Nine
Natalia
“Please don’t be mad at me. I know this is last minute, but I need to cancel brunch this morning.”
Last minute was an understatement. I’d already arrived at the café and ordered for the both of us. Danielle got the same thing every time we came here. “You’re my best friend, Danielle. Of course, I’m not mad at you. But is everything okay? This is unlike you.”
She sighed, revealing the truth I hadn’t wanted to face.
Something was weighing heavily on her. “Technically, yes. Everything’s fine.
It’s just that… Well, I’d been putting off having the talk with Stephen about me moving in.
But I finally did it last night, and things didn’t go as well as I’d hoped.
He was disappointed, and we spent a lot of time talking.
I probably should’ve waited until this morning to say something, because I think we were both so tired, the conversation wasn’t very productive.
He went home last night, but he just called me this morning. He’s on his way back over to talk.”
My heart squeezed. “I’m so sorry. Please don’t worry about meeting up with me. Just focus on you and Stephen and your relationship right now. I’ll be here for you if and when you need to talk.”
Silence came through the line. I could only assume Danielle was running through whatever conversation she and Stephen had last night.
“You’re already at the café, aren’t you?”
She knew me too well. “Already ordered.”
“I feel awful.”
Shaking my head as I kept the phone pressed to my ear, I insisted, “It’s really okay. I’m just going to grab the food and head back. I don’t want you to think twice about it. We’ll talk later.”
“Thanks for being so understanding, Natalia. You’re the best.”
I smiled. “I know. Call me if you need anything. Or, depending on how it goes with you two, we can just talk at work tomorrow.”
“That’s perfect.”
Relieved that she wasn’t putting any added pressure on herself by worrying about me, I said, “Good luck.”
“Thanks.”
Danielle and I said goodbye and disconnected our call.
I’d been looking forward to having some time to sit down and talk with her outside of work this morning, so a small wave of disappointment washed over me.
But I didn’t allow that to linger too long.
She needed to take this time to work things out with Stephen.
I wasn’t going anywhere, and I didn’t doubt she’d have plenty to talk about the next time we saw one another.
At that moment, my server walked up to the table in front of mine to deliver their meals. I caught her attention with a lift of my hand. “Excuse me, but I’ve had a bit of a change in plans. Is there any way I can get those meals to go? I’ve been stood up.”
Horror washed over her expression. “Oh, I’m so sorry. Of course, you can. I’ll get everything wrapped up for you.”
“Thanks. And the check when you have a moment.”
She turned to walk off, and I dumped my phone back into my purse.
“Natalia?”
At the sound of the familiar masculine voice, my muscles went taut. I twisted my neck to look behind me and was surprised to learn I’d guessed correctly at whose voice I heard. “Reid?”
He offered a sympathetic look. “Did I hear that correctly? You were stood up?”
I waved my hand in the air dismissively. “Oh, it’s just Danielle. She was supposed to meet me this morning, but she had to cancel at the last minute.”
Understanding washed over him. “I see. Sorry to hear that.”
I shrugged. “Thanks. I’m alright.” Reid kept his eyes on me, and a thought hit me. “Are you here alone?”
“I am.”
Tipping my head to the side, I swept my hand out to indicate the seat across from me. “Would you like to join me this morning? I was going to leave, but I’d be just as happy to stay and enjoy some company and conversation as well.”
Something I couldn’t read leaked into his features. I’d grown accustomed to the broody, grumpy expression he often wore. This was not that. But whatever it was, Reid had paired it with his signature silence.
Long moments of awkward silence passed before he finally shook his head. “Thanks for the offer, but I shouldn’t. I need to get back.”
Disappointment moved through me. “I understand. It was worth a shot.”
“Reid!”
At the sound of his name being called from behind the counter, relief swept through him. “That’s me.”
I waved him off. “Of course.”
The second he turned and walked in the opposite direction to get his order, my server returned with the food I’d ordered as well as the check.
I paid the bill, gathered up my things, and turned toward the exit to find Reid waiting there.
He jerked his head toward the door, so I scurried over as he opened it to allow me to step outside ahead of him.
“Thanks for holding the door for me.”
“No worries. I figured I’d see you to your car.”
Laughter spilled out of me. “That’s not possible.”
Reid looked down at me with a mix of curiosity and concern in his expression. “Are you upset with me about yesterday?”
“What? No.” Of course, not being upset with him about yesterday didn’t mean I didn’t think about the encounter by the lake nearly all day long. “What would make you say that?”
“You just said it wouldn’t be possible for me to walk you to your car.”
My lips twitched. “Because I walked here.”
His brows shot up. “You did?”
I nodded. “But don’t worry. I don’t expect you to escort me back or give me a ride. I enjoy the walk. It’s not terribly far, which is why I like to come here to get a bite to eat occasionally.”
Reid studied me briefly, and for a fraction of a second, I could have sworn I saw amusement playing at his lips. “I walked, too.”
“Oh. Well, in that case…” I trailed off.
“Would it be alright if I accompanied you on your walk back to the retreat?”
I could feel the light in my own eyes as I beamed at him. “I’d love that.”
At that, we fell into step beside one another. And for a few minutes, Reid and I walked together in the chilly November weather. Unlike Danielle, I enjoyed the fresh air. Preferred it, even if it was cold.
“You don’t hold grudges, do you?”
At the unexpected question from Reid, I nearly stumbled. “Pardon?”
“In situations where you’d have every right to be angry with someone, you don’t seem to let it get you down,” he clarified.
I smiled at him as we continued our stroll down to the end of the block, where we’d cross the street and make our way up the hill that would lead us to the southern edge of the property on which the retreat sat.
“Danielle’s boyfriend recently asked her to move in with him, and she’s hesitant, because she was burned in her last relationship.
When she thought they’d been working toward a future, he got comfortable and never proposed.
So, she wants to avoid that same disappointment and heartbreak again.
She finally talked to Stephen about it last night, and I’m not sure yet how it went, but he’s heading back to her place this morning to continue their discussion. ”
Reid lifted his chin in acknowledgment. “I appreciate the explanation, but I wasn’t referring to you not holding a grudge against your friend.”
My brows knit together. “What?”
We strode along in silence for a handful of steps before Reid said, “I would think that after the way I came at you yesterday morning, you wouldn’t want to speak another word to me.”
My belly fluttered at the unexpected omission.
Maybe I hadn’t been the only one who thought about our encounter yesterday morning.
“Well, I’m not a vindictive person by nature.
And even if you believe that I might have justifiable reasons for being upset with you, I’m also trying to be understanding. ”
“Understanding?”
I halted our conversation as we made it to the end of the block and crossed the street.
Only when we were safely on the other side did I respond.
“I often like to put myself in other people’s shoes.
We don’t always know what someone is going through, but I can look at what I do know about your situation and recognize that it’s not easy.
Just the situation with your mom’s health alone is enough to rattle anyone.
But to add having to move back to your hometown to temporarily run your father’s business after you were likely happily set up somewhere else is just another challenge.
I don’t know what I’d do if the roles were reversed, but I suspect it’d take me some time to figure it out.
We all deal with everything differently, and I can’t begrudge you your feelings on it. ”
He huffed. “That’s wildly optimistic of you.”
“Is it?” I countered. “Just because I might seem the very opposite of you when it comes to my day-to-day interactions with others doesn’t mean I don’t have my own problems. I have plenty to be pissed off about.
And I have been. Trust me, I have. But I choose to keep myself busy with things that bring me joy, because it feels so much better than despair. ”
Reid didn’t say anything for a long while. Not until we’d made it back to the main path that ran through the property and would lead to my place before Reid’s cabin. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for how I’ve treated you when you’ve done nothing wrong.”
Warmth hit the center of my chest, and I dropped my gaze to the ground to hide the small smile forming on my face. “I appreciate that, Reid. Thank you for saying so.”
“I shouldn’t have needed to do it in the first place,” he mumbled.
Instead of dwelling on this when it was clear he regretted how he’d been with me, I thought it was worth shifting the focus of our conversation. “So, how was streetboarding yesterday?”
For the first time since I’d met him, I heard a lightness in Reid’s tone that I hadn’t ever heard before. “It was great. I think it was precisely what I needed to clear my head.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
“And how was stone skipping?”
“Lovely.”