Chapter 22 #2
“I—” Chelsey slipped her phone in her bag and wondered how much to tell her.
Chelsey didn’t want to get hurt again either, but she couldn’t deny the attraction that was growing for Taylor.
She needed to know if he felt the same way about her.
She had to take the risk that might shatter her heart again.
“Out with it, hon.” Wendy studied Chelsey’s face for a moment then nodded. “You’re a smart girl. You know what you can handle and what needs to be said. You’ll be fine.”
A lump formed in Chelsey’s throat as she took Wendy’s good hand and squeezed it. “Thank you. You’ve always been there for me.” Wendy squeezed back. There was no use in trying to deny anything. Wendy had always been able to pull the truth out of Chelsey.
“There’s so much to take in right now. Juniper is my home, but I also want to see what else the world has to offer me. Can I do both? Should I?” She put her hands over her face. Saying those words out loud both liberated and scared her.
“Hon. Roots don’t keep you still—they remind you where you started.” A warm hand took hers. “You can leave the valley, but it will always be with you. It raised you, supported you and loved you.”
Chelsey glanced at one of her most trusted colleagues, and now, friend, while she mulled over Wendy’s words. Chelsey could travel anywhere, and Juniper Valley would always be with her. Her memories would go with her, no matter where she landed.
“Now”—Wendy folded her arms, winced, and laid them in her lap—“I think there’s a story you forgot to tell me.”
What else happened Saturday night? Besides being kissed by Taylor.
“Why is your face red?”
“Oh, um. I guess thinking about Dan retiring. I assume you’ve already heard?”
“Mm hm.” Wendy raised her eyebrows. “And?”
“And he promoted me to CEO of The Event Planners.” Chelsey rushed the words out.
She still hadn’t wrapped her mind around the fact that Dan had basically given her his company to run.
It was the exact promotion she’d wanted for the last three years.
Chelsey knew she had the skills, talent and knowledge to run the company.
She had ideas to take it to the next level.
She was excited, right? Then why was there a heavy pit in her stomach?
“Why does it sound like you aren’t happy about this new promotion? I thought you wanted this?”
“You’re right.” Chelsey twisted a thread from the edge of her blouse around her finger. “Of course, I am.”
“Right.”
“Dan has built a successful business.” Chelsey unwound the thread and wound it tighter on her forefinger. “Hundreds, if not thousands of people know his name and company. They trust him.”
“Exactly.”
“He’s weathered the recession, and we can weather this change.”
“But what do you want to do?” Wendy poked Chelsey’s shoulder with her finger.
Chelsey snapped the thread off her blouse and frowned. Hadn’t Wendy been listening to her? The company was already a huge success, and it would be simple to keep it going.
Wendy’s face softened. “What’s your dream? Doing events in Juniper Valley was your mom’s dream.”
“What are you talking about? It’s been mine too.” Chelsey stood and walked around the couch to the front window. A little boy rode by on his bike. He waved at the man walking his dog. A perfect small-town moment on a beautiful summer day.
If Chelsey wanted to stay in the same place all her life, why would she give her watch to Wendy and the book to Heather? Chelsey’s stomach lurched at the idea of leaving the security she’d built around herself.
A long-forgotten conversation with Taylor surfaced.
“What are we going to do after we grow up? Will I ever see you again?” Chelsey had asked him.
“When we grow up, we are going to explore the world together,” Taylor answered.
Well, they’d grown up, hadn’t they. And Taylor had traveled the world. Without her. Could she trust him again? Trust him with her heart and her future?
“Sweetie, sometimes we have to let go of the dream we thought we wanted to find the right one waiting patiently behind it.”
“I’m afraid if I look too hard, I will find the same dream I’ve been living,” Chelsey said barely above a whisper, but Wendy heard her because when Chelsey turned around, Wendy nodded.
“But if you don’t look, and let go, how will you know?”
All it took was letting go. Could Chelsey let go of the life she’d built in the valley? She didn’t have any familial ties in the small town. They were all memories now, and she could take those wherever she traveled.
Chelsey sat back down by Wendy. “You’ve always been a good friend to me.”
“Did you know I always try to eat as many of your brownies as I can, so you don’t have to?”
“And for that, I thank you.” Chelsey chuckled as she reached down, picked up the gift bag and set it on Wendy’s lap.
“You didn’t have to bring me a present—” Wendy pulled the silver watch out of the bag and glanced at Chelsey. “This is the one your mom gave to you.”
Chelsey nodded. “I think I’ve known this past year that it’s time for me to move on, I just didn’t want to give up on Mom’s dream.”
Wendy put a hand on Chelsey’s face. “Your mom was always proud of you. You could’ve become a window washer and she’d still be proud. Her eyes lit up every time you entered a room. She’d do anything for you.” She patted Chelsey’s cheek. “She’d want you to live your life in your way.”
Tears were flowing down Chelsey’s face and most likely snot was next. Wendy passed her a tissue box and Chelsey took one to wipe her tears and another to blow her nose. After a few moments, her eyes were dry.
“Do you feel better?”
Chelsey chuckled and nodded.
“Now, go get your man, Chelsey Hooper. But first, give me a good squeeze.”
There was no use pretending anymore. Chelsey was choosing a different road for her journey. She just hoped she wasn’t too late to find someone she loved to travel with her.
CHELSEY PASSED THE floral gift bag from one hand to another as she waited for Heather to answer the door.
Heather lived in a place known as The Cottages.
From the front, the houses looked like small, well, cottages.
But the back faced the west overlooking the view of Grassy Lake and all the beautiful sunsets Juniper had to offer.
Chelsey wondered if Rodney would move into this house. She heard footsteps from behind the door and stepped back. She took a couple more steps back in surprise when Rodney opened the door. His face flushed a light red and he fumbled with his keys.
“I was just leaving. I mean. I wasn’t here all night.” The red deepened on his forehead. “I brought her food. I mean. K. Bye.”
Rodney all but ran down the sidewalk to his car sitting at the curb.
“He’s my adorable fiancé.” Heather chuckled. “Gosh, I love that man.” She tightened her robe around her and draped an arm over Chelsey’s shoulder when she walked through the doorway. “To what do I owe this surprise?”
“I’m sorry I didn’t call first. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
Heather laughed. “It’s three in the afternoon. I wasn’t asleep. But I didn’t want to get dressed either.” She led Chelsey to the couch, and they sat down together. “I’m a little surprised you’re out of bed though. I thought you said you weren’t leaving your house for weeks and weeks.”
Chelsey held up a gift bag and plate of brownies. “I brought something for you.”
Heather took the bag and tried to peek inside around the tissue paper. “A present for me? Can I open it right now?”
Chelsey nodded, not sure if she could trust her voice. In the bag was a piece of her creative soul and she was trusting another human being to be careful with it. She tamped down the imposter syndrome creeping up her spine.
Heather took the tissue out then gasped. She slowly pulled the coloring book out and laid it on her lap. She glanced at Chelsey with wide eyes. “Is this your book?”
Chelsey opened the front cover and pointed to the dedication page: For Heather, the human behind Berry. Both love Strawberry Days and both make it the berry best.
“Oh. Chels.” Heather’s chin started to tremble.
“It’s still a work in progress.”