Chapter 29
CONNOR
"You were what?" Whitney's squeal was almost ear piercing. "Oh my God!"
I shared a glance with Riley and went on handing out beers to everyone. It felt like half the town was here in Leah's tiny rental cottage. She sat on the couch surrounded by her friends, looking overwhelmed.
I was keeping an eye on her. If they got too much, I'd kick everyone out.
They were already too much for Josiah, who'd retreated to a corner of the kitchen.
I'm not going to lie, I was tempted to do the same.
This whole day had been a lot for all of us.
I would have preferred my sister and her friends see Leah tomorrow, but it wasn't my call to make.
Wild horses wouldn't have kept Whitney away once she knew we returned to town anyway.
Nothing would have stopped her from showing up, needing to hear the gossip.
"This is big news for a place like this," Riley said, raising his beer to me in a salute before taking a sip.
"Big news for anywhere," Brooks said. He hadn't taken his eyes off Leah since we got back. At the same time, he'd stayed close to Josiah, as if he couldn't stand to be apart from either of them.
It wasn't until I was taking the top off my beer I realised I'd done the same thing.
Watching her, while sticking close to Riley.
Drawing comfort from having him close by.
Inhaling the scent that was uniquely his and letting it settle my discomfort.
Remind me I was home, as long as my found family was around me.
"Yeah, it is," I said with a grunt. "She's handling it.
" If it was me, I'd probably start to come apart at the seams. I mean, it wasn't every day you got told you were stolen at birth.
She'd have every right to be going out of her mind right now.
Why wasn't she? Probably because she was strong as fuck.
And maybe a little bit because she had us.
Multiple shoulders to lean on, to cry on, if she needed them. Support and love. They were everything.
"I don't know what to think." Riley leaned against my shoulder and exhaled.
I snapped my gaze toward him. "What is there to think? She's still the same person. Still our woman. She still belongs here with us." Yeah, I understood what he meant, but I needed to hear the words myself. To remind myself it was true. Leah was still our Leah, no matter what.
"She might not want to stay," Riley said. "Knowing what she knows now, she might think this place is… I don't know, tainted."
I wanted to tell him he was out of his mind, but he was right.
Aurora Hollow was the place she was rescued from, in a manner of speaking.
The place she'd been brought when she really belonged with her mother.
She might decide to pack up tomorrow and go back to the city.
Fix the relationship with her mother and forget all about us.
I caught the expression on Brooks' face. He was thinking the same thing I was, while looking between her and Josiah. Clearly torn between the decision to follow her and to stay here with the other guy, and his new life.
"We have to respect her decision," Josiah said, looking as unhappy as the rest of us. "If she wants to leave, we have to let her."
"Fuck." I rubbed a hand over the back of my head.
I didn't want her to leave without me either, but I'd spent years building my business with Riley.
Walking away from that was going to suck.
For a while it would. We could start over in the city if we had to.
Right? Maybe we could run jet boat tours around the harbour and out to Howe Sound. Or whale watching tours. Or…something.
Whatever we needed to do, we'd do it.
"We could open that restaurant," Riley said. "You could be the chef and the rest of us could serve the customers." He raised his shoulders and dropped them slowly, obviously not liking his own idea very much.
"We could open a bar," Brooks suggested. "We all have experience doing that now."
Josiah raised his head and frowned at Brooks. "I don't, but I could keep the place from falling apart." It seemed wherever we went, he was in as well.
"We could come up here on the weekends some times," I said.
"Whenever we can get away." Yeah, I knew as well as the rest of them a business like that would keep us too busy for vacations in the mountains.
If we left, it might be a long time before we returned.
Together at least. We might come here separately to visit our families.
If I had anything to say to my father. He was going to be pissed if we left.
So was Riley's dad. This town was in their blood.
In ours. We'd never seriously toyed with the idea of living anywhere else.
Didn't want to. We had no good reason to, until now.
"As long as you guys are there, I'm good," Riley said. Always trying to be the chill one amongst us, but not pulling it off today. He didn't want to leave any more than the rest of us. But he also wouldn't give up Leah for anything.
"I'm so glad you know everything now," Fiona was saying. "This is like something out of a movie. I can hardly believe it."
"Me either," Leah said. "But it doesn't really change anything. I'm still just me."
"What, no tell-all memoir?" Holly asked. "I bet it would be an instant bestseller."
"No one would believe it," Leah told her. "Anyway, I don't want that kind of scrutiny. If we can keep this amongst us, that would be perfect." She looked around at each of them.
Whitney made a zipping motion in front of her lips with her fingers. "I won't say a word, but you know this is going to get out, right? Small town and all that. People talk."
Leah sighed. "I know, but I'd like a day or two to get used to the idea. And some time to talk to Gavin before everyone knows."
"You're not leaving, are you?" Fiona asked, airing the question we'd all been wondering, and leaving the room in a heavy silence. The only sound was the clock on the wall ticking the seconds away while we waited for Leah to respond.
Leah frowned. "Why would I leave?" She looked around at all of us. Saw how expectant we were. "This isn't one of those 'you weren't born here after all, so you have to get out,' things, is it?"
“'Course not," I said before anyone else could speak. "This is one of those 'you might be looking at the place differently,' things. None of us want you to leave." Ironic, considering the first thing I said to her was to tell her to get out of town. Yeah, a guy can change. Even me.
She rubbed her chin and regarded me. "Connor Ferguson, are you actually giving me a choice right now?"
I frowned and straightened up. If that was how she wanted to play it, then I was here for it.
I cleared my throat so I could respond with my best growl. "Fuck no. You're not leaving. If you try, I'm going to tie you to your bed." I nodded decisively.
"Me too.” Riley stepped over beside me.
"I think I'll tie you to your bed anyway," Brooks said, pretending to look casual and half-disinterested.
"Me too," Josiah said, speaking quickly during a brief moment of silence.
He was taken aback when Fiona leaped to her feet and hurried over to throw her arms around him.
"We were so wrong about you," she said. "I'm so sorry we were all horrible. What you saw that day must have really messed with your head. And everyone being crappy…"
He awkwardly hugged her back until she stepped away.
"Some people would say my head was messed up before that.
" He seemed grateful for the gesture though.
As much as someone could be, while being overwhelmed at the same time.
It must have been a long time since he was surrounded by so many people.
If it was me, I'd probably be running out the door right now.
I shook my head. "So, it's settled. Leah is staying.
Or else." I slid her a smile before gulping down the last of my beer.
I might be cocky on the outside, but on the inside I was certain she had one foot out of town.
I'd never admit to being scared, not for a moment, but I was almost convinced she was going to start packing, and insist we stay behind.
Tell us she didn't love us enough to stay, or take us with her.
It was the same fear I used to have with Riley, because we cleared that particular piece of air.
That was another change I needed to make. Stop worrying everyone was looking to hitch the first ride out of town. They weren't. They were all here to stay, and so was I.
"I'm staying," Leah agreed. "You couldn't chase me away."
"I know I couldn't," I said, my smile widening. "I tried. You're a stubborn woman and we love that about you."
"Yes, we do," Riley agreed. "Leah came to town and shook us all up, but it was the best thing that happened to Aurora Hollow in a long time."
"You're so right," Fiona said. "Leah is the best thing to happen to this town."
Brooks cleared his throat but grinned.
I nudged him with my elbow. "You're all right too, sort of. For an asshole." We wouldn't stop giving each other shit. At this point I didn't think anyone wanted us to. We kept them entertained.
"I'm better than all right," Brooks said. "One day you'll admit that."
I snorted loudly. "Keep dreaming, bro." But there was no heat in my words.
Not anymore. I'd save that for anyone who wanted to give Leah or any of the rest of us a hard time.
Like my father. When all of this got out, and it would, conversations would take place.
If those conversations didn't include being nice to Josiah, I was going to start swinging.
The whole town had a lot to make up for when it came to him.
So fucking much.