Chapter Nineteen
Since she could write the rest of the series anywhere, there was technically nothing keeping Elle in the Poconos now.
Except for her friends.
And Jeremy.
Her heart squeezed, remembering the hurt and disillusionment dulling his eyes before he left. She couldn’t blame him for being upset. Would he be relieved if she left?
Sighing, she pinched the bridge of her nose, unsure what to think or do.
This town was different. The people were warm and friendly and funny.
They were giving, and for the first time in her life, she’d given herself permission to enjoy the company of others for more than a few weeks.
Elle had lowered her guard, let a lot of people past her walls, and formed friendships.
She was happy here.
Dammit.
Elle blinked, putting an end to another round of threatening tears as the muffled sound of her phone, vibrating and ringing, hit her ears.
Jeremy?
With an absurd hope surging through Elle, she sprinted out of the den to the table near the door, where she’d set her purse last night. In a matter of seconds, she fished it out and answered without checking the screen.
“Hey, Elle,” Jenna said.
Elle swallowed down a wave of disappointment.
Wrong Mercer.
Her stomach knotted when she remembered that her recent discovery also affected her friend. Was Jenna going to be upset and blame Patrick for her father’s death? Or would she be surprisingly understanding like Jeremy?
“Hey,” she said back as nervousness set in.
“Can you come by the shop right now? I have mochas and kind of need some advice.”
She frowned.
Had Jeremy already told his sister? Is that what she wanted to discuss?
No, he was on a call. Duty first. Besides, he wasn’t the type to run to his sister if things got tough, not even to discuss his new discovery about Elle’s connection to their father.
She scratched her temple. “Ah, sure.”
“Good. See you soon,” Jenna said before the line went dead.
Elle put her phone away then slung her purse over her shoulder. She wasn’t sure what Jenna needed advice on, but she was glad to help and to confess what she’d discovered about the day their lives changed two and a half decades ago.
After turning off the coffee pot, Elle locked Jeremy’s house, then headed to town. The closer she got to Main Street, the more her heart raced. By the time she parked in front of the cute corner shop, her hands were shaking.
Not good. Elle drew in a slow, deep breath, then blew it out just as slowly. Feeling slightly better, she left the car and walked past the window boxes on the florist shop. They overflowed with vibrant flowers that invited people to step inside and discover the treasures within.
A soft chime tinkled as Elle opened the door and inhaled. The air was filled with the sweet fragrance of fresh flowers from an array of blossoms in every hue imaginable adorning rustic wooden shelves.
In this charming oasis of petals and stems, time seemed to stand still, and worries melted away in the presence of such natural beauty. And damn, Elle never appreciated it more than she did right now.
“Hey, Elle. Good, come on back.” Jenna motioned from her office doorway just beyond the counter.
She entered the office and sat on one of the comfortable chairs in front of the desk and smiled her thanks when her friend handed her the aforementioned mocha. Somehow, she even managed to take a sip, knowing it was expected. Afterward, she set it on the desk near Jenna’s cup.
“So, what’s up?” she asked, noting how the woman kept wringing her hands.
Jenna sighed, standing near a filing cabinet with some kind of plant in a terracotta pot on top.
“First, you can tell me why you look so sad. Did things not go good with my idiot brother last night? I thought maybe they had since you’re still wearing the same clothes.
But, he’s a tough guy to try to help. Oh, no… don’t tell me he wouldn’t let you in.”
Shoot. She hadn’t even thought about her clothes.
Elle snorted. “Yeah, he let me in.”
Jenna grinned and held up a hand. “Okay, good. Say no more.”
Funny thing was, there wasn’t much more to say.
“Uh oh…” Jenna frowned, her blue eyes, so like her brother’s, filled with concern. “You’re frowning again. What happened?”
It was now or never, and Elle really liked Jenna and needed to tell her what she’d discovered about their connection, regardless of the outcome. The woman deserved to hear it from her.
So she rose to her feet, and after taking a deep breath, she explained about seeing the article and how it related to her too.
“Oh, wow.” Jenna’s blue eyes filled with compassion. “Patrick was your brother?”
Elle nodded, blinking back tears. “I’m so sorry.”
The pretty woman jerked her head back. “Why? There’s no need. It wasn’t your fault any more than it was mine that your brother didn’t survive. Plain and simple, we both suffered a horrible loss that day,” Jenna said, pulling her in for a hug.
She nodded, holding the woman tight, blown away by her insight and compassion. Jenna Mercer truly was the sweetest person Elle had ever known. Such a stark contrast from her brother.
Although, he could be sweet. Like today, with the cinnamon bun…dang. It was still in a bag on his end table. Not that her stomach was anywhere near settled enough to eat.
Jenna released her and drew back. “So, what did my idiot brother do? Surely, he doesn’t hold you responsible for our father, does he?”
“No.” She shook her head and sighed. “But discovering I had a brother and an ex-husband in the span of five minutes didn’t bode well for me.”
Dawning entered her friend’s eyes. “Ah. Jeremy isn’t good with secrets, even ones that weren’t exactly secrets.”
Elle dropped back down in her chair and sighed. “Yeah. I know, and I wasn’t deliberately keeping it from him. I just don’t talk about my past.”
Her friend nodded. “I get it. It just may take him a little longer, but he’ll come around. Give him some time. He cares about you, Elle. A lot. He’s never looked at anyone the way he looks at you. Not even Naomi.”
Euphoria and apprehension didn’t mix well, but they were currently swirling in her chest. She’d love to give Jeremy time. But would time come back to bite them?
And on that thought, her stomach lurched. Elle swallowed a few times and decided to change the subject.
“Okay, so what did you call me here for? What kind of advice can I possibly give you?” she asked, watching a blush color her friend’s face.
“Well, uh,” Jenna stammered and began to pace. “What would you do if you’ve liked someone for years, but he never paid attention to you, and then you accidentally kiss, but after you’re both breathless, he goes and tells you it was a mistake?”
It took Elle a second to get the question straight in her head, then she smiled. “You and Scott finally kissed?”
Jenna turned beet red and sank down into her chair. “Yeah…how did you know it was Scott?”
“I’m a people watcher, remember? Your bodies are definitely into each other, but he is in denial.”
Her friend snorted. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
“So, what happened?”
“I took a bouquet over to his grandmother’s house, because yellow carnations are her favorite, and she’d just lost one of her good friends, so I wanted to cheer her up.
Anyway, Loretta wasn’t home, but Scott was there fixing a post on her back porch, and when he came in to wash up, we kind of bumped into each other and… ”
“And caught each other with your lips,” Elle finished for her.
Jenna’s blush deepened. “Yes.”
“And it was good?”
“Need a stronger word than that,” her friend replied, fanning herself.
She smiled. “I totally understand. So, then what happened?”
“We broke for air, because we were kind of going at it for a while, then he blinked, told me it was a mistake, and strode out the front door to his truck and took off, leaving me dumbfounded and his toolbox on the floor.”
Elle grinned. “That’s a real good sign, Jenna. Do you happen to have the toolbox?”
“Yeah, in my car. I didn’t want his grandmother to trip over it, and I wasn’t sure she’d remember to give it to him.”
She nodded. “Is Scott across the street at the station right now?”
Jenna narrowed her eyes. “Y-yes. Why?”
“You need to march over there, hand him his toolbox, say something like, ‘You forgot this,’ then come right back. And don’t worry, I’ll watch your shop.”
Her friend slapped a hand over her mouth and chuckled. “I-I don’t know if I can.”
Elle got up and walked over to Jenna and pulled her to her feet. “Yes, you can. Trust me. Since coming to this town, I’ve done things I’ve never thought I’d do.”
“All right.” Jenna straightened her shoulders. “I’ll do it. I’m tired of being a mouse.”
Elle nodded, and ten minutes later, she was standing by the front window, watching Jenna cross the street and march right into the fire station, toolbox in hand.
Elle never would’ve told her friend to do something so daring if she didn’t know in her heart…
and with her eyes, that Scott was completely into Jenna.
Of course, she didn’t expect him to fall at her feet, since he’d apparently been fighting their attraction for a long time.
But all it took was a nudge to get the ball rolling.
And by the smile and confidence lighting her friend’s face as she made her way back, Elle figured the mission was a success.
Jenna entered the shop and squealed. “Oh my God. I can’t believe I just did that! You should’ve seen his face. He was kind of slack-jawed. It was great.”
“Good for you,” Elle said.
Her friend pulled her in for a hug. “Thanks. And don’t forget what I said about my brother. He’ll come around. Just give him some time.”
She kept the smile on her face as she drew back and nodded and was forever grateful to hear the tinkling of the bell, signaling the arrival of a customer.
Jenna sucked in a breath, glancing over Elle’s shoulder before meeting her gaze. “Wow…badass gorgeous guy behind you,” she whispered to Elle before she straightened her shoulders and faced her customer. “Can I help you?”
“Actually, I’m here to see Elle,” a familiar voice said, nearly stopping her heart.
She turned around and gasped. “Callum? W-what are you doing here?” she asked before he pulled her in for a hug.
“It’s good to see you, Elle,” he replied.
“Y-you, too,” she stammered, hugging him back.
He released her and smiled. “You look great.”
She took in his dark hair, worn longer than she’d remembered.
Stubble on his chin, and a twinkle in his brown eyes.
That twinkle was the same, but the rest of him had filled up and out.
At six-two, he was broad now, and solid.
She’d just been embraced by a lot of muscles.
He’d matured from cute guy to badass gorgeous.
“So do you, but you’re awfully far from base, aren’t you?” she asked, willing her heart to beat crazy in her chest for him, for her pulse to kick up, and butterflies to swarm her stomach.
But they didn’t. It was a different badass gorgeous guy, with startling blue eyes and a lopsided grin who ruled her body and heart.
Callum shook his head, rubbing his shoulder. “Medically discharged last month.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, her heart hurting for him. The Navy meant everything to him. Even more than their marriage. “How did you end up here?”
Surely, he hadn’t been looking for her.
“I’m friends with one of theWyne Resort owners, Ben. We ran into each other when he was deployed last, and he extended an invitation to enjoy the resort. So, imagine my surprise when I’m on my way to meet him at the diner for lunch and see you in the window here.”
“That’s crazy,” Jenna said.
“Oh.” Elle blinked, then introduced them.
Jenna cleared her throat. “Nice to meet you. If you’ll excuse me, I have some…uh…office things to do in my office. I’ll leave you two to talk.”
He laughed, a nice deep laugh. “That’s not necessary. I have to meet Ben.”
“And I need to get going too.” Because she wasn’t sure she could handle another shock today.
Callum held the door open for her, so she waved to Jenna and walked outside.
“I’m going to be here a few days,” he said. “Can we get together for coffee?”
She wanted to, but really wasn’t sure if she would even be here a few days.
“Is tomorrow morning good?” he asked. “At the resort chocolate shop, around ten? I was told they serve the best coffee.”
What were the chances they’d run into each other here, of all places? Was this fate again?
“Sure, and they do,” she replied, deciding to roll with the punches again.
“Great.” He pulled her in for another hug. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
She nodded and drew back…right as a squad car drove slowly by with Jeremy at the wheel.