Chapter 41
Nic was exhausted. As many times as he’d made the drive back and forth from Texas to Kansas, it had never felt as long as it did last night. He’d had to stop by the restaurant in Roanoke and his place in Argyle to get everything he needed.
He couldn’t wait any more.
Yesterday, he’d stopped in C’est la Vache long enough to make sure that Jerry had what he needed for the dinner rush.
Nic gave Holly and Jerry free rein to close up whenever things slowed down for the night and got on the road.
He’d hoped Felicity would have slept until morning.
She’d been sleeping longer than usual since getting out of the hospital.
But of course she woke up long enough to send him a few texts to drive him crazy.
Driving with an erection was a goddamn hazard.
He eased the house door shut as quietly as possible.
Felicity must have been up for a while though. The kitchen was sparkling.
He huffed. That woman was physically incapable of resting. He slipped off his boots at the door and headed up the stairs, careful not to catch Fanny’s large leaves on any of the light fixtures.
Felicity was sprawled across the bed. She had an ice pack over her wrist, which probably meant she’d done too much and it was bothering her again.
Her hair was tucked into that bandanna headband she wore for gardening.
She had a Diet Coke set next to her on the nightstand. Her favorite overnight drink.
He set Fanny down next to the bed, and his eyes caught on something on the nightstand. At first, he thought it was just his note, but it wasn’t. She’d written on the back with a sparkly blue pen from one of her boxes.
Dear Nic,
In case I “final destination” myself overnight, I want you to know that I’m completely in love with you.
If you die on your stupid overnight Texas road trip, you’re shit out of luck because I am not willing to tell you I love you over the phone or in a text message.
If I’m not dead, I will be burning this in the morning before you get here.
Once you explain your stupid spontaneous road trip, I will decide whether I still want to tell you this.
Love,
Felicity Gallagher
P.S. I should have explained better. I’ve already almost died several times in the last few years, so I felt I couldn’t risk this.
P.P.S. The second the doctor clears me, you better fully fulfill the promise you made on the night I slaughtered the monstera.
Grinning, he lifted the note. Nic took the box off the bookshelf to leave in its place. On top, he left two folded pages. He’d pulled over to the side of the road at 2:17 AM and scribbled it down. Nic hadn’t reread it since, and he hoped it wasn’t completely unhinged.
He headed back downstairs with every intention of going to help her mom with the inventory or heading to the restaurant.
Instead, Nic found himself walking into the garden when he got to St. Clare Circle.
He grabbed a quilt from the ones stacked in the bin and laid it out in the exact spot under the star jasmine where they had first fallen asleep together.
Was this angsty?
Yes.
Was he also just super fucking tired?
Also yes.
He checked his phone three more times and then fell asleep.