Chapter 26
I stand under the overhang in front of Aiden’s front door.
The mum planter sits by my left knee, and I stare at the brass Labrador door knocker.
My giant suitcase lurks behind me. There is no goat to knock me over, but this is worse.
My insides are a mess of nerves. The minute I ring the doorbell I will be caught on camera.
Aiden’s truck is here. He will see me. If he doesn’t answer, what am I going to do?
The car that drove me here from the private airport is already gone.
I’ll have to slink off down the street, and I’m not sure it’s possible to slink given the size of my suitcase.
At least the rain has stopped. It’s dark and cold, but my nerves and adrenaline are keeping me warm.
I had a lot of time to think on the way down here.
And it turns out Sera was right. I did have the answers inside of me the whole time.
I knew to turn down Steve’s insulting offer, but I got confused when Laura made hers.
It’s not easy to say no to your ideal of success.
But Mom was right too. Sometimes your definition of success changes.
I mean, I still love the city, but the last two weeks showed me something.
It’s nice being completely in charge of things.
It’s terrific being my own boss. Having no commute.
Wearing comfy clothes. Answering to no one and doing what I know I’m good at all day long.
The Bolt job was amazing, but working for myself surrounded by my friends and family will be even more so.
And as for the Lovers card, Aiden is my soulmate. I think he always has been, since we were kids. The spider incident comes to mind. When you find the person who’ll save you from what you’re afraid of, don’t let go.
And I won’t. I’m totally clear now. I am here choosing the life I know I want, working for myself in my hometown. I only hope it’s not too late to win back the man I love.
Okay. Time to stare fear in the eye. I ring the doorbell and hold my breath. Argos is barking. Uh-oh. I can’t slink away from a barking dog. Can I? I may have to abandon the suitcase.
It feels like an eternity before the door opens. Aiden is standing there in jeans and no shirt. His hair is wet. He braces his hand on the door. His face is inscrutable. In case you’re wondering if there anything worse than an inscrutable face at a time like this, no. No, there is not.
“Ellie,” he says. His voice is also impossible to interpret.
“Hi,” I manage around the giant lump in my throat.
“I thought you were in Vermont.”
“I was.” I peek inside. There is a fire going in the living room fireplace. And Argos is sitting there like the very good boy that he is. And I’m so nervous I’m tempted to tell Aiden that I just came back for my coat. It’s freezing out here, and I would like it. But I already know Mom’s got it and—
Oh, Ellie, just say it, you coward.
“I came back because I...” Am I having a panic attack? It’s hard to breathe. I am dizzy.
“Because?” he prompts. He arches one brow.
“Because I forgot to tell you something.” My gaze searches his face.
I’m positive I look and sound like a deranged person.
I wring my hands. And then it all just comes flying out.
“I forgot to tell you that I love you. I love you, and I love the sense of belonging that I found here again in Harvest Hollow.” I take a deep, gulping breath, fighting for air.
“But most importantly, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I hurt you, and I’m sorry I was stupid.
And I’m sorry I chose a meaningless job over what we found together.
I realize now that being a corporate event planner isn’t going to make me happy.
It never would. Because that’s not what real success is.
Real success is living a life surrounded by the people you love and who love you back in a place that makes you happy while doing the things you love to do.
And that’s what the inn is for me. And that’s who you are for me.
And it always was, and you always were, but I just didn’t realize it until I fell in love with you.
And I know I don’t deserve it, and I know I might be wrong to ask, but if there’s some way—any way—you can forgive me, I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. Trying to, at least.”
There. My heart is racing, and I feel like I just finished running a 5k. Did I miss anything important? I practiced this speech a hundred times in my head on the flight down here. But it all just came out like a big, jumbled mess. I can only hope I made all of my salient points.
Aiden’s face is still inscrutable, but he opens his mouth. He’s about to say something, when I remember one more thing I really need to say. “Oh, and Mom and Dad aren’t going to take the Bolt Hotel Group offer. They’re taking my offer instead.”
He frowns. “ Your offer?”
I nod too much. “Yes. Laura Bolt gave me a big bonus for fixing the event, and I’m using it to buy a share of the inn from Mom and Dad. Mom told me your parents turned down the Bolt offer too.”
“They did.”
“And your apple offer?” I hold my breath, even though I’m pretty sure I already know what he’s going to say.
He brushes his hand up and down through the back of his wet hair. “Turned it down flat.”
“Good. Good. Because you and I are going to be partners now. I mean it this time. And Charlotte too. I have a hundred ideas of how to make the inn and orchard more profitable, and we’ll implement them together.
I mean... if you want to.” Oh God. I’ve just barreled ahead and assumed he agreed, when he actually has done no such thing. He needs to say yes first.
I stop. I stare at him. He may not want me back. He may tell me to get the hell off his porch. I have to wait. I need to know. I clasp my hands together and force myself to stop nodding.
Aiden’s not moving. He’s not talking. Somehow in my head this went better. In my mind’s eye as I flew across the orange and yellow treetops today, Aiden would grab me and hug me and tell me he loves me, and that he’s glad I came back, and that we will be partners forever.
“Aiden?” I search his face. I’m breathing so hard I’m shaky. “Say something. Anything.” I’ve nearly forgotten we’re still outside and it’s freezing cold, and his abs are uncovered.
His voice is low. His countenance is wary. “What about not mixing business with pleasure?”
Oh yeah. That. That subject I kept harping on repeatedly for two weeks straight. No wonder he wants to know my current stance on that.
I shake my head. “I was focused on the wrong issue. My mistake wasn’t mixing business with pleasure. My mistake was mixing business and pleasure with an asshole. You’re not an asshole.” Okay, maybe not the most eloquent reply, but it was heartfelt.
Aiden snort-laughs, and my belly flips. “I appreciate that,” he says.
“I’m serious. Geoff was the problem. I mean, your mom and dad and my parents have mixed business with pleasure their whole careers. It seems to work for them.”
His smile widens. “Good point.”
“So?” I look up at him hopefully. I am searching his achingly familiar, handsome face. “What do you say?” I bite my lip. Waiting. Waiting.
Aiden blows out a deep breath. He slowly nods. “I’m trying to figure out if this is real or if it’s a dream,” he says. Because if it’s a dream, I don’t want to wake up.”
Oh God. My face crumples. I close my eyes. Relief washes over me.
In two seconds, he steps forward, picks me up, and spins me around, and then he kisses me.
He kisses me, and I kiss him back, grabbing his rough cheeks and slanting my mouth across his.
He sets me down inside, picks up my suitcase with one hand, and swings it into the house.
There are those arm muscles again. Swoon.
And now I’m staring at his abs like it’s my full-time job.
It occurs to me that I’ll never have to pretend not to be staring at them again. What fun!
I pat Argos’s head and say hello to him. He is not wearing his apple costume, but he’s smiling at me as if he’s as happy to see me as I am to see him.
Aiden closes the door behind us and pushes me up against it and kisses me again.
“No shirt again , really?” I say.
He smiles against my cheek. “You have a bad habit of knocking on my door when I’m in the shower.”
“I’d say that’s good timing, actually.”
He steps back and cups my cheeks. He rubs his thumbs across them gently. “You’re not the only one who needed to apologize,” he says. “I honestly questioned myself a hundred times whether I had the right to tell you I loved you before you had to make your decision about the job.”
“No, Aiden, you had every right—”
“Shhh.” He leans down and kisses my lips softly. “Let me finish.”
I promptly close my mouth.
“It’s no secret that I’m set in my ways,” he says.
“I don’t like change, and I didn’t like you coming back here and messing with the status quo.
But it turns out we needed the status quo to be messed with.
All of us did, actually. I see that now.
But I had no right to be such a dick to you when you first got here.
You were only trying to help, and it was wrong of me to hold things you said when you were a kid against you. ”
“Aiden, I—”
He grins at me. “I’m almost done.”
I nod. “Go ahead.”
“You showed me that opening myself up and trying new things are the only way to make things better.” He slides his hands down to mine and squeezes my fingers. “Thank you for teaching me that, Ellie.”
“I love you,” I breathe, just before his mouth captures mine again.
“I love you too,” he says, the moment the kiss ends. “You’re freezing,” he says next, running his hands up and down my arms.
“Yeah, well, I forgot my coat.” I shrug and smile at him.
He arches a dark brow. “I think I know a way to warm you up, if you’re interested.” He tugs me toward the bedroom.
“Ooh, yes, please.” I’m already wondering if there’s some way we can have sex on the book ladder, but I keep that to myself... for now.
“Hmm. I did forget my coat,” I say. “Maybe I have dementia. I’ve got a test for that.”