Chapter 27
CHAPTER 27
LAUREL
G atlinburg with the girls was exactly what I’d needed after spending the last week pining for Leif. I knew I wouldn’t have them to keep me company every weekend I’d spend without him, but I was thoroughly enjoying the distraction while I could.
We’d talked about the men in our lives, our jobs, our plans for the holidays, and all the things we needed to catch up on from the couple weeks since we’d last seen each other. I grinned at them over my tub of cookie dough ice cream.
“I’m already looking forward to us all coming together again for Christmas at home,” I said. “I really wish we could live in the same place again. Why did we decide to move so far apart? Can anyone remember?”
Gemma sniffed. “Since I’m the only one who didn’t move, I’ll let you two figure it out.”
Chuckling, I tossed a piece of popcorn from the bowl beside me at her head. “Don’t pretend you’ve been missing us so much. Every time I talk to you, it’s Noah this, Noah that. From the sound of things, your boy-bander has been keeping you plenty occupied.”
She laughed. “Well, I had to find something to do while you were gone.”
“Some one to do, you mean,” Mariam joked, reclining on the sofa across from mine. “Gosh, I’m glad we could do this after all. When we left Austin after Thanksgiving, I really thought I’d only see you guys again at Christmas.”
“So did I,” I replied honestly. “We should never not do this, though. Promise me that no matter what, we will keep this tradition alive.”
As they lifted their tubs of ice cream for an air-toast, I did the same thing. Giggling, I took another bite of my cookie dough. We’d finished our Christmas shopping this afternoon, then retreated back to our cabin for the hideaway and catch-up part of our trip.
The cabin Gemma had found for us this year was awesome, a large wooden A-frame with a view of the valley and the forest. The snow-covered mountains framed the picture in the distance. Lights dotted the landscape all around, locals and tourists alike already moving in to enjoy the winter.
The girls and I had a crackling fire going in the fireplace in the corner. Our mattresses were laid out in front of it. Our bedrooms had heating, but we’d decided to do another sleepover. The living room, with its expansive views and our glorious fire had seemed like the perfect place to have it.
I sighed. The only thing missing from this incredible weekend was Leif.
Gemma glanced at me. “You’re really in love with him again, then?”
I nodded. On our way here from Nashville, I’d told them everything that had happened while he’d been in Franklin—including that we’d said the L-word to each other again. “Yeah, I really am, but let’s not talk about him.”
“It hurts too much?” Mariam guessed, sympathy shining from her eyes. “I don’t even want to think about what you’re both going through. Do you think he’ll really open a branch of his firm in Franklin?”
I shrugged, my head shaking, and I shoved another spoon of ice cream into my mouth. I spoke around the treat, trying to ignore the gaping hole in my heart. “I thought we were talking about Gemma and the superstar.”
Mariam giggled. “We were, but the superstar is the only thing Gemma wants to talk about these days. Not that I blame her.”
“That’s because Gemma can’t stop thinking about him,” the girl herself said with a dreamy sigh. “Hear me out. I know that he’s young, but he’s just so pretty.”
I laughed. She wasn’t wrong, though. Noah had the devastatingly good looks required of all boy-band hotties. With dirty blond hair, granite abs, and a smile that could make you ovulate, the guy could drive any woman crazy. If I wasn’t already in love with the hottest man in the world, I might have been drooling for him right next to Gemma.
“No one blames you,” I said. “He really is a nice guy too. We had fun with him on Thanksgiving. I could totally see you two working out, but do you think he’s too young for you? Is that why you brought it up again?”
Gemma glanced out the window, staring at the thick snow outside before she shrugged just one of her of shoulders. “It’s not really about me, is it? I don’t think he’s too young, but you can bet your ass the world will think so. Plus, I might be ready to settle down soon. I’m not saying it just because of him, but realistically, my biological clock is ticking and he’s not even old enough to drink legally yet.”
“As you said though, he’s an old soul,” Mariam reminded her. “I, myself, want a sugar daddy. An actual older man and not just an old soul, but you should do you, Gem. You always have.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I have, but the Elemental Boys are huge, guys. Their fandom is growing by the day. They’re absolutely the next big thing, and I’m an almost thirty-year-old events planner.”
I looked at her, frowning when I realized she wasn’t just letting any of this roll off her like water from a duck’s back. If it’d been either Mariam or myself overthinking the situation, it would’ve been normal. Run-of-the-mill. But this was Gemma.
She’d always been the joyful extrovert of our group, the fun one who was always singing, or dancing, or figuring out some other way to entertain us. Gemma wasn’t the type of person who sat on her ass overthinking things. She was the girl who was out there, grabbing life by the horns, and sometimes realizing too late that perhaps she should’ve given something more thought.
“What’s going on, Gem?” I asked. “Are you really worried about this?”
“Wouldn’t you be?” she countered. “It might only be low key, but I am into him. If I fall, the whole world could watch me hit the ground if he doesn’t catch me.”
“That’s a big if ,” Mariam said. “At Thanksgiving, it seemed to me like he was pretty into you too. It was also really cool of a guy like that to come to a suburban Thanksgiving dinner and then to TP the house of our former nemesis with us. I’m sure he could’ve been at some flashy party or something instead.”
Gemma’s nose wrinkled. “He’s not like that, but I see your point. I guess I’m just going to have to wait and see how this plays out, but it’s going to be a bumpy ride. For sure.”
“And you wouldn’t have it any other way,” I said, smiling at her before I turned to Mariam. “How’s your naughty list coming along? Have you made any progress yet?”
“I have,” she said, her eyes suddenly lighting up as she leaned forward. “Man, have I got some stories for you.”
I chuckled. “Same. As crazy as some of the items have seemed, they’ve actually created some pretty great memories for me. I’ll be sad when my last challenge is complete.”
“You’ve had it easy thanks to Leif.” Gemma giggled before she took a big bite of her rocky road, her next sentence muffled because of it. “The rest of us haven’t had such smooth sailing. I should’ve recruited a partner in crime , literally, as well.”
I laughed. “You did. You have the Noah Parks by your side.”
She winked. “Yeah, but if he gets caught committing a crime, even a misdemeanor, I’ll be painted by the media as the bad influence. The older woman who’s leading him astray.”
I thought it over for a beat before I grimaced. “I’ve got nothing. I was trying to come up with a silver lining, but I’m empty.”
“The fact is that it’s probably true,” Mariam said, her gaze slowly running over Gemma’s face before her brow furrowed. “I’m sure you probably already know this, but I’m going to say it anyway because I feel like it’s my duty as your friend. I’m putting my good girl cap back on for a minute.”
“Go for it,” Gemma said. She grabbed a pillow from beside her and wrapped her arms around it, reclining against the sofa behind her and pulling up her knees. Almost like she was protecting herself from the truth she knew was about to come her way.
I frowned but decided to keep observing for now. I’d already given my two cents. It was Mariam’s turn. Besides, she’d worked on some of the Elemental Boys’ events herself before she’d sold her half of the company to Gemma.
She probably had a much better idea what she was talking about than I did. “Noah—and all the members of his band, I suppose—but let’s just talk about him. He’s already very popular among the fans, but his star is still on the rise.”
“For sure,” Gemma agreed immediately, her teeth sinking into her lip before she released them with a soft pop. “I think that’s a big part of my current hesitation. Things are going to get a lot worse before they get better. If they get better, that is.”
Mariam nodded. “It might already be too late for this, but before you fall in love with him, you might want to consider that. Consider how your life and even the company will change when news about your relationship with him hits the airwaves. Take a step back if you need to, but don’t Gemma this.”
“Don’t Gemma this?” Our friend sputtered with laughter. “What does that even mean?”
Mariam grinned. “It means don’t dive into it headfirst and figure it out as you go.”
I chuckled, but Mariam was right about it probably being too late for this advice. I had a feeling Gemma had already taken the dive.
As she nodded, she averted her gaze into her tub of ice cream like it held all the answers. Comfortable silence fell between us, each of us lost to our own thoughts, fears, and memories of the year we would soon be saying goodbye to.
Eventually, I put on a movie and we all climbed into bed, drifting off to sleep one by one. On Sunday morning, our trip was coming to an end. We returned their mattresses to their rightful places before we started gathering our things.
“This getaway was too short,” Gemma complained as she picked up her duffel. “Next year, we should try to come for at least three whole days. One for shopping and two for relaxing. What do you think?”
“Deal,” I said, but honestly, I didn’t mind going home today. “It’s probably for the best that we’re leaving for now, though. I wouldn’t have been very good company today anyhow.”
“What’s wrong?” Mariam asked from the kitchen, where she was making each of us a smoothie for the road. “Are you okay?”
“No, but it’s nothing that hasn’t been wrong since Leif left on Monday afternoon. I’m just feeling particularly miserable about it today. I didn’t even know it was possible to miss someone who’s still alive this much.”
“You should Gemma it,” my friend said, obviously not too offended about the term Mariam had coined last night. “Throw caution to the wind and go visit him in Denver. You’re going to the airport anyway to drop us off. You might as well hop on a flight while you’re there.”
“That’s a great idea,” Mariam agreed, grinning at me as she nodded her encouragement. “Book a ticket and go surprise him at the office like he surprised you at the store last week.”
“There’s no way I can do that. At least I knew he was coming for the weekend. I can’t just go without letting him know anything at all. Plus, I have a business to get back to.”
Gemma waved a hand at me like she thought I was talking nonsense. “Oh, please. Don’t even try that excuse on us. Grace has the shop down pat and she loves Doodle. I’m sure she’d be willing to keep her a few extra days. You never do stuff like this. You need to go. Live a little.”
“Consider it a new addition to your list if you must,” Mariam said, surprising me by how very much onboard she was with this. “He won’t mind if you just show up. In fact, I’m sure he’ll be thrilled. Do it, Laurel. If I could sell my half of a company I adore and helped found, you can book a flight to Colorado. Spontaneity and adventure are calling your name, my friend.”
“At least think about it.” Gemma breezed past me, walking out into the snow to go pack her bags in the car.
Mariam followed, handing me my smoothie on the way. Her gaze met mine. “We’ll be ready whenever you are, but I really think you should at least check the flight times. What’s the worst that can happen, right?”
Indeed .
They were utterly crazy if they thought this could actually work, but I fired off a quick text to Grace and then pulled up my internet browser on my phone. Mariam wasn’t entirely wrong. The least I could do was check the flights.
For all I knew, there wouldn’t even be one available and I would be agonizing over it for nothing. After I’d entered my departure and arrival cities, however, the page loaded and I found myself staring at not one available flight option, but several. Scattered throughout the week, I could choose basically any day and time, which was great. It gave me time to head home, get things organized, and to make sure Grace and Doodle would have everything they needed before I left.
The thought of flying out on a whim this afternoon was tempting, especially because it was true that I would already be going to the airport, but Colorado was cold at this time of year. I’d packed for a weekend away, a lot of which had been spent indoors. I definitely wasn’t prepared for a day in Denver.
Plus, there was being spontaneous and then there was being stupid. Leaving today would be the latter. It would be irresponsible, considering that I had a few important meetings over the next couple days I had to attend in person.
After that, however, Grace could take over. I would even offer to hire her some more help just in case the rush started in earnest.
Why am I thinking about this like I’m actually going to do it? I can’t. It’s insane. It’s not like me at all.
A large pink button stared at me from the bottom of the screen, the words Book Now emblazoned in bold white lettering across it. My thumb hovered over it and I sucked in a deep breath as I hit it.
Screw it. I’m doing it. This is like me, but the new me. The one who actually takes risks.
Only a few seconds later, I gave in to the temptation to press that large pink button and I did it, holding my breath as I booked a flight from Nashville to Denver.
I hope you’re ready, Leif McIntosh, because here I come.