Page 78 of Taming Her Temptations

Trust me, it’s true, Mike. I continue my goodbye to him in my head as I walk along the pool. I really am trying. Maybe in a few years, when you get engaged to some gorgeous young actress I’ll curse myself for missing a chance with you. Maybe by then, I’ll be over this obsession with three men who don’t want me. But it feels unlikely…

I unlock the guest house and sure enough, Blaire is waiting in an armchair that looks out over the party.

“A real social butterfly tonight, huh?” I smile, walking over to her.

“Hey!” She swivels in the chair toward me. “I’m sorry. I look like a creeper. I just came in here to drop off a letter you got and then just,” she swivels back to look at the party, her voice trailing off.

“Just wanted to relax a little?” I offer.

“Yeah,” she nods and leans her head deeper into the armchair.

Blaire works harder than anyone I know. I don’t blame her for needing some time alone. Sometimes I wonder why she throws these parties at all, because we usually end up just chatting the two of us. She doesn’t even seem to especially like the people she invites.

I see the letter she’s referring to and grab it. I plop myself down on the armchair next to her.

“Want to hear what good old Papa Rivers has to say?” I offer.

She turns to me. “Oh, always,” she says excitedly.

My dad has been sending me letters since I got here because he thinks, and I quote, “any chance to send a letter is a gift”.

I skim over the first part, updating me on his garden beds and Daisy’s latest achievements, mostly because I’m well-acquainted with both. I grew up tending that garden and I video chat with Daisy once a week.

“Okay, here’s the juicy part.” I say. “As you know, things have been a dream with Odette.” Blaire squeezes my arm in excitement. She lives for the romance between Odette and my dad, even though she’s never met either of them.

“So well,” I continue. “That we’ve decided to move in together…” My excitement dissipates, sensing what comes next. “I would love if you could come home and choose the things from the cottage that you would like to keep and give our home for almost four decades a loving farewell.”

I drop the letter on my lap, feeling entirely defeated.

“Oh, Rubes,” Blaire squeezes my hand. “I’m sorry.”

A tear falls down my face. The cottage is so much more than the century-old stones that it’s built with. The cottage is all the memories I have of my mom. It’s my dad’s sculptures. It’s my childhood.

“Tell me what I can do.” Blaire offers, trying to cheer me up. “I’ll go with you. I’ll help you pack.”

“Thanks, Blaire.” I wipe a tear from my eye. “But I’ve got to do this on my own.”

That’s the whole point, right? I’m supposed to learn how to get along on my own? Well, now I really will be.

Because that cottage represents one more thing. It’s my last tie to Levi, Dean, and Asher.

And I guess it’s time to really cut them free.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Ruby

I guess it’s fitting that when I get to Greenfield after flying across the country to get here, there isn’t a soul to greet me. Despite devoting most of my life to it, this town has abandoned me in the blink of an eye.

Okay, maybe I’m being a little dramatic. My dad had a dentist appointment he couldn’t cancel so I had to take a cab from the airport. But being back here has me feeling as emo as my Dashboard Confessional phase.

I grab the key from under the mat and open up the cottage. My heart sinks as I see the proof that my dad wasn’t lying. Moving boxes are stacked in every corner, making an already cramped cottage feel just plain claustrophobic. I take a deep breath.

I can do this.

I head to the kitchen to satisfy my screaming stomach. I grab an apple and bite, then head to the fridge.

“Bingo,” I say as I spot a plate of French toast with my name literally on it, written in chocolate syrup. My dad does love me after all.

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