Chapter 42
Chapter Forty-Two
RONIN
Good luck today, babe! Don’t let the first day jitters get you down. You’re gonna kill it- can’t wait to hear all about it later!
Ahhhh I am SO sorry it took me so long to get back to you today! Holy shit, what a long day, but it was amazing
I’ll tell you all about it when we get a chance to call this weekend, okay? I’m exhausted, about to fall unconscious in my bed now, goodnighttttt love you
August 31
Gonna have to raincheck tonight’s video call, still stuck at the office
That’s okay, same time tomorrow then?
I will try! I’ll let you know for sure tomorrow though. Love you!
Love you too. Go be the girl boss you were born to be, babe.
Oh how I miss your dumb jokes. And your face.
Miss yours too, Mel.
September 16
OMG you will NOT BELIEVE who I met today!!!
The suspense is killing me…
lmao sorry I got called away before I could tell you
But it was Scott Bakula! Captain Archer in the flesh
Oh shit. That’s really cool, Mel!!! Did you get a picture or anything?
No, but I did tell him that he’s my boyfriend’s favorite captain of the Enterprise and that you have a figure of him on your nightstand. He seemed tickled pink to hear it
So glad you are living your best Hollywood life to embarrass me, thanks for that.
It’s been three months since Mellie left Blue Fields for the second time without me.
Three months of long distance, squeezing in calls and video chats where we can. Three months of feeling like the other half of my soul was ripped away, but it’s fine. I’m fine. Cue the Ross Gellar meme.
The difference between this time and last is that she left with the full blessing of our town behind her, mine included. No slinking out in the middle of the night. This time, I saw her off with a kiss and a promise to visit soon.
I miss her every single day, but I’m so proud of her for following her dream. Knowing she’s out there killing it makes the lonely days a little bit easier to pass.
Just a little bit.
We’ve entered the slowest tourist season of the year as autumn descends on our little flower town.
The blue fields have dried up, slumbering away during the cold Washington months in preparation for the blooms to come in the springtime.
No town festivals are planned until the end of October when we host our Halloween Fest. That one doesn’t draw many tourists, though.
Halloween Fest is just for us, a way to celebrate a successful year and bring the community together.
Not to mention, there’s always major competition to see whose storefront is decked out the best. William always goes all out.
This year, the diner’s haunted decor will fall on me.
Will’s still in Arizona, staying with his parents while his father is recovering. I’ve been spread thin at the diner, taking on all of the management responsibilities for months now. I can’t say I dislike it, though. I take the vow I made to Will to keep this place running seriously.
I like to think I’m doing an okay job.
Sometimes, on a particularly slow day, I wonder what the hell I was doing letting Mellie go again.
But I have to kick myself in those moments, reminding that part of me that Mellie needs to do this, have this chance to follow her dream.
Even if that takes her a thousand miles away from me yet again.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I pull it out to answer.
“Will…hey man,” I say, gesturing to an employee to cover the bar as I step into my office.
“Hey, Ro. Place still standing, I assume?” His voice is raspy and strained.
“Ha ha, you’re hilarious,” I reply dryly. “Everything’s great here. Just gearing up to decorate for Halloween Fest in the next couple of weeks.”
“Aw, man. This will be the first one I’ve missed in a long ass time. You better honor my legacy, Ronin. Make us look damn good.”
“Of course. I already pulled out the photos of last year so I can make sure I get every detail right.” My eyes roll up to the ceiling, but I’m smiling. “So, how’s your dad? Anything new?”
Will sighs wearily. “Well, that’s why I’m calling actually.” He pauses, and the space between his words is heavy. “You still serious about buying the diner, Ro?”
My heart stutters for a second as his words echo in my ear. “Yeah, uh, yes. Definitely still serious. Does this mean—”
“I don’t think I’m coming back home, no.”
My gut sinks. This is not at all the way I wanted to earn the diner from him.
“My father—he’s stable, but it’s gonna take more than my mom to take care of him now. He needs me. They both need me. It’s the right thing to do.”
“Of course, yeah. I would do the same if I were in your shoes.”
“Well, let’s pray you never are, Ronin. This has been—” Will’s voice catches, turning low and rough “—much harder than I thought it would be. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you stepping up for me. It’s made for one less thing weighing on my mind these last few months.”
“Anytime, man. Seriously. And if you need anything at all, you let me know, alright? Anything.”
“Thanks, Ro.” Will pauses. “I know this offer has come at a hard time, but I need you to know that I’m really fucking proud of you, man. You deserve this. You’re gonna keep Double Shot in great hands, I know it.”
I thank him with a boulder of emotion in my throat, and we wrap up the somber conversation, making plans to get the paperwork going for the diner as soon as possible.
After hanging up, I sit quietly in my office, staring blankly at the wall in front of my desk.
There’s a recent addition there, a painting done by Brooklyn from Bree as a cheer-me-up gift.
It’s an abstract mix of colors and shapes, and I love it.
Teal and cream weave across the canvas, splashed with amber—the exact color of Mel’s eyes.
Those colors bend and blur together as tears threaten to escape. I swallow hard.
My heart breaks for what Will and his family are going through.
I cannot imagine if anything of the sort had happened to my grandparents or my mother.
In a lot of ways, my grandma and grandpa raised me more than my own mom did.
The thought of any of them in pain makes my chest hurt, my heart clenching and twisting.
Finally getting Will to sell to me doesn’t hold the same excitement that it did before.
I really wish Mellie was here. I want so badly to walk down to the bookstore, pull her into a comforting hug, and tell her everything that just transpired.
I miss her scent, her soothing mixture of vanilla and lavender.
I miss the way she can calm me with her very presence, a squeeze of her hand in mine or her gentle touch rubbing my back.
I just really fucking miss my girlfriend.
I settle for the next best Baker and call her brother.
“Thanks, Cat.” She places a beautiful charcuterie board in the center of the dining room table where Evan and I are seated, and I give the spread an appreciative smile. “This looks fantastic, you really didn’t have to do this.”
“Psh, hush. It’s nothing,” Catalina replies, but her brown cheeks go rosy with delight. Excusing herself, she heads down the hall toward their bedroom, leaving us on our own.
“I can’t believe that you’re finally going to buy Double Shot, man,” Evan muses, leaning back in his chair. He snags a piece of meat from the board.
“Yeah, me neither. Not how I thought it would go down, but I’m still in shock that it’s actually happening.”
“So what’s next?”
I take a sip of my whiskey and grab a snack before answering. “Well, we’ll be meeting with our lawyers next week and I’ll know more then. It might take a few months to finalize all of the closing details. I don’t really know exactly how long the actual process takes.”
Evan nods. “What about replacing you? Are you thinking of taking on another manager to help out?”
This was something I’d been considering all day long.
I’ve been managing the place side by side with Will for years now, but that was mostly due to him wanting to take a step back to focus on other areas in his life.
Technically, I could still do my job while taking up all of the other duties he will be leaving behind.
But, I’ve been doing it by myself for months, and it’s been exhausting.
If the diner can afford it, I want to bring someone else on.
“Actually, yeah. And I think I have the perfect candidate in mind.”
Evan’s dark brows raise in question as he helps himself to another bite.
“Kian.” I sip my drink and lean back in my chair. “He’s already got the experience, and I imagine he’d probably love to get out of that pirate place he’s been stuck at.”
Evan laughs. “Dude’s been there since like, high school, I’m pretty sure.”
“Do you think he’d be down for moving back home?”
“I think it’s definitely worth asking, yeah. As far as I know, his roommates are moving out as soon as their lease is up, so he’ll be ready to relocate at the very least.”
Well, that’s convenient.
“Sweet. Well, I’ll definitely give him a call then.”
“Talk to Mellie lately?” Evan changes the subject. “We haven’t talked in a few weeks. She’s always so busy.”
“Yeah, we talked yesterday. She had some workshop training all day today or else I would be at home talking to her instead of settling for your dumb ass.”
“You know what? I think this charcuterie board is too nice for you.” Evan makes to pull the platter toward him and I pin it down.
“Hey now, Cat would be personally offended if I didn’t help eat this. You don’t want to disappoint your future wife, do you?”
Evan’s jaw falls open. “Playing the wife card… Not cool, bro.” He lets go of the platter with a grin.
“I still can’t believe your wedding is a month away,” I comment, shaking my head as I pull a few slices of meat and cheese over to me. “This year has flown by.”
“You’re fucking telling me. I just got engaged like yesterday. How is it already October?”
The evening winds down, and I leave Evan’s house feeling a little bit lighter than I did when I’d arrived. Once home, I get ready for bed, and prepare myself for more of the same tomorrow. And the day after that, and the day after that.
One day at a time.