6. Gabby
I lie in bed and pull the sheets over my head. The late summer means the house has a bit of a chill in the mornings. Of course, sleeping with the windows open might have something to do with it. The soft sound of mockingbirds calling for the sun to rise brings a small smile to my face. There’s a nest in the tree outside my window and waking up to their serenade makes me smile every day.
I cuddle into the sheets and close my eyes. It’s my day off. I’ve got an appointment with Anne this afternoon, but I’m gloriously free until then. My phone chimes with an incoming message, and I groan. I’m not answering it.
It dings again, and I give up. Rolling over, I reach a hand from beneath the covers and feel around until I grab it. Pulling the phone into my cocoon, I swipe it open and see three missed texts.
Two from Lacey, and one from Momma A. I’ll open that one last. Lacey seriously texted me twice reminding me to come in for the Apple Crisp Frappuccino the Coffee Loft just added to the menu. I shake my head. It will be here all fall. I have several months to try the newest creation.
Taking a breath, I open the message from Momma A.
Momma A: I’m throwing a birthday party for Heath. I’d love it if you would come.
I drop my phone beside me and close my eyes.
I keep thinking about our conversation the other night, and I’ve started to wonder if I’m being too judgmental. Yeah, so he broke my heart—that was a long time ago. How he chooses to live his life doesn’t have anything to do with me anymore. We were friends once.
Besides Lacey, Heath was the only other person I felt truly myself with. I didn’t have to pretend that my family life was something it wasn’t. That my mom didn’t abandon me for her latest fling. He listened. He saw me.
We could be friends again, right? Maybe he’ll eventually open up to me and I’ll finally know the truth. So much time has passed, it would be like starting over in a way. Can I handle that? Especially when for so long it’s felt like he abandoned me, threw me over for someone new. Just like my mom did.
Unless . . .
What if it is the truth? What if he really isn’t the father and he’s not with Olivia? That would mean that he broke up with me because he just wasn’t in love with me anymore. I need to know more before I can figure this out. But knowing more would require talking to him, and trusting him again.
I miss talking to him, being understood and seen by him, but I’m not sure I can let him in again, even as friends.
I push back the covers and swing my legs over the side of the bed. I can’t make decisions like this without some coffee first.
Thirty minutes later, I’m standing in line at the Coffee Loft when someone taps my shoulder. Turning around, I see Momma A, a wide grin on her face.
“I was hoping to bump into you today, but when I went to the diner, Ms. Daisy told me it’s your day off.”
I lean in and give her a hug. “It’s great to see you out and about. How are you feeling?” I take in her short hair, and perfectly done makeup. For a moment I feel bad that I’ve not been spending as much time with her as I used to. She doesn’t need me anymore, I remind myself. Heath’s home.
“I’m feeling good,” she says, patting her do. “The hair’s coming back in nicely, and the doctors say my scans are promising.”
“That’s wonderful!” It truly is. Thankfully, when she noticed the small lump, her doctors took her seriously and had it checked out.
“Care to join me for a cup?” she asks, pointing to the menu. “My treat.”
I smile. “I’ll join you on one condition,” I say. “My treat.”
We step up to the counter, and Lacey greets us both. “What can I get you two beautiful women today?”
Momma A blushes. “You sure know how to make an old lady feel good.”
I scoff. “You’re hardly an old lady, Rosie. You’re not a day over twenty-nine I’m told.”
She laughs. “You know, Heath didn’t know how old I was until his senior year in highschool when he finally did the math. He just happily went along celebrating my twenty-ninth birthday each year.”
I chuckle. “I remember. You might need to switch decades here in the next while. It’ll get confusing for people when your son passes you up.” Rosie and I laugh. I’m still smiling when I turn and give Lacey my order. “I’ll take a Lofty Apple Crisp Frappuccino. What about you?”
Rosie gives hers, and I pay the tab. “Let’s find a seat.”
“How about that one by the window?” Momma A asks, making her way over there. “I just love being near the sunshine.”
I follow her to the table and pull out the seat across from her. “Me too.”
“So,” we say at the same time, then giggle. I motion for her to talk first.
“So,” she starts again. “Did you get my text?”
“I did,” I say as Lacey places the coffee on the table in front of us. “Thanks, Lacey.”
“You got it,” she says cheerfully before heading back behind the counter.
“Well?” Rosie asks as she takes a sip of her coffee. “Do you think you can make it?”
I quickly take a sip of my drink. Sweet, but not too sweet. Just the way I like it. I make a mental note to tell Lacey it’s been moved up on my fall favorites list, just behind the tried-and-true Pumpkin Spice Latte. “I’m not sure,” I finally say. “I’ll have to check my schedule.”
Rosie grins. “I cleared the day with Daisy already. I wanted to make sure I picked a day you could make it.”
My smile falters. Darn that Ms. Daisy. There goes my out. If I say no now, it would hurt Momma A’s feelings. “Oh, that’s good.”
“So, you’ll come?” Rosie hasn’t taken her eyes off of me, and it makes it impossible to let her down.
“I’ll be there. Do you need help with anything?” I find myself asking. Mentally, I kick myself. I don’t need to be offering help. This isn’t my responsibility.
“Nope, I’ve got it covered. Thanks, though.”
We spend the next few minutes talking about the weather, and her doctor’s appointments before she stands and tells me goodbye. The moment the door swings shut behind her, Lacey is at the table.
“So, what did you think?” she asks, pointing to my nearly empty cup.
“It was good,” I say. “It’s definitely in my top five fall flavors.”
Lacey does a happy dance. “Aurora and I picked them out together. Every Coffee Loft has their own spin on flavors. Aurora didn’t choose a signature flavor last year because we were all trying to learn the basics, but this year she decided it was time. I’m excited to try out some new things this season.”
“Well, you chose a good one,” I say, smiling at her enthusiasm. “Any word on when you’ll be able to open the center?” Lacey had come back to Piney Brook with dreams of opening an early childhood enrichment center.
“Should be soon,” she says. “The construction crew has started on the renovations already. Though there was a small hiccup when Aurora saw who the foreman was.” She laughs. “Apparently, there’s some history there. I reminded her that my wish was coming true, and she could just ignore Bradley until it’s over. She finally relented.”
I cringe. Not all wishes come true.
“How’s that working out?” I know from experience it’s hard to ignore someone you have a history with.
Lacey grins. “I think he still has a thing for her, but for now, it seems they’ve called a truce of sorts.”
“That’s good at least,” I say, realizing I should do the same. Ignoring Heath isn’t helping me get over him, and I’d prefer things not be so weird all the time.
“It’s so nice to see Mrs. A out and about again.” Lacey picks up her empty mug. “She seemed excited to see you.”
“It is good that she’s out. I haven’t been spending as much time over there since Heath’s been home. It was nice to see her and catch up for a few minutes.”
Lacey looks at me curiously. “Did you ask her about his kid?”
I look around the nearly empty dining area. “Have a minute?” I ask.
“Ash, I’m taking a break,” she calls out.
“You got it,” Ashlan says.
“I have all the time in the world,” Lacey says, pulling out the chair Momma A was just sitting in.
“Remember when Heath and I stopped talking?” I ask. Lacey nods her head and leans into the table. “Well, he had his mom talk to me. She said that Heath was helping out a friend, and the baby wasn’t his. At the time, I was convinced he’d lied to his mom. You know how she would feel about having a baby out of wedlock. She’s always said marriage first, then babies.”
“Okay, and now?” Lacey asks.
“Now I’m not so sure. Why would he be back here without his child? Why would he keep that lie up for so long?” I shake my head. “I don’t know what to think anymore.”
“Oh my goodness,” Lacey says, shaking her head. “That’s a lot to process.”
I nod. “You’re not wrong.”
“Heath never struck me as the type to lie about things,” Lacey says.
“That’s just it. He didn’t seem like the type to break my heart either, but he did.” I blush—saying it out loud for the first time, even to my best friend, is a lot.
“You two were so young,” Lacey says, reaching out and patting my hand. “Do you still have feelings for him?”
Do I? I thought I’d moved on, but having him here in Piney Brook again . . . “I think I might,” I answer honestly.
“So, you two talked. Are you friends again?”
“I don’t know,” I say, truthfully. “A lot of time has passed. We haven’t been friends in years.”
“But that was your choice, right?” she asks.
“It was. I thought he needed to be focused on starting that next part of his life, not tied to Piney Brook. Well, besides his mom, I suppose.” I pick at the peeling polish on my thumb nail. Mentally adding a manicure to my to-do list today.
Lacey nods. “Okay, but you two were so close after graduation. People sort of assumed you two would end up together.”
I shrug. “People always make assumptions, doesn’t always make them right.” I hear those words play again in my head and my throat goes dry. I’ve been assuming a lot about Heath for a long time. I may have been wrong all this time. If so, he must think I’m an idiot.
She looks at me, and I squirm in my seat. “Sometimes things aren’t meant to be.”
“And sometimes, when things are meant to be, you get a second chance. Have you considered that?”
I laugh. “Not everything is a Hallmark movie or a romance novel, Lace.”
“I still think you should at least try to be friends again.” Her eyes go wide as the door opens behind me. “Speaking of Heath . . .”
I turn in time to see the moment he spots me. His eyes flicker with recognition and something that looks like sadness. He’s dressed in jeans and a pair of work boots, and a blue t-shirt with “Lost Creek Construction” across the chest in white lettering. Makes sense he’d get a job working with his hands. Heath hated school, couldn’t wait to get out of a desk and make something of himself.
I smile a little and raise my hand to wave. A peace offering of sorts. Lacey’s right. We were friends once. What could it hurt to be friends again?