Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
JULIETTE
Amonth ago, I never would’ve imagined this life—a husband who was brilliant and funny and looked the way Griffin looked, who adored me—and a whole family of big-hearted people who came with him. Nothing grated on me more than ingratitude—and I’d been incredibly blessed.
I still hated goodbyes as much as I ever had. So when I woke up the next day, I told myself I wouldn’t say it. I would hug them all tight, smile, and say, “See you later.” Then I’d get on the plane and figure out how to make Phoenix work. Being with Griffin would be more than enough.
And yet, my disobedient heart was still praying for a way to stay.
Bowen, Silas, Lemon, and Holden drove to Seddledowne Family Medicine to confront Lemon’s ex for failing Maggie. Charlie, Sophie, and I took her for a pedicure.
The moment we returned, I’d need to grab my bag and go. I would have, too, if Peyton hadn’t met me at the car.
“Jules.” She glanced down. “Oh, nice toes.” She grabbed my arm. “I need to talk to you for a minute.” The woman practically hummed with excitement.
Ford, on the other hand, looked like a man heading to his own execution. He paced across the lawn. His mohawk—perfectly spiked that morning—now looked like a row of melted crayons slumped sideways in the sun.
Peyton grabbed my hand and pulled me toward him. “Have mercy.” She shook her head. “That man looks like a rainbow chicken that’s been through a washing machine.”
I bit my cheek. “Look at it this way—as soon as you post it on Instagram, the affair offers will stop.” At least twenty women propositioned Ford online every day, apparently.
He never knew about any of them because Peyton had banned him from running his own accounts years ago. But it still drove her crazy.
“It’s posted.” She let out a short laugh. “Five new offers in the first ten minutes. Some women.”
“Peyton.” Ford’s voice dropped when we stopped in front of him. His eyes darted around like he wasn’t sure he should be seen talking to me. What on earth? “I don’t think this is the right time. Maybe in a year. Or five.”
He looked seriously worried, but I couldn’t take him seriously. Not with the hair. I snorted and slapped a hand over my mouth.
“Ford,” Peyton hissed, trying not to laugh herself. “We have to.” She leaned in, whispering, “You know she needs this.” She jabbed herself in the chest. “I need it.”
“You don’t need it,” he hissed right back, his mo-flop bouncing with each word. “You want it. Big difference.” Then he glanced at me and deflated. He tipped his head back, breathed out, “Fine. She needs it.”
“What do I need?” I asked, laughing. But Ford’s visible dread about whatever this was gave me slight pause. Not as much pause as his hair, but still.
Focus! Whatever this is, it seems serious.
I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing.
“You want to stay in Seddledowne, don’t you?” Peyton asked.
Screech.
What?
Ford groaned and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Peyt, you’re going to get me into so much hot water with Griffin.”
“Shhh.” Peyton glared at him. “Well?”
“Uh…Uh…” My eyes went straight to the house, looking for Griffin, feeling like a traitor just for being caught wanting something different from Griffin.
“You do.” Peyton pointed at me like she’d won. “And Ford and I have a way for you to do that.”
My heart kicked hard. For a split second, I looked up, like a reflex. “What about Griffin?”
Peyton dismissed this with one hand. “Griffin would stay too. Obviously.”
Ford scratched his eyebrow. “We wouldn’t propose anything that would cause a rift between the two of you.”
Peyton scoffed. “Of course not.”
I couldn’t think of a single thing that might convince Griffin to stay. “But he has a good job in Phoenix.”
Peyton made a dismissive sound. “He’d have a better job here if he’d swallow his pride.”
My brows pulled together. “What do you mean?”
“Didn’t he tell you?” Peyton asked.
Ford said nothing. His face said enough.
“Tell me what?” I asked.
Peyton’s head bobbed. “That Seddledowne is starting a—”
“Stop.” Ford put a hand up. “No. We’re not pitting them against each other. We shouldn’t even be out here talking to her without Griffin present. This is a waste of time, babe.” He shook his head, the mo-flop swinging. “He’s never going to agree.”
“What do you think this is?” Peyton asked.
“Elementary school?” She snapped her fingers twice in an X pattern.
“It would be nice if he were on board, but Juliette is a whole grown woman who had an entire career before Griffin.” She sniffed.
“I’d like to see you try to tell me no about starting my own beauty line with her. ”
Wait. Had I heard her right?
“I wouldn’t tell you no,” Ford said. “I’m not an idiot.”
“Exactly.” Peyton rewarded him with a quick kiss on the lips. “And Griffin won’t be either.”
“We’ll see about that,” Ford said.
“Wait.” They both looked at me. “Back up. You want to start a beauty line with me?”
“Yes, girl.” Peyton fell against me, laughing. “Sorry, didn’t I say that?”
“No.” The laugh came out before I could stop it. Peyton wanted to start a beauty line. With me.
She grinned. “Just say yes, and you can quit your job at DayGlow and live here in Seddledowne. Permanently.”
I stood there, stunned, a choir of angels singing Hallelujah, I’m saved in my head. The relief was palpable. Peyton and Ford had handed me the biggest out—and opportunity—of my life. Griffin would understand me leaving DayGlow for this. He had to.
“She wants in,” Peyton squealed.
“She hasn’t said a single word,” Ford said.
“She wants in,” Peyton repeated. “Look at that smile.”
“Juliette?” Ford asked.
The apples of my cheeks were bursting. But then my smile vanished. “Would you need me to help fund it or—”
“No, girl,” Peyton said. “Clean Slate’s got this. We can talk specifics later and get Holden to draw up a contract. But we thought we’d offer it to you quickly before you have to leave. I mean, you probably need to head back to pack your things, but—”
“Jules!” Griffin called from the front porch, hands cupped around his mouth. He tapped his watch.
I held up a finger, indicating I’d be right there.
He stared at the three of us, something shifting in his face.
I looked at Ford and Peyton again. “Would you come with me to tell Griffin? He’ll have questions I can’t answer.”
“Absolutely,” Peyton said at the same time that Ford said, “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
I glanced toward the house. Griffin was back inside, trying to wrangle both of our suitcases across the slate floor in the foyer. I waved for them to follow and took off at a jog.
Peyton coaxed Ford behind me, clicking her tongue as if he were a pony. “C’mon, Rainbow Sparkles. You can do it. That’s right.”
“Woman,” he growled.
She shrieked just as I stepped into the house.
Griffin turned when he heard me come in. He smiled. But I could see him trying to read the situation. “What were you guys talking about outside?”
“Good stuff.” I pushed up on my tiptoes, threaded my fingers into his hair, and pulled his mouth to mine.
His hands came around my waist, his tongue tracing over mine. For one small moment, everything was exactly as it should’ve been. Griffin. Seddledowne. Everything I’d ever wanted was right there.
But my happily ever after was sitting right on top of a fault line. The thing nobody tells you about fault lines is how still the ground feels right before they split. And I’d never felt more solid in my life.
For thirty whole seconds.