Chapter 20
Grayson
Iwoke before the sun, Harper still tangled in the sheets, half on top of me. For a long moment, I watched her sleep, memorizing the way her chest rose and fell with each gentle breath, the peaceful look on her face.
Trying not to wake her, I slipped quietly out of the bed and padded barefoot into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. A big part of me wanted to grab my things and take off into the cold morning before she could wake up and break my heart all over.
I’d lain awake for hours after seeing the message from her captain, trying to decide what to do, and ultimately, I’d decided that we weren’t kids anymore.
I’d made the assumption once before that there wasn’t room enough in her life for me and for following her dreams. I wasn’t going to make that mistake again. No more assumptions.
This time around, I was going to talk to Harper like the adults we were, and together we’d figure things out. And they had to work out because the alternative was no longer an option.
The familiar routine of measuring the coffee grounds calmed me. At least I still had the store, I told myself. I was confident in my business plan. Once I finally had a chance to discuss it with Ollie, he’d think so, too.
I needed to focus on the things I could control.
And at least for the moment, that was the store.
It had been the one constant thing in my life for so long, the thing I’d been successful at when everything else felt like it was falling apart; I had the hardware store to throw myself into.
And that’s exactly what I’d done. There was a reason the store had become so much more successful in the last few years after Ollie had stepped back. I knew he saw it, too.
And once it was mine officially, then I would really have—
My phone vibrated in my pocket, pulling my attention.
Right on cue. Relief washed over me when I saw Ollie’s name on the screen.
I took a breath and pressed the button to accept the call. “Merry Christmas, Ollie.” I tried to sound steadier than I felt.
“Grayson. I’m sorry I didn’t return your message sooner. You know how I feel about text messages.”
I shook my head with a small smile.
“And with the holidays and everything, it’s been a bit busy around here for the last few days.”
“I can imagine,” I said. “I’m sure those grandchildren of yours are a lot of fun during the holidays.”
“And loud,” he said gruffly, but I could hear the smile in his voice. “It’s taken me this long to find a quiet second to return your call.”
I swallowed hard and leaned back against the counter. “Well, I’m glad you did, Ollie. I’ve been wanting to talk to you about your plans for the store and throw my hat in the ring to—”
“About that.” He cut me off. “I wanted to give you a heads-up about what’s going on.”
It was about time, although I didn’t bother saying that.
“Everything’s happened quite quickly,” Ollie went on. “I wasn’t even thinking about selling, to be honest. I mean, things seemed to be running pretty well on their own, and I haven’t felt a need to step inside the store in months. It all seemed pretty good, ya know?”
I did know. There was a reason things were running so well. I knew he didn’t intentionally miss the fact that I was the one who kept things ticking along so smoothly, but still, it stung.
“But when opportunity knocks, you don’t ignore it, ya know what I’m saying?”
“Not really, Ollie,” I said honestly. “Did someone approach you?” A sliver of doubt started to creep in as I worked to decipher exactly what Ollie was telling me.
“Oh yeah, I guess I left that part out.”
“You did.” I tried not to sound frustrated. “What was the opportunity?”
“Homeworks,” he said simply.
And with one word, I felt my dreams start to slip away. I still stood in the kitchen, but I could no longer feel my feet. Blackness crept in around the edges of my vision.
Unaware, Ollie kept talking. “You know the franchise, right? It’s pretty big, and they saw potential in my little store.”
Of course they did.
“When I showed them those numbers you ran for me a few weeks ago, that pretty much clinched it. They were impressed that a little, small-town, independent store like ours could be pulling those kinds of numbers without corporate backing. They made me an offer a few days ago.”
And just like that, the bottom fell out of whatever hope I had left. “They…” I cleared my throat. “They made you an offer?”
“Sure did. A damn good one, too.”
Right. I would never be able to compete with an offer from a major franchise. Sure, I had a business plan and a savings account to take to the bank for a loan. But there was no chance in hell my offer could come anywhere close to what they could do.
It was over.
“Grayson? You still there?”
I blinked and tried to focus. “Yeah,” I said, not recognizing my voice. “I’m still here. What were you saying?”
“I was just saying that when I got your message the other night, I was surprised. I didn’t even realize you were interested in the store.”
“I tried to mention it the other day,” I said. “When you told me you’d decided to sell. Of course, I had no idea Homeworks was interested.”
“You did? I really am sorry, Grayson. I didn’t even—"
“You didn’t even suspect that I might want to talk about it?
” I scrubbed my hand over my face, trying in vain to hang on to some level of composure before it all crumbled away.
“Really? After all these—” I stopped myself.
There was no point burning a bridge because I was upset.
Instead, I swallowed hard. “Yeah. I was… No, I am interested, Ollie. That store’s been a big part of my life and… a franchise? Really?”
“I’m sorry, Grayson. I didn’t realize you were interested in buying. All these years, you never said anything.”
I’d assumed he knew. All the extra hours I’d put in. The unpaid time on weekends and holidays. The research into new products and services that we’d brought in. But I’d never said anything. That was on me.
“I wish you’d said something,” Ollie continued. “They’ve made a strong offer, and if I’m being honest…well…I’m getting older, and the security this can give me…well, it matters.”
“Of course it does,” I managed.
There was a beat of silence on the other end before he spoke again. “I’m sorry, Grayson. I really didn’t know. I didn’t even think…but well, maybe they’ll keep you on as a manager or something.”
He kept talking, something about how nothing was finalized yet, how maybe we could sit down after the holidays and figure things out. But the words barely registered.
“Yeah. Maybe.” The sound of the bedroom door told me Harper was awake. “Listen, Ollie, I’ve got to go. Happy holidays.”
I hung up before I had to hear any more. I’d already heard enough. The life I’d let myself imagine for even the slightest moment—my name on the hardware store sign, Harper in my arms, building a life together—it all shattered with a brief phone call.
It was over.
I’d just dropped the phone on the counter when Harper walked into the kitchen. She’d pulled an oversized sweatshirt and shorts on, but her dark hair was still loose in half-tangled, very sexy waves that cascaded over her shoulders.
“Hey there.” She cocked a hip and leaned against the doorjamb, looking so damn kissable that it took all my restraint not to close the distance between us.
“Sorry if I woke you. Coffee?”
“I’d rather have you back in bed with me.”
Her words were like a knife to my heart. I wanted to be back in her bed, too. Before I’d seen the text from her captain, before the phone call with Ollie. Before I’d learned that I was about to lose everything.
Again.
How could I ask her to stay or even discuss the alternatives with me when I no longer had anything to offer her? She deserved so much more than a small-town life with a man who’d just let the biggest opportunity of his life slip away because, once again, he hadn’t said anything.
I turned away, busying myself with the coffee so she couldn’t see my face and the pain that was no doubt written all over it.
I was losing everything.
And this time, I wasn’t sure how I’d be able to survive it, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to take her down with me.
Harper
Something was wrong.
I’d felt it the moment I’d woken up to a cold bed. He was gone. My heart sank, but only until I heard his voice in the kitchen and the warm, rich scent of fresh coffee hit me.
I took a moment to lie in bed, remembering the night before, spinning the silver ring on my finger, letting myself bask in the type of happiness that had eluded me for so many years before joining Grayson in the kitchen.
“Hey there.” I leaned against the doorway, waiting for him to look up. The second he did, I saw it. Something was wrong.
“Sorry if I woke you. Coffee?”
I shook my head and tried to keep my voice light despite the fear creeping up my spine. “I’d rather have you back in bed with me.”
He squeezed his eyes shut and turned away, confirming what I already knew.
“Gray?” I closed the distance between us and reached out, fingers brushing his arm. He flinched, just a little, but I saw it. I felt it. “What’s going on?”
“You should probably start packing, huh?” His voice was flat. He didn’t turn around.
My stomach dropped, the icy fear crawling over my scalp. “What are you talking about?”
“The holidays are over.” Still, he didn’t turn.
“That doesn’t—”
“I saw the message.” He finally looked at me, and the distance in his eyes made my chest ache.
“Message? I haven’t seen my phone—”
“Congratulations. I guess you’re heading for the Med.”
What?
It took me a second to process, and then the heat rushed to my cheeks as I realized what might have happened. “Oh no. I haven’t—”
He gave a sharp shrug, already retreating. “You know what? It doesn’t matter.” He shook his head, and my heart cracked at the coldness of his expression. “You don’t owe me an explanation, do you?”
“It’s not—”
“This is what you want.” He cut me off. “It always has been.”
I stared at him, my chest tightening. “Grayson. That’s not at all—”
“Don’t.” His voice cracked slightly before he cleared his throat. He looked away, back to the counter. “Don’t make this any harder.”
“Make what any harder?”
The silence stretched between us, sharp and jagged. I wanted to reach him, to shake him, make him see the truth. But he’d already pulled away from me. He’d retreated behind the walls I was so sure we’d broken down.
Before I could find the words to get through to him, to tell him the truth, that I’d turned down the job and I was going to stay in Trickle Creek, Grandma’s door creaked open and she joined us in the little kitchen.
“Morning, you two,” Grandma said, a huge grin on her face. “It’s nice to see you here this morning, Grayson. The coffee smells delicious.”
To his credit, Grayson straightened instantly, his expression smoothing into something unreadable and exceedingly polite.
“Good morning, Willa.” He pressed a quick kiss to her cheek.
“I was actually just heading out. There’s something I need to take care of.
” He grabbed his coat from the hook by the door before I could stop him. “I’ll see you later.”
And just like that, he was gone, and I was left wondering what the hell had just happened.
I reached for the counter to steady myself, my heart pounding while Grandma stared at me, questions in her eyes that I couldn’t answer.
I closed my hand into a fist, feeling the thin metal of the ring press into my finger while doubt gnawed at me. Had I been wrong about Grayson? About staying? About everything?