Chapter 22 #2
The only way Liam is driving me up a wall is literally, with his body pressed against mine, his breath hot against my ear as he pinned me to the window in his study. The memory sends a flush of heat through me.
I clear my throat. “He’s behaving, and the limp is getting better.”
“Mmmph.” Lila narrows her eyes, probably not buying my casual tone. “And you’re… adjusting okay?”
“I’m fine. Really.” I tug at the sleeve of my coat. “Actually, Liam offered me a job.”
“Oh?”
“Analyzing data for Rockwood Outdoors. He has a new strategy he wants to run past his dad, and he needs someone to build the metrics model and track implementation results.”
Lila’s eyes widen. “And you’re into that stuff?”
“That’s the thing.” I sigh, my breath clouding in the cold air. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. My brain has been running overexcited KPIs and data models since he offered me the position.”
Lila laughs, bumping my shoulder with hers. “You are such a nerd.”
“Guilty.” I smile sheepishly. “It sounds like interesting work. And it’s what I’m good at.”
“So what’s the holdup?”
I hesitate, glancing up at the stars visible between the string lights that crisscross over Main Street. “I’m worried that working for Liam, on top of being married to him, is too much. Am I setting myself up for disaster?”
Lila considers this, twisting a strand of her red hair around her finger.
“I can’t say. Only you know what you can handle.
” She drops her hand, her expression thoughtful.
“But maybe you could shadow him at the office for a day. See the environment, meet the team, get a read on what the work would be like.”
“That’s… not a bad idea.”
“Seeing something in practice makes the decision clearer than theorizing about it.” Lila shrugs. “It took me one summer interning for my dad to be sure I didn’t want to follow in his footsteps. Meanwhile, my twin brother had the opposite conclusion.”
“Ah, the doctor, right?”
“Yep,” Lila confirms with a dramatic sigh, but her smile gives away the affection beneath the complaint. “He’s an insufferable overachiever. Preston is in Boston finishing his residency and thinks being born four minutes before me means he’s the wise elder.”
“At least he’s not an evil twin.” We share a grin. “But you’re right, shadowing Liam is a good idea.”
Rebecca Evans jogs over from where she’s been talking to Faye, her cheeks pink from the cold.
She’s breathless and grinning by the time she reaches us.
“I’m so glad I caught you before you left,” she says, slightly winded.
“I forgot to tell everyone about the pumpkin patch festival this weekend at our farm.” Rebecca launches into an excited pitch.
“We host it every weekend in October. We have a corn maze, hayrides, a carving workshop, hot cider, and the best damn apple fritters in the state.” She pauses for a breath, her eyes bright with excitement.
“Everyone’s invited. I hope you’ll come, Peyton.
And bring Liam, of course. It’s a Blue Crescent Harbor tradition and the perfect way to get to know the town. ”
The invitation is so warmly offered it makes me feel like I already belong. As if I’m already part of this community they’re inviting me into.
“That sounds amazing,” I say, a smile stretching across my face.
January, who just came out of the bookshop with a bag of new books, adds, “The corn maze is surprisingly challenging. Last year, I got stuck for an hour before Remy had to come find me.”
“Remy?” I ask.
January’s cheeks flush pinker. “He’s my best friend.”
“And my baby brother,” Rebecca chips in. “You’ll meet him Saturday.”
“I’ll be there.”
Rebecca beams and squeezes me in an impulsive hug. “Great! It starts at ten, but come whenever.”
The women disperse, heading for their cars.
Lila hugs me too. “Call me, let me know how the shadow day goes.”
“I will.”
She jogs away to catch up with January, their laughter carrying in the still night air. Rebecca is already halfway down the block, walking backward as she waves to Faye.
I turn toward my car, parked a few spaces down from the bookshop. I slide into the driver’s seat and sit for a moment. Rory is closing up, flipping the sign to “Closed” and adjusting a backpack on her shoulders. Hemingway’s orange face peers out from inside.
My chest fills up in a way it hasn’t in a long time. My marriage might be fake, but these new friendships feel real.
I start the car and pull away from the curb, heading back to the glass house in the woods. Back to Liam.
The thought of him waiting for me doesn’t fill me with dread or discomfort the way it might have a few days ago. Instead, an unfamiliar warmth flutters through me. Is it anticipation? Comfort in the knowledge that I’m not alone in this strange new life?
The town falls away behind me as I wind along the lake road, trees crowding close on either side.
I wonder if Liam is back yet, if he found my note on the fridge, if he re-heated the casserole properly. What will he think of the festival? Will he even want to go?
When I pull into the driveway, the lights are on inside the house, warm and inviting against the dark forest backdrop. Liam’s car is parked in front of the garage.
He’s home.
And I’m surprised by how much I want to tell him about my night.