Page 13 of Claiming My Grumpy Ex

Luke nodded, his hand tightening slightly on my thigh, a silent affirmation. “I get that. I love it here, too. Building the gym, watching the town grow… it’s been a dream. No big-city chaos, no need to worry about getting lost in the crowd. Just this quiet, close-knit community.”

A pang of guilt tugged at me, cutting through my thoughts of Cory. Here was Luke, offering me stability, a future I could see in clear, simple lines. The kind of life that made sense. I managed a smile, pushing the guilt back, but another thought slipped through unbidden.

The last time I’d felt this kind of connection—this sense of home—had been in high school with Cory. Different time, sure, but the memory still whispered around the edges, persistent, refusing to fade.

I took a deep breath, determined to let it go. “Yeah, I love that Jake has a safe, quiet place to grow up. The school system here is great, and I feel good knowing he’s getting the attention he needs. Plus, I definitely don’t want to deal with the big-city traffic.”

Luke laughed, nodding along. “Small-town life suits you, Ellie. It’s hard to picture you putting up with all that city chaos.” He paused, looking at me with a smile. “But what do you do when you need a break? Like, say, a weekend away? Do you have someone who could watch Jake?”

The question caught me off guard, and a flicker of discomfort prickled at the edges of my thoughts. “I, um… usually ask my parents to watch him when I need to be away for more than a day or two. They’re still in Florida and won’t be back to Beaver Creek for a few weeks. Jake loves flying to Daytona and spending timewith them, but money is tight right now,” I added, feeling the need to explain.

Luke’s hand stayed on my knee, his thumb tracing those gentle circles. “I was thinking we could get away for a bit. Just the two of us. Spend a weekend somewhere, relax without any distractions.”

The suggestion felt like a step, a clear shift in our relationship. While a part of me felt flattered, another hesitated. The thought of leaving Jake to go somewhere with Luke, even for a weekend, unsettled me. I forced a smile, hoping to hide my reluctance. “That sounds… nice,” I said, though my mind was spinning.

“A weekend away sounds nice?” He teased, leaning in, his voice warm but insistent. “Come on, Elena. We’ve been seeing each other for a while now. I thought you’d be excited about the idea.”

I glanced away, feeling that familiar tug of guilt. “I am, it’s just… complicated with Jake. I’m not sure he’s ready for that yet. I mean… me having someone new in my life,” I explained, hoping he’d understand.

Luke nodded, but his thumb continued its circles, this time a little higher up my thigh, as if he was intent on changing my mind. “Well, can’t your friends help out? Sarah or Nikki?” His voice was gentle, but there was a hint of insistence there, a quiet pressure that caught me off guard. “I just thought it would be a chance for us to spend some private time together. To see where things go.”

The weight of his expectation settled over me, thick and heavy, as if he’d handed me something fragile I wasn’t sure I could hold. Luke was a good man, offering me something normal, something reliable—a chance to share my life with someone again. But here I was, struggling to move forward because of a man I hadn’t seen in years.

I looked down at my plate, picking at my salad, as I tried to gather my thoughts. There was a time when a simple weekend getaway would have sounded perfect, like a natural step. But now, with Cory’s reappearance, I felt myself being pulled in two directions, torn between the promise of something new with Luke and the pull of my past.

“I’ll think about it,” I managed, looking up to offer him a polite smile. “But I really should get back to the salon. I don’t want to keep my next client waiting.”

Luke let out a small sigh, his hand finally leaving my thigh. “Alright. But don’t keep me hanging too long. I’d love to make this happen.”

As we walked back toward the salon, I felt the steady pressure of his arm around me, a new realization gnawed at me from the inside out, something I hadn’t let myself admit until now.

I couldn’t keep pretending.

Until I understood Cory’s situation, I could not move forward with Luke.

Back insideReflections, I slipped on my apron and focused on the salon’s rhythm, hoping the familiar sounds and scents would quiet my thoughts. As I prepped my station, Sarah sidled up beside me with an excited grin.

“Elena, guess what?” she said, her eyes sparkling. “One of our product reps just stopped by and invited us out for dinner tonight. She wants to show us a new line of hair extensions and do a demo.”

I raised an eyebrow, momentarily caught off guard. “Really? On a Monday night?”

Sarah shrugged, still grinning. “She’s in town for just a couple of days, so it’s tonight or nothing. Besides, we’ll get to see the new products up close before anyone else, maybe even snag a few samples.”

The idea was tempting. I hadn’t been out for a casual, work-related evening in what felt like ages. And I could use a distraction—a chance to laugh with the girls, to focus on something light and easy instead of the tangle of emotions I couldn’t shake.

I glanced at my watch. Jake would be at baseball practice after school, so I wouldn’t need to pick him up until eight. Plenty of time. “Alright, I’m in. Sounds fun.”

“Perfect!” Sarah gave a little cheer. “Nikki offered to drive, so we’ll just pile into her van after closing and head over.”

The rest of the afternoon flew by in a blur of appointments, each client a welcome distraction. By the time our last client left, we had gathered our bags and walked out the back door, the last of us to go, and I chuckled as Nikki jingled her car keys. “Everyone ready? We’ll see if we can charm our way into a few freebies,” she winked.

As Nikki backed out of the lot and turned down Main Street, something caught my eye. Down by the pier, just across from the salon, was a boat tied up in the fading light. Sitting in the boat, almost blending into the quiet scenery, was a figure that looked strangely familiar. My breath caught, and for a moment, I swore I recognized his slouched, casual posture, the way he held himself like he belonged there.

No… it couldn’t be.

I shook my head, laughing at myself inwardly.

You’re seeing things, Elena. Cory is the last thing you need on your mind right now.

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