Page 95 of (Un)Expected

And I felt…okay?

Alright, okay wasn’t the right word. When I dreamed of this scenario, it was one where I held all the power, and I was walking away on my terms. In my dream, I had found success, and I could smugly tell Diane to kiss my ass.

Not because the horrible woman tried to blackmail me into staying on and working for her.

My heart sank again, thinking about Calla and her mother’s words, how deep they seemed to cut, worse than anything Diane had ever hurled at her before. I knew that look on her face all too well, the one when you realized the person you’d been fighting for wasn’t worthy of your loyalty.

As soon as we left the office, we went up to Calla’s suite, packing everything she needed. With Javi’s help, we were able to box it all up and load the cars within two hours. The entire time, I thought Diane would come apologize, but instead, she sent a security officer to ask Calla for her room key. That was a new low.

As soon as we got back to my house, Cole was waiting on the front porch. I’d texted him as soon as we left the resort, asking if he minded if Calla stayed with us for a while. The delay in his reply was just enough for me to start freaking out, wondering if he’d planned on getting his own apartment now. It seemed silly; we were already living together without the label. For the first time, I was happily willing to give up some of my space.

When he texted back, more than willing to let her crash in the guest room for as long as she needed, I couldn’t help grinning. I wanted to pinch myself, not sure how I was so lucky to have such a good man at my side. Maybe it was the universe rewarding me for surviving Nate.

I tried to tamp down my good mood for Calla’s sake, but she noticed me tucking my lip between my teeth and rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to pretend to be sad on my account, Alex.”

“What?” I said, feigning ignorance. “I’m not–”

“Yes, you are,” she laughed. “And I swear, I’m okay. I’m weirdly excited about this. I’ve always had my parents looking over my shoulder, so this is the first time I get to do what I want without their commentary.” She pursed her lips. “I’m very tempted to get a giant tattoo.”

“Hold off on that one,” I chuckled.

She paused, tapping her fingers on her thighs. “Thank you again. I promise, I won’t bother you guys for too long.”

“You’re not bothering us.”

“You guys just started dating,” Calla said. “And now, there’s a third wheel crashing with you. I promise I’m going to figure out what I’m doing sooner rather than later. I have a little bit of savings from my side gigs—maybe I’ll try to get a place in town. Devyn owes me a lifetime of sister favors, so maybe I’ll crash with her.”

“New York would be a good adventure.” I nudged her with my elbow. “Take your time, Calla. There’s no deadline here. Figure out your next steps, and we’ll be here to help in any way we can.”

Cole came to the driver's side of the car and knocked on thewindow. When I rolled it down, he stuck his head inside, giving me a brief kiss before looking over at Calla. “You good?”

“Sure,” she chuckled. “I’m homeless and penniless, but otherwise, the world is looking up. At least I’m free from my demonic mother.” Calla stretched out her arms. “That feels pretty damn good.”

“Why don’t you head up to the guest room and get settled?” I offered, climbing out of the car. While Calla walked inside, I took Cole’s hand, keeping him outside with me a few minutes longer.

As soon as he turned to face me, he wrapped me in a tight hug, the smell of cedar and spice instantly soothing me. It was a comfort I’d never really known before, having someone to help carry the burden when it got too heavy. Cole leaned back, brushing the hair back behind my ear. “Are you okay?”

“Not really,” I shrugged. “I’ve been telling myself there are plenty of other places I could buy, but I was so excited about that one. Fox Creek seemed perfect, and now…” I shuddered, thinking of what might happen to it.

“Me too, Alex.” Cole kissed my forehead. “Like you said: this isn’t the end of the world. We’re going to make this dream come true, no matter what.” He scratched the back of his head. “And, good news—you can take your time, because Curt hooked me up with a job. You know Steve Kaplan?”

“The contractor?” I asked. “Yeah, he did some of the work in my bathroom.”

“Well, he needed another guy for his crew, and Curt gave him my name. He’s got a lot of projects coming up, and he thinks I’ll be a good addition. I’m going to learn a lot, and I figured, when it’s time, I can use what I’ve learned to help fix things up around your inn.”

“Really?” I beamed up at him. “I can’t believe you did that.”

Cole just smiled, tipping my chin up to press his lips to mine. “One day, sweetheart, you’re going to realize that I’d do anything to make you happy.”

“You,” I said. “You’re all I need to be happy.”

The following week,Cole insisted we go for a drive to check out other properties, but I wasn’t quite ready. At this point, the couch had developed an Alex-sized hole in it.

I didn’t see the point in going to look at anything else. Even with Adam’s investment, there was no way I’d have enough without a sizable bank loan. After Diane pulled her move, I scheduled an appointment with the bank, trying to explain my situation. Not only was he petrified of Diane’s wrath, but he also informed me that because I was no longer employed, I wasn’t qualified for another loan.Lucky me.

Cole had been incredibly patient, waiting out my erratic mood swings as I tried to figure out my next moves. He insisted I take all the time I needed to figure it out, not wanting me to rush into another job I hated. He was thriving at his new job. Steve said he was a natural, and working on his family farm had prepared him for the manual labor. His back still twinged, but with daily exercise, it wasn’t as much of a nuisance.

I hopped into Cole’s truck, not bothering to ask where we were going. I’d already tried that tactic earlier—naked. If he didn’t tell me then, there was no way he’d cave now.

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