31. Heath
CHAPTER 31
heath
A fter Sable walked away from me that night at the gazebo, I didn’t quite know what to do next.
She was scared, and hell, I didn’t blame her. She’d been burned before—by me, by her ex, by this damn town. And the only way to prove I wasn’t like the rest of them was to show her—to show her every single day until she believed it.
“How can I tell her how I feel if she won’t talk to me?” I asked Wyatt, frustrated, when I dropped him off at the airport.
“Write her a letter.”
“What?”
“Write a letter. You know, like in the good old days. Like Napoleon wrote to Josephine, or Henry VIII wrote to Anne Boleyn.”
“You do realize Napoleon and Josephine didn’t end well? And Henry VIII had Anne’s head chopped off? ”
“Well, maybe you can rewrite history,” Wyatt suggested.
That’s how the letters started.
They were delivered to her with a bouquet every day—at work, from Tuesday through Sunday, and at her home on Monday.
September 1
Sable,
I’m not giving up on you. You are the most extraordinary person I’ve ever known, and I’ll do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes, to show you just how much I mean that.
Heath
September 3
Sable,
You’re the kind of person who makes people feel at home, even when they don’t realize they’re lost. The Wildflower is proof of that. Every corner of that place feels like you. Warm, welcoming, and one-of-a-kind.
I miss you.
Heath
September 5
Sable,
Did you know I can’t look at a Malbec without thinking of you? It’s your drink, just like the Wildflower is your place. It’s funny how things that were once just ordinary have become reminders of you.
Heath
September 10
Sable,
I remember the first time you smiled at me. Not the polite kind you give to strangers, but the real one. The one that lights up your whole face. I think I fell in love with you then. I’ve not been the same since.
Heath
September 14
Sable,
Do you know how much I admire you? You built a formidable life for yourself in a town that didn’t make it easy for you. That takes guts, and you’ve got more of them than anyone I know.
Heat h
September 20
Sable,
You once told me that growing up in a trailer park defined you. But all I see is the woman you are—the woman who turns setbacks into stepping stones.
Heath
September 23
Sable,
I heard someone at the resort talking about the lamb lollipops at the Wildflower today. They couldn’t stop raving about them. I felt like shouting, “That’s my woman’s place!” But I kept my cool and said it calmly. Yeah, I’m telling everyone you’re my woman. Deal with it!
Heath
September 25
Sable,
I’m sorry. For everything. For not standing by you, for doubting you, for letting my pride get in the way. I’ll carry that regret for the rest of my life. But if you let me, I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.
Heath
September 28
Sable,
When I see you, I see a future I didn’t think I’d ever have. A future that’s messy and complicated but so damn worth it. You’re worth it, Sable. Every fight, every whisper, every obstacle. You’re worth it.
Heath
September 30
Sable,
This is the last letter I’m writing to you. I'm not stopping because I’ve run out of things to say, but because it’s time I said the rest in person.
I love you. I’ve loved you since the moment I met you, even if I was too much of a coward to admit it. I love your strength, your kindness, your wit, and the way you make everyone around you feel seen .
Come for a date with me.
Say yes, Bambi.
Heath
On the first day of October, my newspaper came with a bouquet and a letter from Sable.
October 1
Dear Heath,
I’d love to go out for a date with you.
Sable
I sent Wyatt a text message: She said yes!!
Wyatt called immediately. “You asked her to marry you?”
“No,” I replied, confused. “She said yes to go on a date with me.”
“Oh,” he said sullenly, “I got all excited.”
“She said yes to this. She’ll say yes to marrying me. I’m not letting her go.”
Wyatt chuckled. “The letters worked?”
“Like a motherfucking charm.” I took a picture of her letter to me and sent it to Wyatt. “I’m framing this one.”
“Good luck, brother.”