Chapter 53
PETE
Pete loved seeing Mom this happy. Elise opened a celebratory bottle of champagne and poured everyone a glass. There were toasts and photos and phone numbers exchanged. Addie and Mark promised to be in touch about wedding plans. Mom and Jim couldn’t keep their hands off each other.
Pete grinned, watching them sneak a sweet little peck on the cheek or how Jim hovered protectively near her. He was thrilled that she had found love, and he could see Jim fitting in here.
To his surprise, Shelby kept her phone tucked in her purse.
She didn’t record any of it. Not the kiss or the wedding invitation, or even the celebration that followed.
Shortly after Mark and Addie left, Shelby gathered her things.
“I have a flight to catch, and I haven’t even started to pack.
I was planning to leave yesterday, but after Jim told me everything, we had to make a new plan.
Now it’s back to reality,” she said, sounding unusually formal, as she offered Pete her hand. “It’s been nice meeting you.”
He stared at her hand. Was he supposed to shake it? Kiss it?
Was this it?
“You too.” He decided on a shake. Awkward.
“Sorry about the Lacy thing.” She didn’t meet his eyes.
“It’s okay. Hey, at least now we know that I’m not a candidate for the next season of The Bachelor or Love Island.
” He tried to keep his tone light, but he didn’t want her to go.
He couldn’t just ask her to stay. The situation with Jim was different.
He and Mom were established, set in their careers.
He knew Shelby needed to get back to Seattle for work and to take care of her family situation.
“I hope you can find someone else. I’m sure you will. ”
“I’m sure I will, too.” She looped her purse over her shoulder, said her goodbyes to Mom, Jim, and Elise.
Pete watched her walk past the front window, feeling a pang of sadness.
Not a pang.
A pinch.
A pierce.
A deep cut.
He wanted to run down the sidewalk after her and beg her not to go, but instead, he walked behind the counter, washed his hands, and tied on an apron. He spent the next hour making sandwiches, pouring coffee, and boxing up pastries and muffins.
It was better this way.
Shelby belonged in the city.
She would never survive in a small town like Half Moon Bay, and he knew she needed her salary, the promotion, the potential raise, and the bonus. Now that he knew Jim wasn’t interested in the job, the odds were in her favor. He felt good about that. At least she was going to be okay.
Elise scooted behind him to refill her tea shortly after ten. Mom had opened the store early, and it had been buzzing for the last hour. “You’re looking pretty mopey, my guy.”
“Mopey?” He lifted one eyebrow, giving his cousin a flat stare. As usual, she had pegged him correctly.
“Yeah, what are you doing, Pete?” She clapped twice and then snapped her fingers right in front of his face like she was trying to wake him up.
“Uh, wrapping up a sandwich.” He pointed to the brown butcher paper and string on the counter.
“No. About Shelby.” Elise’s eyebrow rose a quarter inch.
“What about her?” Pete tried to play dumb, knowing full well Elise would see right through him.
“You’re letting her leave without telling her how you feel?”
“How I feel?”
“Pete, come on. You’re so obvious.”
“What?”
Elise sighed as she rolled her eyes. “Don’t make me spell it out for you.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He snipped a piece of the string.
“You’re totally into her.” Elise tipped her head and pursed her lips like she was reading his mind.
“Huh?” Pete knew he wasn’t fooling her. He could feel sweat beading on his brow. His fingers fumbled with the string, trying to tie it around the sandwich.
“You should tell her,” Elise repeated. “You don’t have to marry her, you know. But you should shoot your shot. You should at least tell her how you feel. What do you have to lose?”
“But she’s probably about to leave for San Francisco.”
“Yeah, so run. Go!” Elise pushed him toward the door.
Pete didn’t hesitate. He sprinted out of the Green Grocer, still wearing his apron, and ran all the way to the hotel. Inside the lobby, he bent over to catch his breath before asking a staff member if Shelby was still there.
“I’m afraid she’s already checked out,” they responded.
Pete kicked himself. Why hadn’t he said something? Why hadn’t he at least given it a shot?
He was about to walk back to the Green Grocer when he spotted her. She was wrestling to lift her heavy roller bag into the trunk of her rental car. Pete hurried over and picked up the bag. “Can I offer you a hand, miss?”
Shelby turned around, her eyes growing wide, like she couldn’t believe it was him. “Pete. What are you doing here?”
“I couldn’t let you leave without a proper goodbye.
” Without thinking, he leaned down and kissed her.
Her lips were soft and plump. She tasted like coffee, vanilla, and the sea.
Why had he waited so long? He’d wasted too much time with the charade of dating Lacy when he could have been kissing Shelby.
She finally pulled away after a minute, running her tongue over her lips and staring up at him with dewy eyes. “I wasn’t expecting that.”
Pete felt a twinge of fear. Had he misread her feelings? “I hope I didn’t—”
He couldn’t finish the thought because she pressed a finger to his lips, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him again.
“I wasn’t expecting that,” he whispered into her hair, wanting to stay here forever, holding her, kissing her, in the middle of the hotel parking lot. Well, maybe not the parking lot.
“I’ve been dreaming about this since the minute I met you.”
“Me too.”
Shelby sighed and pointed to the trunk. “But I have a plane to catch, and I have to get back to Seattle.”
“I know.” Pete was resigned. She reciprocated his feelings, but they lived miles and miles apart. “I wish you didn’t have to go.”
“Me neither, but as you know I have some things to figure out with my family.”
“Right.”
“But.” She hesitated.
But what?
All of his future hopes and dreams were riding on that word. But.
But might be his new favorite word if Shelby was going to say what he hoped.
“I have a lot of frequent flier miles. There’s a Great Pumpkin Beer Fest in Seattle next weekend I need someone to cover. You’re a beer guy. What do you say? You want to come meet me in Seattle?”
“I’d love to, as long as it’s you and me. No fake dates. Only the real thing.”
“Deal.” She extended her hand again.
Pete shook it and then gently yanked her toward his body. They kissed, this time with more passion. “See you in Seattle, Shelby. I’ll be sleepless until then.”