29. Henley
Henley
“It sounds like things have been going really well,” Harper hums, folding the dough for tomorrow’s croissants. “I’ve been waiting around for that man to come to his senses. I’m so glad he’s finally realizing what he has in front of him.”
My heart swells just thinking about the past few weeks. Every day has been better than the last.
Most mornings and afternoons we work inside the cabins, putting together furniture, decorating, and running errands to make sure each cabin is full of all the essentials the guests will need for their stay.
At night, we take turns in each other’s cabins cooking dinner.
I’ve been testing out different recipes and appetizers and main dishes each night.
Em’s even become quite the sous chef. I only need to intervene once or twice to make sure nothing catches on fire or to save his fingers from being detached from his body.
We’ve even had a few dinners with Preston, up at the house.
The first dinner, Em squeezed my thigh under the table practically the whole time.
As if my presence was the one thing keeping him balanced.
But each time after, I could see him becoming a little more relaxed.
The last dinner we had, he even stayed behind to have a nightcap with his Dad, without me.
A smile blooms on my cheeks as I think about how much effort he’s been putting in to help himself.
He even opened up about what’s been burdening him about the night his mom passed, as well as the conversation that he had with his Dad.
I’m so proud of him for opening up to me and telling me that he’s been talking to an online therapist twice a week.
That alone inspired me to do the same. I have one scheduled for myself next week.
Our nights together have become longer. Conversations deeper. Kisses more intimate.
As if our lips are saying words that our voices cannot.
All of it seems like a dream.
I am ashamed to admit, however, that there is doubt dwelling deep within me. A fear of the day Emerson gets the call that he’s off suspension. I want to believe with everything I have that we will make this work, but I’m still worried he might change his mind.
Decide that it’s not worth it.
That I’m not worth the trouble. Every time I get close to a man, it seems like I just end up only pushing them away. Like I’m unworthy of the effort that it takes to be in a relationship with me.
“You alright over there?” Harper asks, nudging me out of my thoughts.
I sigh, sinking down into the chair beside me. “Yes . . . no. I mean, I’m okay. I just—”
“There’s nothing wrong with still being a little nervous, Hen.” Pausing her folding of the dough, she comes around the table and pulls out the stool beside me.
“He’s trying so hard, and I feel like such a hypocrite.
I told him that he has my heart, but here I am still clinging onto the last little shred of it.
He’s being so patient and trying his best to prove to me that this time is different.
And what do I have to give him in return? What have I done to change?”
Harper’s hand flies to her hips as the other points at me while she speaks.
“Most people in your situation would have crumbled. You’ve picked yourself back up.
You’re cooking again. Baking again. On top of that, you’re helping get a new business venture off and running for the Lanes. You are still thriving, Hen.”
“Am I really though?” I breathe. “When Em goes back to racing, what then? There will no longer be a need for me to stay in the Lane’s cabins anymore. So, do I move back into my parents’ house until I find a job?”
“You always have a job here, you know that.”
“I know.” I sigh. “But I can’t live on handouts forever, Harper. I know you think that I didn’t notice, but I did.”
Her body freezes, eyes stretching wide.
“That college student you said had to move back to campus? She’s still showing up to work each day.” I watch Harper’s lips pinch together. “I know you can’t afford to keep paying me as well, friend. Thus why today is my last day.”
Reaching into my back pocket, I pull out an envelope with the money I’ve been saving from the paychecks Harper’s been giving me each week. I start sliding it across the table, but her palm halts it before it can go any further.
“No, I’m not taking this back. That is yours. You earned it, and you’ve truly been such a help around here.”
I cover her palm with my own. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, love. I’m still going to come in and help you, but you are going to stop paying me. You’re also going to take this money or I’m telling Preston you decided not to make the wedding cake anymore.”
“You wouldn’t!” she gasps, making me chuckle.
“No, I wouldn’t. But I will make Emerson do it if you don’t stop fighting me and take back this money.”
She grins, then sighs deeply. “You know I would have figured out a way to make it work. To pay you full-time if you wanted to.”
“I know,” I say softly, tucking the envelope inside the front pocket of her apron.
“It sounds to me like you’re not just afraid to let yourself be all in. I think you’re feeling like you don’t have any value to bring into this relationship,” she says gently, giving my knee a quick squeeze. “You know that’s not true, right?”
Biting my lip, I nod, feeling the sting of tears welling behind my eyes. Her brow raises as she folds her arms across her chest.
She can see right through my lie. My best friend knows me better than I know myself.
As I wipe away the tear that slips free, I shake my head.
“No, I don’t know. I feel like he’s done so much to change and grow, and I am still stuck jobless with no prospects and no idea what I’m going to do with my future.
He was afraid to start a relationship all those years because he felt he was going to hold me back.
Now I’m the one that feels like I’m going to be holding him back. ”
“You would never hold him back, love.”
I shrug my shoulders, and she gathers my hands within hers. “I wish that you could see that you have so much to offer. Your job doesn’t define your worth as a person, Henley. I know if you shared how you were feeling with him, he would tell you the exact same thing.”
“I’m afraid I’ll just drag him down until I figure everything out.”
“That man will love you through every hill and valley that you experience in your life. Just like you have done for him, even after all these years.”
“You don’t know how much I want to believe that to be true.”
“Well, I only speak the truth, so believe it, babe.” She smirks, bringing a smile to my lips.
“Let him all the way in, honey. It’s time.” She waggles her brows, making a breathy laugh burst out of me. “And when you do, you better tell me everything.”
I reach for her hand and squeeze it tight. “Are you ready to show me this wedding cake design now?”
“Yessss!” She squeals. The messy bun bobs on top of her head as she skips around the table and retrieves what looks like a little sketchbook.
The day that Preston called her and gave her the job to make the wedding cake, I got a call almost two seconds later. She’s excited but also extremely nervous. This will be the first wedding cake she’s ever made, minus the one we both worked on in college.
Harper anxiously chews on her nails as she slides the open sketchbook in front of me. I’ve always known how incredibly talented she is, but I wasn’t prepared for the stunning artwork in front of me.
The bride and groom love nature and the outdoors. Something that we’ve been trying to incorporate into every element of the wedding. Harper has encapsulated all their favorite outdoor spaces into a landscape of memories across their cake.
Deep green watercolored pine trees, soft violet mountain ranges, crystal blue lakes and waterfalls, and a kaleidoscope of oranges, golds, and magentas blended to create the most stunning sunset I have ever seen.
“Harper, this is breathtaking. They are going to love it so much. I can’t wait to see it come to life!”
“You really think so?” she asks shyly.
Harper’s optimistic, extroverted personality has always inspired me. It’s helped me push myself to be more courageous in my life as well. Hell, if it wasn’t for her pushing me to sign up for the scholarship, I never would have been able to have all the experiences I had in New York.
So to witness her so unsure of herself makes me pause.
“Absolutely, love. They are going to be completely enchanted. It’s like an edible piece of art. Melody will be proud!” I wink.
Relief washes over her features, her shoulders finally relaxing as she leans back on her stool. With a smile, she traces over the design with her fingers before closing the sketchbook. “Do you think it would be crazy if I added wedding cakes or celebration cakes to the shop?”
“That would be amazing! Let me help you. I’ll take pictures at the wedding and then make you some promotional materials that you can put up around town and add to your website.”
“Are you sure? I know that you have a lot on your plate already, I don’t want to add more to it.” She winces.
“Oh, hush! I’ll be fine, and I would love to do this for you!”
A chime goes off in my back pocket. I grab my phone and smile at the picture that pops up on the screen. Lyla is wearing her little polka-dot apron and holding a wooden spoon.
RYLEIGH: Little chef is all ready for her cookie lesson.
ME: Aww, how does she get even more adorable every day?
RYLEIGH: She comes from good genes.
ME: Ha! She definitely doesn’t get her cuteness from you. LOL
RYLEIGH: *Middle finger emoji.
ME: Just finishing up at Harper’s, then I’ll be over.
RYLEIGH: How’s she doing? I came in for coffee the other day, and she looked . . . not like her usual self.
Lifting my gaze from my phone, I take another glance at my friend.
As she continues to fold the butter into the dough, I notice the subtle changes in her features that I’ve missed these past months.
There are dark circles forming under her eyes, and her demeanor is a little wilted, considering her usual singing and bubbly persona.
It makes me feel horrible that my brother noticed this change in her before I was able to. But it also makes my heart tug a little at the thought that he’s been paying so much attention to her. Maybe there truly is something blossoming between these two.
ME: I’ll try and do some digging to get to the bottom of what is going on.
RYLEIGH: Thank you. I’m just a little worried about her.
As I read his text my lips tip up. Maybe one of these days Harper might actually become a real sister. That is, if these two finally admit their attraction to one another. Until then, I’ll just have to keep manifesting it out into the cosmos.
ME: I promise, I’ll keep an eye on her. See you in a little bit.
Before sliding the phone back into my pocket, an idea pops into my head.
ME: Hey, I’m headed out in a bit to bake cookies with Lyla. Would you want to join me?
Anxiously, I watch the dots scroll back and forth.
EM: Absolutely, I’d love that. I can be ready in about 5 minutes, will that work?
ME: Perfect! I’ll see you in a bit.
I take off my apron and hang it on the hook before walking back over to Harper to say goodbye. Wrapping my arms around her, I give her a quick squeeze. “You doing okay, friend?”
Her smile slips slightly before she recovers. “Of course, why?”
“You just seem a little bit tired. Not getting a lot of sleep?”
She bites her lip, fidgeting with the strings of her apron. “Yeah, I’ve just had a lot on my mind lately.”
I part my lips to ask what, but she cuts me off before I can.
“But I’ll be okay. I think once I make this cake, I won’t be so anxious.”
“You sure that’s all?”
She nods, not looking me directly in the eye. That’s always been Harper’s sign that she’s not telling me the whole truth.
“I hope you know, if there is ever anything else, you can count on me to be there to help you through it.”
“You’ve already been helping more than you know,” she whispers.
I open my mouth to reply, but she clears her throat and her somber tone with a more lighthearted one. “Now, get out of here before I get out the broom and make you start sweeping!”
“You got it, boss.” I laugh, giving her one last hug before leaving the store and hopping into the truck.