Chapter 20 Taylor
TAYLOR
Sitting around a table at the lodge on Angel Mountain a few days later, I’m starting to feel like my life is back on its way to being perfect.
True to his word, Roan invited me here tonight for a special dinner with Meg.
It’s not the fanciest place in town, but it’s beautiful and cozy with beamed ceilings and old-fashioned decor.
Our table is beside a roaring fireplace, and the waitstaff has obviously been told that this is a special night.
Bronson, the chef, came out to personally talk with us about the menu and he even offered to prepare anything off-menu that we might be craving.
And it turns out that Maddie Foster Stone and Jake own this place. Maddie came over when we first arrived to make sure we liked our table. She also let Meg know that her friend J.B. is here, hanging out in the spacious lobby with her Grandpa Michael, who used to be the doorman here.
When Maddie mentioned that J.B. and her grandpa were playing chess, Meg got pretty excited. I have a feeling we’ll lose her the moment she finishes eating.
And I’m feeling okay with that.
Roan has been amazing these last few days. He hasn’t said much, but he’s shown up for me, helping out with the shop, asking about my day, and bringing a cup of coffee, or a pine wreath, or a plate of his mother’s Christmas cookies when he comes by.
He’s trying to show me that he cares, that he can listen and be steady.
And those intense blue eyes meet mine more often these days.
Once in a while I catch him scowling at his brother, who gets a kick out of stopping by and pretending he’s flirting with me.
But for the most part, Roan seems happier these days—like a man transformed by the second chance he might be getting.
I’m happier too, now that I’m in Angel Mountain by choice. It’s hard to believe that not so long ago I was spooked by these curving roads, and I felt banished to these beautiful mountains.
Plenty of people spend a lifetime dreaming of a retirement in the Poconos, but I get to start my life here right now, with people I care about.
Telling Grammy about all these new developments in my life was almost as fun as experiencing them myself.
Serves him right, she cackled when I told her about David’s increasing desperation to get me back with the company. He should have known a good thing when he had it.
But I think she’s happy for me that I’ll be working with him again on my own terms, as much or as little as I want.
The first set of slush pile manuscripts arrived yesterday, and it was an amazing feeling to know they were all mine, and also that I didn’t have to knock them out in twenty-four hours.
I can really dig into each one, and give it the chance it deserves.
When I told her about Roan and the way he publicly humiliated himself to apologize to me, and how he offered to move to the city, she was quiet for a moment.
“Love isn’t like the movies, sweetheart,” she said at last. “Big, romantic gestures are fun, of course. But you want someone who will be there for you every day, someone who makes all the boring little moments feel like home.”
I knew she was thinking of PopPop and I had to smile at the idea that she still loves him with all she’s got—that he’s still making their boring little moments feel like home.
Truthfully, if I’m judging Roan on the everyday moments and not on the drama, maybe it would be fair to say that the dumping and the apologizing were both out of character, and that maybe they should cancel each other out.
Or maybe that’s just me giving my mind reasons to say yes to Roan. Because my heart forgave him the moment he appeared in that window with his guitar in his hands and sorrow in his eyes.
“You okay?” he asks quietly now.
J.B. has just stopped in and Meg invited her to pull up a chair. The two are deep in conversation about a series of graphic novels that I haven’t read yet, but that Meg is excited to show me.
“Yes,” I tell Roan. “I’m fine. Just thinking about what a busy month it’s been.”
As if on cue, my phone buzzes in my pocket. It’s been buzzing every couple of minutes since we arrived.
“Your whole life changed,” he says, nodding. His blue eyes are locked on mine, and I don’t see fear there.
A week ago, he would have looked away, afraid to let me see his suspicion that I’ve got one foot out the door. Now he wants me to know he trusts me.
“And I’m happy here,” I tell him. “I didn’t plan these changes, but every single one of them is exactly what I didn’t know I needed.”
“That’s good,” he says with a thoughtful expression.
“You’re not worried I’ll change my mind?” I ask him.
“If you change your mind about your career or where you want to live, I’m not worried at all,” he says calmly, glancing over at Meg. “I know we’d go with you.”
“You wouldn’t really take Meg from her family?” I say, asking the question I’ve been wondering about since he made his big pronouncement at my window.
“I talked to her about it,” he says. “She said the city isn’t so far away and we could come back for visits. She’s curious about New York. I guess it’s hard not to be when you live in a small town where so many New Yorkers come to relax.”
“Wow,” I say, impressed. “Well, maybe we should take her for a weekend just for fun. I don’t want to move back, but I’d love to give her that experience of visiting. If she wants it.”
My phone buzzes again, and again I ignore it.
“What are you guys talking about?” Meg asks suddenly, as if she has a sixth sense about being the subject of our conversation.
“Taylor was offering to take us to New York for a weekend,” Roan tells her. “If you wanted to go and just explore the city.”
“No way,” Meg says, looking super excited.
“You guys could stay at the penthouse,” J.B. says. “We don’t use it, but my dad won’t sell it. It’s just sitting there except when we go to the city for fun.”
“We wouldn’t want to impose,” Roan says right away.
“Penthouse?” Meg echoes at the same time.
“It just means the highest condo unit in the building,” J.B. explains. “It’s supposed to be extra fancy, and it does have a great view. You know, as long as you’re not afraid of heights.”
“I’m not,” Meg says, glancing at her dad and then at me.
We both smile and shake our heads.
The server comes out with our food and the table gets quiet except for the crackling of the fire and the occasional buzz of my phone as we all enjoy our meal.
Roan took Bronson’s advice and he’s enjoying a ribeye with root vegetables. I’m digging into homemade chicken stew with fresh bread. Meg chose a cheeseburger with sweet potato fries. And the server brought J.B. a plate of fruit and cheese on the house, which she’s devouring.
Predictably, when the girls are finished eating, Meg asks for permission to go hang out with J.B. in the lobby with her grandpa. They’re planning to play chess and help the littler kids write letters to Santa and put them in the Santa Claus mailbox in the lobby.
“Is that okay with you, Taylor?” Roan asks me.
“Absolutely,” I tell Meg. “Have fun.”
“Thank you,” she says, darting over to give me half a hug before she follows after J.B., who is already heading for the lobby.
“Best of both worlds,” Roan says. “She got to come along, and I still get you to myself for a little while.”
He really does. We’re the only ones in the dining room and I sort of wonder if maybe Roan had something to do with that.
I gaze across the table at this man who suddenly means so much to me. For a moment there’s nothing but the electricity dancing between us and I feel like there’s something I need to say to him.
Then my phone buzzes again.
“At least check it,” he says with a warm smile. “You never know, it could be an emergency.”
“I doubt that,” I say, shaking my head. But I pull the phone out anyway. I’m stunned at the name that pops up on the screen.
Angeline Stark
I pick up with a smile.
“Hello?” I say softly.
“Taylor,” Angeline says, her voice bright with happiness. “I’m so glad you picked up. David said you weren’t answering. I told him I’d try you myself.”
“Oh, yes,” I say, feeling sort of bad. “I’m at dinner.”
“Well, I hate to interrupt that,” she says. “And I understand you not picking up for David. He owes you.”
“No, no,” I say, laughing. “It all worked out really well.”
“You know I haven’t agreed to a sequel with him yet,” she says. “And I won’t, unless you’re the one who signs me.”
“Wow,” I say, truly amazed. The window for an author to capitalize on a success is short.
And Angeline is delaying a deal out of loyalty to me.
That’s incredibly rare and special. “But you don’t have to put your plans on hold for me.
I’m sticking around and I’ll be glad to sign you, if that feels like a good plan to you. ”
“It does,” she says firmly.
“It has nothing to do with your success,” I remind her. “I just love the book.”
“You got it in print,” she says, laughing. “But actually, you did more than that.”
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“I found out that when the social media buzz started, it started in the Poconos,” she says. “At some kind of math and science academy? The kids there were tagging me every five minutes. Sounds like you gave copies to a couple of them and they started passing them around.”
“Those kids are incredible,” I agree with her. “They’re the true heroes.”
“Well, it turns out a few of those kids actually have some followers, and they are pretty active in the hot book groups. They pushed the book authentically, in ways no marketing team ever could have,” she says.
“And David told me that if I got you that I should share some amazing news. Starhoof is going to be on the New York Times bestseller list. It was just posted on the website.”
“Wow,” I murmur.
“Yeah,” she says. “And there’s going to be an auction for the movie rights. So I’ll bet you’re glad you bought those.”
“You’ll be paid too,” I remind her.
“Of course,” she says cheerfully. “I’m super stoked. Your deal was fair, and I appreciate that.”
“The next one will be too,” I tell her happily. “Should we work on it tomorrow?”
“Definitely,” she says. “And one more thing—I wanted to ask a favor.”
“What’s that?” I ask.
“David told me you’re staying there in the Poconos?” she asks. “He said you have a bookshop?”
“I do,” I tell her.
“I’d like to visit,” she says. “I want to meet those kids, maybe sign their books, if you think they’d be interested?”
“Oh, I know they would be,” I tell her, practically levitating out of my chair with excitement. “You’re welcome anytime. I just need to get more copies of Starhoof in stock so they can bring their friends.”
“Enjoy your dinner now,” she says. “We can make plans tomorrow. And thank you, Taylor. Thank you for helping me realize a dream.”
“It was my dream too,” I tell her honestly. “And the book you wrote is so much better than any fantasy I ever had.”
I stop there because if I keep talking I’m pretty sure I’m going to cry.
“We’re a good team,” she says simply. But I can hear the tears in her voice too.
“Was that…?” Roan asks.
I nod, still too thunderstruck to say another word.
“And she wants to come here?” he asks.
I nod again.
“Taylor,” he says. “I’m starting to think you’re right about staying in Angel Mountain. In fact, I’m starting to think you’re always right about everything.”