to sound like that boyfriend was you.”
“Couldn’t be,” Will said, thumbing toward Tye. “Because this guy?—”
“Is her brother?” Tye finished for him.
Will blinked. “Is her… Wait, what?”
Margot smacked his arm. “Told you so.”
Georgie glanced Margot’s way, sizing her up. “Let me guess… Margot? Will’s mystery woman from the bakery?”
Margot smiled. “Close. Margot… who had a business meeting with Will at the bakery. So, you’re the brother, huh?”
“Yep,” Georgie said, grinning as she looked between Margot and Tye. “He is, and he’s single. We’ll work on that later. But right now, Mr. Love Story over here has some serious groveling to do.”
Will opened his mouth, shut it, then nodded sheepishly. “I, uh… guess I acted...”
“Foolish!” Georgie and Margot said simultaneously.
Georgie whipped her head in Margot’s direction with a wicked grin. “We’re going to get along just fine.”
Will shook his head. “Can’t believe I got that wrong. She seemed so happy, and I assumed…”
“To be fair, Alex assumed, too,” Georgie added.
Will scrubbed a hand down his face. “I can imagine how she felt, but…”
“But, but, but. We get it,” Georgie said. “Now, go fix it. She’s a mess.”
Margot patted Will’s back. “So is Will.”
Will sighed. “It’s release day, and I have the livestream tonight.”
“Which you can do from anywhere,” Margot said pointedly.
“I really like you, Margot,” Georgie told her. “Okay, how fast can you pack a bag, Will?”
Will gave her a crooked smile. “I never unpacked.”
“Good. Go get it. I’ll pick you up.” Georgie said with a menacing grin.
“I’m not missing this,” Margot chimed in with a giggle.
“I can pick you up,” Tye offered with a charming grin for Margot.
Margot beamed. “I’d love that.”
Georgie threw her hands in the air. “You two are making this too easy.”
Will glanced between them, still trying to keep up. “Wait… can someone fill me in here?”
But no one did. They were already too busy moving forward—toward forgiveness, toward second chances, toward one more shot at something real.
And Will? He finally had hope again—the kind worth writing about.
* * *
Within hours, Will got the answer to his question.
Not in the form of a grand sign or a poetic epiphany—no, fate delivered it via a juice box and a chaotic car ride with a minivan full of loud, snack-happy kids, a golden retriever with his head out the window, and a new best friend who was currently threatening to rearrange his future with sheer force of will.
Will and Fetch had been tucked into the far backseat like reluctant VIPs.
Fetch had his head pressed against the glass, tongue lolling, loving every minute.
Will, on the other hand, was doing his best not to look like a man currently rethinking every decision he’d made in the last forty-eight hours.
Up front, Luke drove like a man determined to get them somewhere important—which, to be fair, he was—while Georgie handed out juice boxes like peace offerings and doled out orders with cheerful authority.
In the row ahead, her kids giggled and chirped, sticky fingers waving snacks and questions and occasionally tossing goldfish crackers like confetti.
No one seemed to mind. Least of all Will, who was so far out of his comfort zone he might as well have been in another country—and somehow, it felt like exactly where he was supposed to be.
Somewhere between the chorus of sugar-fueled laughter and Fetch resting his head on his knee, Will’s heartbeat slowed for the first time all day. The suit, the city, the conference room—they belonged to a different version of him. This moment? This messy, wonderful chaos?
This was real.
And as the tires rolled toward the town, he never meant to fall for—and the woman he hadn’t stopped thinking about—Will felt the shift.
Something was changing.
Something was coming.
The story wasn’t over yet.
The only question left was: Did fate have one more plot twist waiting in the wings… or had she already closed the book on their story?