Page 9 of Return To You

“Yeah, she doesn’t care anymore,” Haley butts in.

Alex frowns at her, then turns to me. “I saw the listing… just… are you sure you’re gonna be okay?”

“What listing?”

“Shit,” she whispers, narrowing her eyes on me. “Maybe we should talk about this somewhere else.”

I grab my to-go mug and stand. “I have to open in ten minutes anyway, but I can drop you off at Clark’s Meadow.” Seeing Alex’s puzzlement, I add, “Where the fair will be. You don’t need to go that early, though. I just want to get situated and have a parking spot that’s not miles away from my tent.”

“Oh I’m totally coming,” Alex says. “I need content for our socials. Get the hype up. And maybe we can talk?”

Why is she being so cagey?

“It’s gonna be so hot today,” Haley moans as she climbs in, shotgun. “We should go to Mayer’s Hole tonight,” she adds as I pull out of my parking spot and head out of town.

Alex clears her throat and leans in between us. “Guys, in a minute you’ll tell me all about Mayer’s Hole, but first I need to know that Grace is alright with her building being on the market.”

I jerk my head to her and nearly knock off one of the flower baskets adorning the covered bridge. Once we’re safely on the other side of the narrow passage, Haley says, “What the fuck?”

Yeah, what the fuck sounds right.

“The spa building is for sale. I know because we’re looking for a location for our new headquarters. And our realtor sent us the link to your place.”

“Who’s the listing agent?” Haley asks, tapping on her phone.

“I can find out,” Alex answers.

“On it,” Haley mumbles.

“You didn’t know?” Alex asks me.

My head is spinning, and my mouth is dry. Thank god the Jeep knows its way around here, because I don’t feel like I’m behind the wheel anymore. Why didn’t my landlord tell me?

“I didn’t. Tell me everything,” I say as we wind through the country road.

“It’s priced to sell… and the thing is, the listing states that it can be bought rented out or empty.”

My body feels cold. The car bobs up and down the uneven field as I make my way like a robot to a parking spot. Then I shut the engine down, and we sit in silence. “Shit.” I open my door to let some air in. “I can’t really talk about all that right now. Shit,” I say again. Which seems to be the only reaction I can muster at the moment.

Too many thoughts are fighting for my attention. How fast do I need to move? What happens to all the investments I made? The paint, the new bathrooms, the refurbished floors? Where will I move? Again, how soon do I need to move? Not to mention, this location is—was—perfect. The Georgian house is ideally located downtown, with ample parking space, room to expand the business upstairs, a deck for events, and a unique inside architecture that makes women feel so pampered. “It’s going to cost me a fortune to recreate that atmosphere,” I whisper. I step out the car. “I’ll think of something.”

Alex stands next to me and pulls me in a hug. “I’m here for you. Let me know what I can do.”

I’m pretty sure Alex is loaded now. She could do anything. But I don’t want that. “I’ll need help, not pity.”

“Of course, honey. Didn’t even cross my mind.”

“Liar.”

She gives me a squeeze. “You’ve always been an inspiration to me. You can do this. And we’ll help you.”

“I gotta say, that beats my shitty news,” Haley says. She gives me a quick hug. “What she said. Lemme know how I can help. Hey, come to Sunday dinner tomorrow with your folks. Mom and Dad would love to see them, and we’ll brainstorm new places for the spa.” Haley’s parents host an informal dinner at their farm once a month, and everyone they know has an open invitation. “You’ll come too, Alex?”

“Sure. By the way, what happened to you?”

She rolls her eyes. “Oh, nothing important. Ethan rolled into town and get this—”

Ethan? My stomach bottoms.

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