Page 66 of Wild Dreams

"Well, I've only seen the one performed, but I thought all the ones I read were good."

Her nose scrunched. "It's nothing like what my parents write."

"Hey, just because your parents work in academia doesn't mean your work is any less worthy."

Marigold laughed and looked away. "That's not what they think."

I frowned. "At this point, they're not a part of your life. Their opinion is worthless." Especially if it made her feel less than.

Marigold let out a soft huff of breath. "It feels better just thinking about doing that."

"You are amazing and kind, and if your parents can't see that, then they're not worth your time."

"I'm going to talk to them about getting someone else to watch their house. If they want to keep it, then they can maintain it."

Normally, I'd promote someone helping parents who needed it, but I had a feeling they were taking advantage of Marigold. The house represented the family she didn't get. She didn't need the reminder. "I'm proud of you."

"I haven't done it yet."

"I know you will when you're ready to."

"Thanks for believing in me. I don't feel like I've had anyone in my life like that in a long time."

Marigold's phone buzzed. "Scarlett keeps texting to ask me if I've contacted the matches on the app."

Everything inside of me tightened with tension. "What are you going to say?"

She looked at me with her brow furrowed. "What should I say?"

"What do you want to do?" I couldn't be part of this decision.

She chewed her lip. "I like spending time with you."

"But I can't give you what you want." I didn't want her to think I'd change.

She set her phone aside. "I think I'm going to take things day by day."

"That's a good plan." I wasn't sure what to say about any of this. I didn't want her seeing other men, but who was I to hold her back? At some point, I'd have to set her free. I didn't want her pining after an imaginary future with me when she could have the real deal with someone else.

My phone dinged with my daily update about what went down overnight.

"What is that?" Marigold asked.

"I have Carol send me a list of everything that happened when I'm not working."

"Is that something you could wait to look at when you got into the office?"

"I like to know what's going on at all times." But I did tense up when I got the text. When I saw that Bernie had been brought in overnight for drinking too much at the bar again, I wanted to talk to him, see what was going on. His wife died a couple of years ago, and every year around this time, he drank more. I was worried about him.

"But is that necessary?"

"If I want to be a good sheriff."

Marigold didn't respond, but she followed me to the door where I turned to face her, tucking a damp strand of hair behind her ear. Tenderness washed through me. "Good luck with the ending to your story. I'm sure whatever you decide will be perfect."

"How can you possibly know that?"

"Because there is no right answer. All the endings you're thinking of could work, or you wouldn't be considering them."

---