Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
The Daily Grind buzzed with its usual rhythm, steam hissing from the espresso machine, chairs scraping against wood floors, the low hum of conversation wrapping around the smell of fresh coffee and baked goods.
Zoe slipped inside, hugging her sweater closer.
She didn’t plan to stay long, just grab a latte and maybe check on the new fall display her dad had mentioned.
Astrid was wiping down the counter, her braid sliding over one shoulder. She glanced up and smiled. “Hey, Zoe. Haven’t seen you in a couple of days.”
“Been busy,” Zoe murmured, then ordered her drink.
Astrid leaned on the counter, lowering her voice just a little. “Did you hear John’s leaving town?”
The words landed like a stone dropped in her chest. Zoe froze. “What?”
“Yeah.” Astrid straightened, oblivious to the impact. “He was in earlier. Said he needed to pack up since he’s heading out tomorrow. Shame. He’s a good guy.”
Zoe’s fingers tightened around the strap of her bag. The clatter of cups, the background chatter—all of it faded under the pounding of her pulse. Leaving.
Her mind reeled. She saw him standing beside her in the orchard, his hand finding hers without thinking.
Saw him laughing in her kitchen over Chinese takeout, the warmth in his eyes when he told her he wanted a future with her.
Saw him walking out her door after she’d told him she couldn’t trust him.
The betrayal had gutted her. But the thought of him gone for good—that cut deeper.
“Zoe? You okay?” Astrid asked, brow furrowing.
“Yeah.” Her voice came out too fast, too thin. She forced a smile, picked up her coffee and mumbled something about needing to get back.
The cool autumn air hit her as she stepped outside, but it did nothing to calm the churning inside her. She stood on the sidewalk, her cup trembling in her hand, not sure what direction to go.
She didn’t remember choosing a direction, only that her feet carried her through town, past the bakery, past the square…
Until she stopped in front of the fountain with the statues of three women—Gladys, Ruby and Katherine—forever cast in the act of gossip, wisdom or warning.
She stood still, the wind teasing at her hair.
She’d tossed in a coin. Made a wish.
A fresh start. A place to belong.
She had that now. Good Hope felt more like home than any place ever had. She was working with her dad, building a life she hadn’t planned but had come to love.
And John.
He’d been part of that life. No, he was that life, in so many ways.
Zoe sank onto the bench beside the fountain, resting her elbows on her knees, her breath catching.
What if everything they’d built unraveled now? Completely. Forever.
Zoe blinked back tears, but they fell anyway, soft, silent streaks down her cheeks.
She’d survived betrayal. But maybe this time, the real betrayal was not forgiving someone who had earned her trust.
A breeze rustled the leaves overhead, warm and damp with the promise of fall. It felt like a whisper.
Take the first step.
Zoe stood, pulled out her phone and, with fingers trembling just slightly, typed out a message. Can we talk?
She stared at the screen for a beat, her heart thudding like a second hand ticking too fast.
She watched the “delivered” notification appear.
Then nothing.
A full minute passed.
Then another.
She was just about to tuck the phone away when it buzzed in her hand.
Where are you?
Three words.
Zoe blinked, then quickly typed back. At the fountain.
The reply came almost instantly. Don’t move. I’m on my way.
Zoe set the phone in her lap, her fingers curled tightly around the edge of the fountain as if the cool stone might ground her.
He was coming.
Zoe stood, circled the fountain, then sank onto the edge once again, her knee bouncing, every second stretching long.
She told herself she wanted him only to listen to her, so she could say what she hadn’t in the heat of anger. But deep down, she knew it was more. She didn’t just want to explain. She wanted him.
Footsteps echoed across the bricks. She looked up.
John.
He slowed as he drew closer, as if uncertain whether he was welcome, but his eyes never left hers. In the soft lamplight, he looked tired, worn thin, but also steady, like he’d walk through fire if she asked.
“Hi.” His voice was careful, quiet.
Her throat felt thick. She took a shaky breath. “Astrid said you’re leaving.”
“I am,” he admitted, moving closer. “Business trip. Just a few days.” His gaze searched hers. “Not for good. I’m not leaving Good Hope unless you tell me there’s no chance for us.”
Her chest ached. She hadn’t realized how much she needed to hear that.
“I was so angry,” she whispered. “I still am, a little.”
“I know.” His voice broke on the words. “I’d do it differently if I could. I swear to you, I would.”
He stepped closer, close enough she could feel his warmth. “I’m asking for the chance to prove I’ll never keep anything from you again, the chance to be the man you can trust. However long it takes.”
Zoe blinked against the sting of tears. The ache of betrayal was still there, but so was something stronger, something that surged at the thought of losing him forever.
She drew a steadying breath. “Then maybe…we start over. Take it slow.”
His shoulders eased, the tension breaking like a wave. He reached for her hand, hesitating just before he touched her, giving her the choice.
She didn’t pull back.
Her fingers slid into his, and the fountain burbled beside them, a soft witness to the fragile, hopeful beginning of something new.
As they began to walk, Zoe spotted a glint on the ground, a stray coin half buried in the grass.
She picked it up, turned it once between her fingers, then slipped it into her pocket before reaching for John’s hand again.
She wasn’t searching anymore. Not for love. Not for place. Not for purpose.
With John beside her, she was done wishing. She was ready to begin.