Chapter Twenty-One #2
“Damn it,” she muttered, running a hand through her hair. When did Timber Falls become home? When did he?
Nothing felt right. Everything felt…messy.
The questions hung in the air, unanswered, as Aubrey resumed her cleaning.
But try as she might, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something fundamental had shifted.
The life she’d built here, the walls she’d erected—they were crumbling, and at the center of it all stood Gunner Woods, guitar in hand and that crooked smile on his lips, beckoning her toward a future she’d never dared to imagine.
One where she might just be able to have everything that she ever wanted, if only she dared to trust him.
And she realized in the very depths of her heart, she could and did trust him. He wasn’t her father. He wasn’t Chef Bisset. He was... Gunner—strong, kind and fighting for the same happiness she was.
The soft creak of the back room door broke through Aubrey’s thoughts. She looked up, her eyes widening as Willow and Charly emerged, their faces etched with concern.
Willow exchanged a knowing glance with Charly. “You okay?” she asked, her voice gentle but laced with the strength that had seen her through her own struggles.
Aubrey’s fingers tightened around the rag she’d been using to wipe down the bar. “I’m fine,” she said automatically, the words feeling hollow even as they left her lips.
Charly moved closer, her warm eyes searching Aubrey’s face. “You don’t look fine,” she said softly. “Is this about Gunner?”
The name sent a jolt through Aubrey’s system. She took a deep breath. “I…” she began, her voice catching. “I miss him. God, I miss him so much it hurts.”
The admission hung in the air, heavy with vulnerability. Her mind raced, torn between the urge to backpedal and the desperate need to unburden herself.
“Nothing feels right without him here,” she continued, the words tumbling out now. “I keep expecting to hear his guitar, to see that charming grin of his. And I hate it. I hate feeling this dependent.”
Willow reached across the bar, her hand covering Aubrey’s. “It’s okay to need someone. It doesn’t make you weak.”
Aubrey met her friend’s gaze. “Doesn’t it, though?” she whispered, voicing the doubt that had been gnawing at her since Gunner’s departure.
Willow’s eyes softened, her protective nature shining through as she offered Aubrey a reassuring smile. “No, it doesn’t,” she said firmly. “Feeling deeply for someone, missing them, that’s strength. It means you’ve opened your heart enough to let him in, despite everything you’ve been through.”
Aubrey’s chest tightened at Willow’s words. She thought of the walls she’d built after fleeing Atlanta, the way she’d kept everyone at arm’s length. Until Gunner. His soulful eyes and that damned charming drawl had wormed their way past her defenses.
“But what if—” Aubrey started, her voice catching.
“What if he doesn’t come back?” Willow finished gently. “That’s a risk we all take when we let someone in. But Aubrey, you can’t let fear stop you from living.”
Charly nodded, her calming presence seeming to fill the room. “Willow’s right,” she said, her voice soft but sure. “And maybe…maybe this longing you’re feeling is telling you something important.”
Aubrey raised an eyebrow, curiosity momentarily overriding her emotional turmoil. “What do you mean?”
Charly leaned against the bar, her expression thoughtful. “Well, think about it. You miss Gunner, yes, but it’s more than that, isn’t it? You miss the way you felt when he was here, the possibilities he represented.”
The words hit Aubrey like a physical blow. She closed her eyes, remembering the spark of excitement she’d felt every time Gunner took the stage, the way her world had seemed to expand beyond the borders of Timber Falls.
“Maybe,” Charly continued, her tone gentle, “this is a sign that you need to reevaluate what truly makes you happy. Both here in Timber Falls and beyond.”
Aubrey nodded slowly, her fingers tracing patterns on the polished wood of the bar. The truth of Charly’s words resonated deep within her, unlocking a floodgate of emotions she’d been desperately trying to keep at bay.
“You’re right,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “It’s not just Gunner I’m missing. It’s everything.” She looked up, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “I love Timber Falls, I do. The simplicity, the sense of community. But sometimes I feel like I’m suffocating.”
She took a shaky breath, the words tumbling out now.
“I miss the buzz of the city, the endless possibilities. The thrill of creating a new dish and seeing it come to life on a plate.” Her hand clenched into a fist. “But then I think about leaving all this behind, leaving you both, and it feels like I’m tearing myself in two. ”
Willow pushed herself off the bar, her eyes intense as she studied Aubrey. “Why does it have to be one or the other?” she asked, her tone challenging but not unkind.
Aubrey blinked, caught off guard. “What do you mean?”
Willow leaned forward. “Why can’t you have it all? The excitement of the city and the peace of Timber Falls? Your culinary passion and the bar? Us and Gunner?”
The question hung in the air, electric with possibility. Aubrey felt a flicker of something unfamiliar in her chest. Hope, fragile but undeniable.
“It’s the logistics of making it all work,” she murmured, her mind racing. “It just seems…too complicated.”
Willow raised her brows. “Is it really? Because it seems pretty easy to me.”
Could she really blend these two worlds? As the idea took root, Aubrey felt a smile tugging at her lips for the first time in weeks. It was unconventional, impractical even, but the more she considered it, the more right it felt.
Maybe she didn’t need to give up the side of herself that she felt like she’d left behind in Atlanta after all…
She looked up at her friends, gratitude washing over her. “You really think I could make this work?”
Charly’s eyes crinkled as she smiled, her calming presence filling the space between them. “Of course you can, Aubrey,” she said, her voice soft but sure. “Your journey doesn’t have to be about choosing one life over the other. It’s about finding a way to weave together all the things you love.”
Her heart quickened at the thought. She twisted a strand of her hair. “Even Gunner?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Charly nodded, reaching out to squeeze Aubrey’s hand. “Especially Gunner. You love him. You shouldn’t have to miss him like this.”
Heat filled Aubrey’s chest, melting some of the ice that had formed around her heart.
She closed her eyes, allowing herself to imagine a future where she didn’t have to choose.
Where the thrill of the city could coexist with the comfort of small-town life, where Gunner’s music could blend with the familiar sounds of The Naked Moose.
When she opened her eyes, they were brimming with tears. “I don’t know what I did to deserve friends like you,” she said, her voice thick with emotion.
Willow snorted, breaking the tension. “Oh please, you put up with our drama on a daily basis. We owe you.”
Aubrey laughed, the sound echoing in the empty bar. It felt good, like shedding a weight she’d been carrying for too long. She looked at her friends, these women who had become her family, and felt a surge of determination.
“You’re right,” she said, straightening her shoulders. “I can have it all. Now I just need to figure out how.”
Willow grinned. “And we’ll help you.”