Chapter 5 #2
“I love you, too. It’s strange, but I’m good.
I promise.” I have to be. This is a small town.
We’re going to run into one another, and then one day, I might even have to see him move on.
I’ll have to watch him fall in love again and live the life I thought we would live together.
I just hope and pray by the time that happens, my heart will come to terms with the fact that he’s no longer ours.
It takes me a little time to settle back into my tasks once they leave. I still have to touch base with Macklin, but I can do that tomorrow. I need to finish this supply order, and then I’m calling it a night.
An hour later, after fighting a slow system from the supplier, I’m exhausted and ready to head home.
It’s just after seven, and dinner was served at six, so it should be clear for me to leave without running into Copeland.
At least, I hope that’s the case. Two run-ins in one day after seventeen years of nothing is enough for me.
Closing down my laptop, I leave it on my desk before grabbing my purse and phone. I’m looking around for my keys when I remember I walked here. It’s not far, but when the sun goes down, it’s chilly at night.
Reaching behind my office door for my light jacket I keep there, I find a bare hook. “Shit,” I mutter. I forgot I took it to the house to wash it. Oh, well, a little bit of cold air never hurt a girl. It’s a short distance anyway.
Turning off the light, I close up my office and start my way through the kitchen and into the dining room.
Just as I hoped, it’s empty. I wave to Jack, one of our graveyard shift guys who works overnight in case the guests need anything.
That’s something that I’ve changed since taking over from Dad.
Being on twenty-four seven is just too much.
Having night-shift staff who are also trained in maintenance duties has been a savior many times since then.
“Have a good night,” I call to Jack as I rush for the door.
“You, too, Ellison,” he calls back, just as I close the door behind me. Standing on the front porch, I pull in a deep breath and slowly exhale. I managed to get out without seeing him.
“Long day?” his deep voice asks.
I swear, I think I jump ten feet in the air before I turn to face him. “Don’t do that.”
“I’m sorry,” he says, sitting up straighter in the rocking chair.
“Have a good night,” I say, moving to step off the porch.
I hear his footsteps, and I know he’s following me. I should have expected it. What I didn’t expect was for his blue long-sleeve jean shirt, which he had on earlier, to land on my shoulders. The warmth of his skin from the shirt wraps around me like an embrace. I stop and turn to look at him.
“I don’t need your shirt. It’s not a far walk.” I start to remove it from my shoulders, but his hand covers mine.
“Keep it,” he says softly. “My momma would kick my ass if she knew I didn’t offer you warmth on a chilly evening.”
I glare at him. “That’s so wrong, using your mom like that.”
He nods but doesn’t comment.
“Fine,” I huff. “Thank you. I’ll leave it for you at reception tomorrow.”
“You used to love stealing my shirts, my hoodies, my coats…,” he says, his voice trailing off.
“Almost two decades ago,” I remind him.
“Feels like yesterday,” he muses.
“I should get home.” I nod toward the direction of my house.
“I’ll walk with you.”
“You don’t have to do that,” I tell him, my heart starting to race at the thought of spending more time with him.
“I want to, Ells.”
Damn him. Damn. Him. “Fine,” I huff again, and stalk off toward the house. The faster I get there, the faster he goes back to doing whatever it was that he was doing.
We’re both quiet as he matches me step for step. When my house appears, I know this torture is almost over.
“How have you been?” he asks.
I stop and turn to stare at him. “Really, Copeland? How have I been? Unbelievable,” I seethe, before I turn back and start walking again. He leaves town, never comes back, and leaves me with a broken heart, and he wants to know how I’ve been?
“I’m here to stay, Ellison. We have to find a way to be around one another. Magnolia Ridge is a small town.”
“Not tonight,” I say as I reach the sidewalk to my house.
“Tonight, I’m going inside, and I’m going to drink a glass of wine, maybe a bottle, because the man who broke my heart is back in this small town, our small town, and after seventeen years of silence, he wants to know how I’ve been.
” The words spill out of my mouth before I can stop them.
I know after all this time, I should let the anger go, but it’s more than that.
My heart still wants him—even remembering all the pain—yet he acts like coming back is no big deal. News alert: It’s a big damn deal.
Removing his shirt from my shoulders, I hand it to him. My hand shakes, and his eyes flash with concern. I hate that he can see what being this close to him does to me. “Take it,” I say, my voice deceiving me with a crackle.
“Ells,” he says, reaching out a hand. I step out of his reach and shake the shirt. Reluctantly, he takes it from me.
“Thank you. Goodnight, Copeland,” I say, not able to forget my manners, and turn my back on him. I want so badly to see if he’s watching me, but I don’t need to look. I can feel his gaze as it burns through me.
My knees wobble as I take the final step onto the porch and unlock the door.
“Goodnight, Ells,” he calls.
Tears burn my eyes, but I blink hard, refusing to let them fall. I can’t go around crying every time I see him. I need to come to terms with the fact that he’s home and apparently wants to make small talk. All while I’m trying like hell not to love him.
If my heart could read the memo, that would be great.