25. Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Five
Thea
I fasten the last button on my brown, long sleeve, corduroy button-up dress. It feels fitting for Thanksgiving, and it’s still warm enough that I won’t be cold despite the dress only going down to mid-thigh. It is, however, too chilly out to pair it with the heels I was originally planning to wear. I’m already running late—thanks to the fight with Cary this morning—but decide I need to change them out for my white pointed-toe knee-high boots.
As I’m slipping them on, my eyes catch on my rings. Just seeing the ones Cary has given me over the years makes my blood boil. I quickly change those out too before finally grabbing my keys and purse to leave.
I haven’t told anyone about our blowup this morning, and honestly, I won’t be surprised if Cary doesn’t show up. I wish I didn’t have to go. If it wasn’t our annual Thanksgiving lunch at RED, I probably wouldn’t. But Travis and Melody are coming, along with Tiffany and her current boyfriend. The rest have families they spend the holiday with but will still pop by for a drink.
It’s been a tradition since Hazel and Owen took over Indigo Hill Diner. When we renovated and reopened as Ripple Effect Distillery and Restaurant, the tradition was one of the very few things that remained the same. It’s our first one without them, so using it as a memorial feels right. We’ll spend it giving thanks we got to know such wonderful people and for the amazing loved ones we still have.
I miss them so much it hurts sometimes. I feel their loss every day. It comes in waves now, and today is already a shitty one.
As I pull into the parking lot, I see Cary’s rental parked in our employee area. My eyes instantly roll, and I wonder how important it is that I’m here. Technically, he’s the majority share owner. I’m just… the manager—I may own forty-nine percent, sure, but what does that matter if he has the final say? I park my car a few spaces down from his and throw my head back into the headrest.
One more day.
As I’m exiting my car, a woman’s voice calls my name from a few spaces down. I look over to see Tiffany walking my way. “Oh, good, I thought I’d be the only one running late,” she says, followed by a small, nervous-sounding laugh.
“Outfit dilemma,” I respond, looking down at my boots and shrugging my shoulders.
We walk toward the front door together, her boyfriend trailing behind. “Oh, you don’t have to explain it to me, I changed five different times before we left the house, and it wasn’t even because of the weather.” She smirks as she turns around to walk backward so she’s face to face with her boyfriend. “Isn’t that right, baby?”
Her boyfriend—I think his name is Jameson, but honestly, I could be wrong—laughs and says, “Pretty sure it was seven times, but yeah, that’s right.”
“It’s not everyday I get to come here dressed up, I wanted to take advantage,” Tiffany retorts. I smile politely, welcoming the distraction the two provide.
By the time we reach the door, Tiffany has fallen back behind me, hand in hand with her boyfriend now. They’re cute together. I think—if I remember correctly—they’ve only been dating for a few months, but she seems happy. They both do from the few encounters I’ve had with them together. I just hope it lasts. If they break up, and I have to hear about her fucking Brooks in the parking lot behind the distillery again, I will lose it.
I open the front door, and the aroma of Thanksgiving dinner overtakes my senses. Greeting the staff I pass by, I make my way toward my office to put down my purse and compose myself before I see Cary. I didn’t see Ripley’s or Brooks’ cars in the parking lot. Brooks showing up would probably be a miracle at this point, and Ripley is usually late to the party unless I tell him I need him sooner.
I decide to text him and see when he’ll be here so I can use him as a buffer.
Me : Hey, you gonna be here soon?
Ripley : I am… leaving my house **grimacing smiley emoji**
So it’ll be another twenty minutes before he’s here. Fuck.
Ripley : Why? Are you okay?
Me : I’m fine. Just trying to avoid Cary. I was hoping he wouldn’t show.
Ripley : He came?! After last night? Shit. That takes balls.
Me : Does it? He’s the owner, he kind of has to be here.
Ripley : I’m sure he could have let you handle it. I certainly wouldn’t show my face if I’d been busted for cheating.
Me : That’s because you’re sane.
Ripley : Eh, debatable **shrug emoji**
Me : Feel free to turn the snark up to 100 tonight. Seeing that vein in his forehead bulge will bring me joy.
Ripley : You got it, babe **winky face emoji**
I sink back into my desk chair as I put my phone back in my purse. If I stay in here too long, someone will come looking for me. I’ll just have to make sure I stay surrounded by people so he can’t talk to me.
As I walk into the kitchen, the smell of the food Travis has prepared for us is making me realize how hungry I am. Speaking as I round the corner, “My God, Travis. That smells so fucking goo—” Before I can finish, I realize it’s not Travis but Cary who’s in the kitchen. He looks up to me and gives me a thin-lipped smile, as if that would win him some kind of points. I’m frozen in place, staring at him wearing that stupid fucking apron I love so much on him.
“Don’t worry,” he starts, “I only made a couple of the sides, so you don’t have to boycott Thanksgiving entirely.”
It’s an unnecessary comment. As if I’d not eat just because he made it. I roll my eyes and turn to walk away. Surprisingly, he doesn’t stop me. I guess I’m not the only one still pissed off.
I see Travis on my way out of the kitchen, and he waves me down.
“Thea, hey! Happy Thanksgiving.”
“Happy Thanksgiving, Travis,” I say as I look him over. He’s jittery and seems out of sorts which isn’t normal for him. I place my hand on his forearm before asking, “Hey, you okay? What’s up?”
His shoulders sag. “You know the woman who stopped by the other day for me?”
“Yeah. Did you figure out who it was?” I ask, still concerned about the way he’s acting.
“It was my ex-wife. Melody’s mom. The second you said she was brunette, I had a feeling, but I wanted to make sure before I said anything. Turns out, she tried to get in contact with her parents too. I didn’t even know she was back in town.” He’s told me very little about his ex. I never pushed because it seemed like a touchy subject.
“Okay… what does that mean? You seem off,” I ask as he shoves his hands into his pockets.
“I’m not sure yet. She’s never done this before. I just wanted to let you know in case she came by again. She doesn’t get to know anything about Melody.”
I nod my head in response. “Of course. Where is Melody now?”
He points his chin toward the dining room where all the tables have been pushed together to make one large table for the holiday feast. “She’s out there with my parents.”
I look over my shoulder to see her giggling in Travis’ mom’s lap. “Good. If you need anything, let me know.”
“Yeah, I will. Thanks, Thea.” He heads back to the kitchen as I walk over to the bar to get a much needed drink.
We ended up eating around one-thirty so the people who have family obligations could still make it to their Thanksgiving dinners. The lunch was mostly uneventful. We all shared stories of Hazel and Owen, laughter filling the room as stories of Owen being a hard-ass came up. I watched Cary out of the corner of my eye for the whole meal as he sat quietly on the other side of the table but a few seats down from me. Only speaking when someone complimented his mac and cheese or the “fucking orgasmic” mashed potatoes—as Ripley so eloquently put it— he’d made. I’d kicked Ripley in the shin for that one. He was supposed to be pissing Cary off, not complimenting the man.
Once we had finished eating and the chatter died down, Mr. Ashton had suggested Cary make a speech. The moment he’d said it, Cary turned ghostly white, but everyone at the table was encouraging him to speak.
In all my years of knowing Carrington Grant, I’d never seen him this nervous. He’s been standing up from his chair for a solid ten seconds, looking around the room and the faces around the table, no words coming out. Finally, he clears his throat.
“Wow. Uhh, I didn’t expect to make a speech. This was usually my dad’s thing. I should have come more prepared.” He laughs nervously. “I, umm, I don’t really know what to say. I’ve been sitting here listening to you all talk about my parents, sharing all your memories of them, and I won’t lie, I’m a little jealous. I missed this part of their lives.” He pauses. “As most of you know, before they died, I hadn’t spoken to my parents in thirteen years. I didn’t get to know them as an adult. The reason for our fallout doesn’t seem so irreparable now. But I guess that’s regret for you.” He clears his throat again, looking slightly less uncomfortable but still unsure of himself. He hasn’t made eye contact with me this entire time.
“I look around and see this community they built… with Thea’s help.” At that exact moment, his gaze turns to mine and sets my skin ablaze. “Truth be told, I wish I’d been here for it all. I wish I’d been the bigger person and just… called them. I wish I’d done a lot of things differently. Hindsight and all, right?” Another nervous laugh escapes him, and I break away from his stare, turning my eyes down to my lap.
“But, uhh, if there is someone here who can give a proper speech about them, it’s the woman who helped them bring this place to life. She probably knew them better than I ever did, honestly. Thea?”
My eyes widen and shoot up to him as he looks at me with sincerity. Public speaking is my worst nightmare. Standing up in front of everyone—despite considering these people family—and being the only one speaking makes my heart stutter and the back of my neck prickle with sweat.
“Stand up,” Tiffany whispers over to me, gesturing with her hands for me to get up out of my seat. The idea of standing is already making my head spin, but I do it anyway. I’ve got my hands on the table as I push myself up which means everyone can see me shaking. I quickly pull them back behind me. Cary is still standing, his eyes locked on mine. Tiffany looks over at him and gestures for him to sit down. “You had your turn, sit!” she says through gritted teeth. Her scolding him—something she’d never dare do if she were on the clock—is amusing and makes me smile.
“I, umm, I’ll try to do this without crying,” I say with a laugh, my eyes already tearing up. They all know I won’t succeed. I take a deep breath before continuing, “Hazel and Owen were… well, they kind of saved me, in a sense. When I moved back, I was so lost. I wasn’t the determined, strong-willed girl they’d known before. But they—they loved me anyway. They took me under their wing, and they—” I pinch the bridge of my nose to try and stop the tears from falling. “Sorry. Whew, this is hard. Umm, they essentially handed me my dream without me realizing it. I think—maybe—they somehow knew? Or, at least, Hazel did. She was always so intuitive.” The tears fall, cascading down my face like a dam was opened. “Fuck.” My hand flies to my mouth, remembering there are children here. “Sorry!” I look over at Travis who’s chuckling from his seat. He waves me off.
“She’s heard worse, don’t worry,” he assures me.
“I’m not sure I’m the best person to make a speech, guys. This is going so terribly.”
Ripley grabs my hand from my other side. “Keep going, it’s okay. You’re doing great, babe.” Cary’s fist clenches on the table at the nickname he now knows is just for show.
“Okay. Yeah. So some of you might not know this, but I went to school for marketing. I wanted to be the next big thing in the marketing world,” I laugh. “Or so I thought. I think what I actually wanted was to create something special and watch it grow and become special for other people. When I brought the idea of renovating to Hazel and Owen, I thought they’d laugh at me. We all know Owen was stuck in his ways. The diner wasn’t doing great at the time, but I still believed in it. And they kind of… just handed me the reins, which really could have ended poorly.” Laughter comes from all around the table. “The point is, they helped me find myself again through this place,” I gesture to RED, “and the love they gave me. Owen—after years of him seeming to only tolerate me—became the father I never had, and Hazel was like my second mother. And I miss them… so much.”
Ripley squeezes my hand, his touch comforting me. “They’re woven into these walls though. It’s one of the reasons I love being here. They allowed me to make a home for myself here, and I don’t think I ever expressed just how thankful I am for that. So hopefully, they’re looking down on us and watching this. I think they’d be so happy to see us all continuing their Thanksgiving tradition.” I pause to wipe the tears away from my eyes. “Anyway, thank you all for being here and loving this place as much as I do. I appreciate you all so much. Now, I’m going to sit down before I start rambling on again.”
The whole table is misty-eyed but laughing. As I sit down, Ripley’s hand goes to my knee, giving me a light squeeze as he kisses me on my cheek.
The rest of the day is filled with touching stories of the two people missing from this holiday. People filter in and out, wishing us a Happy Thanksgiving then leaving to be with their families. I’m busy clearing off some of the dishes left on the table when someone touches my elbow.
“Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?” Cary says as I look over my shoulder at him.
“Umm, sure… let me just put these glasses in the kitchen,” I say, gathering a few in my hands. The last thing I want to do is fight with him again, but knowing he’s leaving tomorrow and after everything he said at lunch, I feel like I should hear him out. “I’ll meet you on the back patio.”
As he walks away, heading outside, I take a deep breath before going to the kitchen and placing the glasses in the sink.
“Hey, I was looking for you,” Ripley’s voice comes from behind me.
“I was just cleaning up, but Cary wants to talk to me.”
His eyebrows rise as he says, “Do you want to talk to him? Things still seem pretty tense between you two after last night.”
I haven’t told him about this morning yet. If I did, he’d have words with Cary, and I don’t want to ruin Thanksgiving. “He’s leaving tomorrow. He probably just wants to say goodbye,” I say with a shrug.
“Yeah, okay. Let me know if you need anything.”
As he’s turning away I stop him. “Actually, could you keep everyone away from the patio? Just so we can have some privacy.”
He nods. “Yeah, of course.”
I thank him with a kiss on the cheek. My hands are getting clammy as I walk out to the back patio. The sun is setting now, and the way it reflects off the lake, framing Cary in a glowing halo, is breathtaking. He’s standing with his hands in his pockets looking out over the water. I take a moment to just stare at his back, relishing in his beauty but knowing he’s about to tell me goodbye. The pang in my chest is so painful, it takes my breath away.
Before I fully make the decision that I’m ready to walk over to him, he turns around, spotting me. A smile lights up his face which only confuses me.
“I was starting to wonder if you’d told me to come out here so you could make a run for it.” He laughs, trying to play it off, but I can tell he’s at least half-serious.
“No, I just ran into Ripley. I asked him to keep everyone away from the patio while we talk.”
“Smart,” he responds.
“Yeah… so, I—I guess this is goodbye, right? That’s why you brought me out here?” I say, a few steps separating us. As soon as he registers my words, he comes toward me, closing the distance.
“What? No. I mean, yes. But only for a week or so.”
I scoff. “Cary, please don’t feed me anymore lies. I’m really not in the mood. And I’m not falling for any of them.” Looking back, I realize I’d been the only one to say I love you. He’d talked about the past and how much he’d missed me, but he’d never outright told me how he felt now. I should have questioned it, but I was blinded by my own love for him.
“I’m not lying. I’m coming back. I want—I fucking need to make this work with you. I can’t go on the way I was before. I see now what was missing,” he says as he reaches for my hand, but I pull it back.
“I appreciate you expressing your wants and needs. It seems like talking about emotions is easier for you now, but I just… don’t believe you. You love Seattle and your life there. I’d never ask you to give it up for me. Even if you are telling the truth and you do leave it all for me without me asking, you’ll just end up resenting me.” That is what scares me the most. Him choosing me then deciding it isn’t the right choice.
“You don’t have to believe me. But I am coming back, and when I come back, fighting for you and for us, it’s all I’ll do. I’ve just got some loose ends to tie up,” he pushes, saying the same thing his note said. The words sound menacing now when before, they seemed innocent.
“Loose ends, right. Like a fiancée .”
“I’m going to make this right, Thea. I won’t lose you a second time,” he pleads.
“This hurts too much, Cary. Just… go back to Seattle. Talk to your soon-to-be wife. I’m sure she’ll take you back.” I pull out the ring Iris left behind and drop it into his hand before I start to turn away. He grabs the back of my arm.
“Fuck, Thea. Would you just listen to me?” he grits into my ear. “I will be back. It may take me a week or two, but I am not giving up on us.”
I turn around in his arms, placing mine around his neck as I push up on my toes to reach his ear. “Goodbye, Carrington.”
I break away from the hug as quickly as I pulled him in. I just needed to feel his arms wrapped around me once more before I let go forever. I don’t let him stop me this time as I walk back into RED, immediately finding Ripley and telling him everything.