Chapter 12 #2
Reese realized, as Hallie’s watchful gaze still scanned her face, that the question wasn’t rhetorical.
“I hope I haven’t given Sydney any reason to feel like her trust in me is misplaced.
I’ve moved back to Stoneport, and I’m going to be here.
” She ran her hands along the wooden check-in desk, anchoring herself to its solidity.
“We both have our reasons for agreeing to our fake dating, but I think that out of the two of us…”
Reese’s words trailed off, and Hallie leaned closer. “‘Out of the two of you’ what?”
Reese’s lips pursed. She hadn’t let herself think about it over the last few weeks, how Sydney’s time in Stoneport was very likely a stopover onto her next adventure. She was a world-renowned athlete and a relatively well-known name even outside of the tennis world.
Sydney had come back home to lick her wounds and recalibrate her life. The loss of a long-term relationship and her career in the last year couldn’t have been easy to manage.
Reese knew that firsthand.
Once Sydney decided what she wanted to do next—and Reese had no doubt that it would be a choice among many different things—she’d very likely leave Stoneport.
“I don’t think we’ll keep her,” Reese admitted. “I know she’s going to have opportunities coming her way soon, if they haven’t already started. She mentioned that she’s going back to Florida next week to meet with her agent.”
“And to see her parents,” Hallie countered.
It was something that Sydney had shared with her on the ride home from Bingham. She’d framed it casually, checking in about any upcoming events to make sure she wasn’t going to miss them.
To Hallie’s point, Sydney was incredibly dependable.
But there was another thought that kept niggling in the back of her brain. Reese had broken down, had unexpectedly leaned on Sydney, and less than twelve hours later, Sydney was reminding her that she wasn’t always going to be here. That her life wasn’t really in Stoneport.
Maybe it was a coincidence, but Reese was still on high alert, attuned to every possible worst-case scenario.
“Sydney’s plan was always to move back to Stoneport eventually,” Hallie answered, but it didn’t even sound like she believed herself, given the way she wouldn’t make eye contact with Reese.
Reese nodded. “I’m sure that was a prudent decision for after retirement, back when she had a long-term partner she wanted to settle down with. That’s not Sydney’s life anymore.”
It wasn’t like she was trying to argue, but she thought maybe wishful thinking was the driving force behind Hallie’s words .
“Either way, Sydney’s here now,” Hallie said, “and all you’re doing is wasting your own time avoiding her.”
“I’m not avoiding her,” Reese said, her voice falling away as she clocked Sydney walking into the lobby area, tennis bag hanging on her tanned shoulder.
Why did she have to look so good, like, all the time? It wasn’t fair.
And then Sydney beamed a megawatt smile in their direction, one that had been captured many times before for literal magazine covers, and ambled over to the desk.
“Well, if it isn’t my girlfriend and my best friend, together in one place.”
Hallie’s chest puffed out with pride, but Reese could feel her cheeks warming.
“I was just asking Reese for the details from this weekend,” Hallie said, “since you’ve been less than forthcoming with information.”
Sydney shot her best friend a look that made Reese, though she tried to hold it in, snort with laughter.
“Prying into people’s personal lives feels like an HR violation, Hal.”
Undeterred, Hallie pressed on. “Is that possible when she’s the owner?” She shot a grin in Reese’s direction. “Also, at this point, I think I am HR. At least for another few months.”
Sydney lifted an eyebrow. “Then it’s a fairly egregious abuse of power.”
“Either way,” Hallie said, waving them off, “Reese gave me the skinny.”
It was interesting how color fanned across Sydney’s face, blooming wild over her cheekbones.
Reese watched as Sydney tightened her fingers around the strap of her bag. “Be that as it may, I was hoping to talk to Reese for a second before I headed to the tennis center.”
“Guess that’s my cue,” Hallie said, standing still for a few prolonged seconds. “I’m sure there’s some sort of crisis I can find to manage effectively right now.”
Sydney gave Hallie a stare that only worked between lifelong friends, her voice droll when she said, “I have no doubt.”
Reese watched Hallie wander away, her pulse picking up as Sydney focused her attention across the desk, to where Reese sat as still as she could manage.
“Sorry for all the cloak-and-dagger,” Sydney said with a sweet smile. “I just wanted to ask about how your mom was, and I didn’t know if you’d shared that with Hallie.”
Warmth spread through Reese for an abundance of reasons. “Her doctor’s office called yesterday afternoon. Everything looks good.”
Sydney’s shoulders visibly relaxed, and she reached her hand across the table to hold Reese’s. “I’m so happy to hear that.”
The sincerity in Sydney’s voice was like a warm blanket that Reese wrapped around herself.
Yesterday, when her mom had called with the news, the relieved whoosh of air she’d let out had been unlike anything else she’d ever experienced.
Their fingers were still intertwined when Sydney said, “I should also apologize in advance for anything that Hallie may have said to you. I think that throwing herself into my drama has been a bit of an escape for her the last few weeks.”
Reese sat with that idea, even as she enjoyed how Sydney’s fingers gently tapped against her hand. Hallie, like the two of them, was going through a significant amount of change, and she was glad that Sydney reminded her of it.
“To be fair, you’ve given her a lot of material to work with.”
Sydney feigned shock as she held her free hand up to her heart. “I’d like to think it’s been a team effort. Speaking of which, have you heard from your dad?”
Reese shook her head. Honestly, she hadn’t thought of him much, except with respect to what a joke of a husband he was. “I have not, and he’s not exactly at the top of my priority list these days.”
“Well, we’ll get to see him in…” She could see Sydney trying to remember when their next family event was happening.
“Next Saturday at the couple’s shower,” Reese supplied. She thought she did a great job of hiding the grimace in her voice.
“A celebration of love and joy in honor of the happy couple,” Sydney teased.
Reese let out a deep breath. “The theme is ‘Love you a brunch.’’’
Sydney made a fake gagging sound before dissolving into a fit of laughter.
It felt good to see her so light. Reese hadn’t known, as they’d gotten deeper into the bowels of wedding-related events, how Sydney would react. Maybe Sydney herself didn’t even know, but Reese wanted her to have an ongoing opt-out clause in case anything became too much.
“And you’re still okay with everything?” she asked. “I don’t want to put you in any difficult situations.”
Sydney waved her off readily. “Exposure therapy at its best. I figure by the time the wedding comes, I’ll be in tip-top performance shape.”
“To do what?” Reese asked, apprehension that she tried to bite back edging into her voice.
She didn’t really think that Sydney would do anything, but with everything going on with her mom, she had to ask.
“Dance with my beautiful girlfriend and have an amazing time,” Sydney said, her soft eyes giving no hint of teasing this time.
Reese’s stomach swooped low, and she knew that she was blushing. “Kill ‘em with kindness,” she said when she recovered.
Before she lost her resolve, she pushed forward, speaking again. “I want to thank you again. For everything you’re doing for me. For everything you did this weekend. It meant a lot, having you there. ”
Sydney stood up a little straighter, a tender smile on her face. “I’m glad I could be there.”
Reese cleared her throat, intent on not getting lost in the moment or reading too much into it. Sydney had already done so much for her, and the one thing she had to offer was not blurring any lines.
Well—any more lines.
“Me too,” Reese settled on, hoping she’d effectively conveyed her gratitude.
Sydney gave Reese’s hand a squeeze, which she’d been holding for the last five minutes, and it sent another flutter of butterflies flapping through Reese’s stomach. “I need to get going. I’m meeting Brian at the tennis center.”
Reese nodded and pulled her hand away first, missing the contact immediately. “You’ll have to let me know how that’s going soon.”
“I will,” Sydney said softly as she hoisted her bag more tightly against her shoulder.
Reese watched her walk out of the inn, begging herself to keep it together for the next few months.
Reese was sweaty. Actually, that wasn’t entirely accurate.
That implied that she had been sweating.
The reality was, she was sweating, little beads of heat running continually running down her back.
She hadn’t stopped moving in almost three hours as she’d worked to get everything together ahead of the fireworks show.
But now, there was nothing else to check on, no last-minute emergencies that required her attention. She stood, waiting, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down.
Dozens of people milled around the outdoor patio space as the sun began to set, splashes of light reflecting off the waves in the gloom below.
The fireworks would be set off on a barge about a quarter-mile out to sea. Reese could already see dotting the horizon, and though it looked unimpressive right now, she knew it would elicit oohs and aahs in a few short hours.
Her mom had come early, and Reese had set her up in one of the dozen adirondack chairs that were always available for guests to relax on during their stay.
With her plan to open the inn to the public for the show, she’d worked with Hallie to secure a myriad of other seating options, along with encouraging guests to bring blankets and their own chairs.