Chapter 24
THE SPACE WE KEEP
NATALIE
Icouldn’t shake the weird feeling creeping over me about Will. Maybe we were taking things too slow. Maybe too much space had grown, and he was tired of waiting for me to figure out what I wanted.
I tried focusing on work, wrapping up the last-minute details for the bakery, the boutique, and the restaurant.
Lori had sent over information about another café moving in, asking Will and me to review the plans with the new tenants next week.
As if I wasn’t overwhelmed enough, Lucas’s restaurant grand opening was set for a week after Thanksgiving.
I’d need to arrange for our sitter to watch the kids that evening since it would be my week with them.
Between the deadlines and my swirling thoughts about Will, especially the possibility of him forming a connection with Lisa—I felt like I was sinking. Time got away from me, and when I checked the clock, I realized I had to rush to school pickup.
Driving there, my frustration bubbled up.
It was like this unspoken stand-off, and now, Lisa’s comments about him were adding fuel to the fire.
I must be on the verge of getting my period.
That, or I was just a walking disaster. A brownie suddenly felt like it might fix at least one of those problems.
When I pulled into the school parking lot, Will was already there, leaning casually against his car and typing something into his phone. He looked annoyingly perfect in a fitted black Vuori shirt and light gray denim. How could someone look that good just standing around?
Determined not to acknowledge him, I headed straight for the gate. Of course, he noticed me.
“Hey, Natalie! Wait up!” His voice trailed behind me.
I kept walking. Childish? Absolutely. But I was in no mood to talk to him.
He caught up anyway. “Whoa, what’s going on? Are you okay?”
I stopped and turned to face him. “I don’t know,” I said sharply. “I had an interesting meeting with Lisa.”
“Oh. Is everything still on target with the design plans?” He seemed genuinely puzzled.
“Yes, Will. She loves the design. Almost as much as she seems to like you.”
“What?” His brows furrowed. “What are you talking about?”
“She mentioned your conversation,” I snapped. “How you seem interesting and how something about you makes her curious.”
“I have only talked business with her,” he said, clearly taken aback. “Are you pissed at me?”
“I’ve barely heard from you all week, and then she shows up at my house with a mountain of pastries and a story about how you caught her attention.”
“I was just giving you space. I thought you were busy with the kids and work.”
“I am busy,” I shot back.
I spotted Camille standing at the gate, chatting with Lauren. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to talk to my friends.”
Without waiting for a response, I walked away, leaving him standing there.
Camille didn’t miss a beat when I approached. “What’s up, love? You look like you’re ready to bite someone’s head off.”
“Just a bad day,” I muttered.
“Come over after school,” she said. “Lauren, you too. We can vent and drink wine.”
“I guess we could do that,” I replied. “Thanks, Camille.”
The children soon poured out of the gate. Bebe came running, hand in hand with Ivy. “Mommy, I’m going to Ivy’s this weekend!” she declared excitedly. “Charlie can’t come, though. Her dad is playing football.”
This was news to me. “We’ll see, girls,” I said, not wanting to commit to plans I didn’t know about.
Will walked over to us. “Hey, kiddo,” he said to Ivy. “We’ve got to get going.”
Ivy turned to him. “Daddy, please tell Miss Natalie about our playdate.”
Will rubbed the back of his neck. “Ivy wants Bebe to come over,” he said. “I don’t know what your plans for break are.”
“Sorry, Ivy,” I said gently. “Bebe will be with her dad all week. I can give your dad his information if you want to set something up.”
Ivy pouted but nodded. “I’m going to my mom’s tomorrow,” she said. “But Bebe can come to either house. Please, Miss Natalie?”
I gave Will a glance, trying to act like we were just two parents coordinating schedules. “I’ll share Bebe’s dad’s info,” I said. “But we have to go. Say goodbye, Bebe.”
The girls hugged tightly before we left, Ivy waving as we walked away.
As I drove home, frustration settled back in. Now I was mad at myself for how I’d acted. I also wondered what Will would do over break if his children were with Kelly. The only time we seemed to thrive was when we were alone.
I grabbed Lisa’s pastries to bring to Camille’s. Lauren and Charlie were already there when I arrived, and I set the treats out for the kids, knowing full well Camille and Lauren wouldn’t touch them.
I told them everything, about Lisa, about Will, and about my own emotional mess.
“What a bitch,” Camille said, referring to Lisa. “Who brings over muffins and starts talking about their crush?”
“She’s trying to make you fat,” Lauren added with a smirk, and we all burst out laughing.
Eventually, we moved on to other topics. Lauren invited Meredith and me to a Chargers game on Sunday. “We have great seats,” she said. “You should come.”
“That’s so nice,” I said. “I’ll check with Meredith.”
“Also, girls’ night on Saturday?” Camille suggested. “Should we go out or stay in?”
“Anything but Bourbon House,” I said, referring to the trouble-inducing restaurant.
The laughter that followed eased some of my tension.
Later, when I checked my phone, I noticed a text from Will.
Will: Call me when you can.
Embarrassment bubbled up. I’d been unnecessarily harsh earlier, and now I didn’t know how to respond. After getting the kids home, feeding them dinner, and surviving the bedtime routine, I debated whether to call him. Instead, I opted for a text:
Natalie: Hey, are you around?
Will: Give me a few. Wrapping up with the kids.
An hour later, just as I was dozing off, my phone buzzed.
“Hey,” I answered groggily.
“Did I wake you?” Will’s voice was soft.
“No. I’m sorry about today.”
“I’m sorry, too,” he said. “I let too much time go by. Things have been hectic here, too. We just need to be patient with each other, okay? And for the record, I’m not interested in Lisa.
I’m only interested in you, Natalie. I told you I was willing to give you space and wait for you to figure this out and I will. I want you.”
His words melted my frustration. “Okay,” I said quietly.
“As Ivy told you today, the kids will be with Kelly for Thanksgiving, Friday to Friday,” he added.
“We’re almost on the same schedule,” I said with a soft laugh. “My kids are with Jason Saturday to Saturday.”
“Your first Thanksgiving without the kids,” he noted. “Are you okay?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “Meredith is coming, so I’m grateful for that.”
“Well, if you can sneak away for a night, let me know. Or I’ll come there.”
“I would like that.”
“We will figure this out-us.” Will said with a calm tone that reassured me.
“Okay. Goodnight, Will.”
“Goodnight, Natalie.”
Relief washed over me, and I drifted into a peaceful sleep.