32. Bailey
Bailey
Imagine the worst week of your life: your car breaks down on the way to an important meeting, cramming for finals with the flu, getting a last-minute call thrown on your calendar by your boss—that was the week I was having.
The staff group chat dubbed it “hell week” in honor of Emory’s wedding, and while that felt a tad dramatic, they weren’t wrong. There were menus to print, seating charts to double-check, custom aisle flowers to pluck—god, my poor hands—and the list didn’t stop there.
I’d taken to turning my phone off so that I wouldn’t have to watch Emory’s texts light up the screen until one in the morning.
I glanced down at my phone. Everyone was busy this week, but Noah seemed especially busy, always dashing off for a meeting with Eli or closing his laptop the second I walked into the room.
It had been hard to pin him down, although he always made sure to give me a quick peck if he was passing through.
Twice I’d caught him mid-text and watched him tilt his screen away without thinking, but I told myself I was imagining it.
Tonight I enlisted the entire Whitaker crew, plus half the town, to help with final preparations for the wedding. There was only one of me to go around, and everyone had insisted that this was just what Bexley residents did—they showed up for each other.
The inside of the lobby overflowed with petals, vases, and candles, and I swore I saw Grant losing consciousness under a pile of seat covers. Camille and Tessa were on flower arrangement duty, and Theo was hand-tying bows on paper fans, which was quite the spectacle.
I glanced across the lobby and saw Eli and Noah deep in conversation. I walked over to give them a job because there would be no slackers on my watch, boss or not, when they abruptly stopped talking. Was I going crazy? What about my presence dictated that the conversation needed to stop?
I tucked a stray curl behind my ear. “Hi, guys, what’s going on?”
“We’re actually—” Eli started.
“We were discussing how convenient having a room block for most of the guests has been,” Noah said.
His hand slid over the back of his neck as he said it, a gesture I’d started to recognize whenever he was stressed.
“Oh. Yeah, it was a great idea from Eli. I see why you pay him the big bucks…” I replied.
An awkward silence settled between the three of us.
Eli clapped his hands together. “I think I hear Ma calling me over for help. Grab me if you need anything, Bailey.”
Noah pulled me into a hug, kissing and nuzzling my forehead.
“Hi, peaches. Everything is coming together nicely.”
I looked up at him. “Is something going on?”
He looked puzzled. “What do you mean?”
I took a breath and pulled out of his arms. I needed space to have this conversation.
“You know my history with Caleb and gaslighting. So I’m only going to ask this once. Is there anything you need to tell me? I feel like you’ve been busy and distant and a little off.”
I was proud of myself for voicing my concerns instead of spiraling into a pit of doom. Old Bailey would be so proud of the new me. Noah grabbed my hands, rubbing his thumbs back and forth against my palms.
“There’s nothing you need to worry about when it comes to us,” he said, squeezing my hands. “We are solid. It’s been a chaotic week, but that doesn’t excuse my behavior. You’re my focus, and I’m sorry I was slacking.”
The man was a walking green flag. I knew that. I knew I could trust him. But I also knew there was something he wasn’t telling me, and I didn’t even want to imagine how my heart would feel when I finally found out.
“Okay. Yeah, I’m sorry for being in my head. Everything with the wedding has me on edge.”
He gave me a gentle kiss, causing those damn butterflies in my stomach to start fluttering again. “I am so proud of you. People are going to see how stunning the inn looks, how flawless a wedding you’ve planned, and I get to sit around and brag about how it’s all thanks to you. It’s all you, baby.”
I nodded. It was all me. For once, I didn’t have people chirping in my ear or behind my back about how unqualified I was or should have pursued another passion. I’d built something beautiful inside these walls, and I was so damn proud of that.
“Let’s go help Ma finish the flowers. I’ve got big plans for you tonight, and they involve you, a bath, and a very full glass of wine,” he said.
I giggled as he pulled me across the room.
“Hi, Camille, what can we jump in and help with?” I asked.
“Oh, thank god. Every time I glance over, Grant has smashed another petal between his fingers, and it’s going to put me in an early grave,” she said.
“Hey, I’m doing my best,” Grant moaned.
She leaned over to me, whispering loud enough that everyone could hear. “I love my boys, but good help is hard to find. It’s why I need a daughter-in-law,” she said with a wink.
“I resent that,” Eli muttered.
Theo presented me with a vase arrangement. “What do you think, Bailey? Think Emory will approve?”
Sweet Theo. “I think she’ll love it.”
We worked for another hour, poking fun at Grant and threatening to tell Clara that he had stolen a brownie from the kitchen earlier. Everyone was prepped to head out when Camille pulled me to the side.
“I couldn’t have picked a better person to have taken the job here. You are breathtaking with the work you do,” she said.
I beamed, getting ready to thank her.
“I also couldn’t have picked a better person for my eldest son. Whether you have our last name or not, you’re a damn Whitaker, Bailey, and you’ll always be considered family.”
My eyes teared up at her statement. It was bold, bright, and effortlessly Camille.
The part of my heart that ached for a close relationship with my mother and had once desperately yearned for her approval and love was slowly starting to heal.
Her words were like a balm to my soul, and I felt blessed beyond belief that she was in my life.
I smiled through the tears. “I’m so happy to be here. This place. Your family. They mean everything to me.” I paused. “Noah means everything to me.”
She shrugged, holding her hands in the air. “What can I say? I raised a good one.”
We burst out laughing. I had people here who believed in me, who thought I was capable and loved me even when I wasn’t feeling my brightest. Maybe I could stay.
Maybe Bexley could be my home and Noah would hire me full-time.
I guess I needed to talk to him about that at some point, but it felt awkward given our new dynamic.
I cared about this job, of course I did, but I cared about Noah more.