Page 12 of Eternal Hoptimist

Exactly.I’d spent most of my adult years trying to find my next relationship instead of simply existing.

I’d been waiting for Austin to call me out on it. Out of all the guys, Austin had been privy to the goriest details of my dating history. He knew best how I lost myself in relationships, got obsessed with people way too early, and altered myself to fit what I thought they wanted in the pursuit of love.

“Not at all. I’ve gone from person to person for years, and the common denominator among the wreckage is me. If I take a step back from trying to find my love, maybe I’ll figure out what I’m doing wrong.”

We inched forward in line.

Austin looked thoughtful. “I’m clearly not an expert since this is the first healthy relationship I’ve ever had, but I don’t think stopping dating is how you find someone.”

“What I’ve been doing hasn’t worked, so I might as well try something new. It’s not forever. A short break from being on the hunt.”

Austin hummed but didn’t press.

Caleb returned right as we were next in line to order.

“Caleb! My man. It’s been a while.” A guy with a waxed handlebar mustache and a pompadour reached out and shook Caleb’s hand.

“Good to see you. Missed you last time I swung by.”

“Things going well with your new setup? I heard you’re working on opening a restaurant.”

Caleb chatted with him and introduced us as the man cooked the orders ahead of ours.

“It’s nice and busy,” Caleb mused while the man cooked our food.

He shook his head. “Rumor is the same thing is about to happen here as our last place. We bring tons of people here, the property becomes more valuable, and the owner wants to sell.”

Caleb’s face crumpled. “Shit. Seriously? Is that what the suits are doing over there?” He gestured toward a cluster of people at the far end of the lot. A crowd of hungry people blocked most of my view.

“Probably.”

“Fucking sucks, man. I’m sorry.”

As they chatted, my blood boiled. It was the same bullshit the developers were trying to pull on my great-aunt Rosie back in Kansas. They’d bought out everyone who owned land around her to build some big housing and retail development. She was the only homeowner who hadn’t sold yet because that land had been in my great-uncle George’s family for generations. She couldn’t bear to leave the home she’d shared with her husband.

I couldn’t bear the thought of losing the only haven I had in Kansas. Rosie had been the one person who always made me feel not only accepted butwanted. Even when I moved to Oregon for college, I took comfort in knowing I could always go back to Rosie’s place. I stewed over it once we had our food and found a table.

“I can’t believe they’re going to develop this pod too. This is one of the more established ones in the city.” Caleb shook his head as he stabbed his fork into the crepe. “At this rate, there won’t be any pods left.”

“It pisses me off developers want to barge in and act like their ideas supersede whatever is already happening in a space.” I ground my teeth together.

Austin and Caleb looked startled. I must’ve spoken louder than intended.

“Rosie,” I said to Austin.

“Oh, right.” He explained to Caleb.

“Could they build around her?” Caleb asked.

I shook my head. “Her acreage is at the heart of their plans.”

“That fucking sucks. What is she going to do?” Caleb asked.

“Hold out and hope they back off, I guess. Their offers keep getting bigger.” I thought of the letter she called me about the other day and how she was all alone in that house. I worried the developers would pull something shady, and if they did, there was nothing I could do about it. I’d spent my inheritance on the brewery and couldn’t afford a lawyer, which left googling my ass off as the best option. If my parents weren’t actively trying to convince her to sell, I would ask them for help. All they saw were dollar signs.

Great-Aunt Rosie meant everything to me. We’d formed a special bond the day my grandfather caught me braiding my little sister’s hair and had some choice, and bullshit, comments about masculinity for my parents and me. Rosie had long hair back then and asked me to braid her hair while telling me I could be whoever I wanted. She’d even told me I could like whoever I wanted, but I was too young back then to understand what she meant. Since then, Rosie and I have been thick as thieves.

We bitched about it while finishing our delicious lunches and talked about meeting for dinner later.

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