Page 78 of Wish I Didn't Want You Back

I wanted to reach out and touch him. Show him how much I meant it. He said he believed me, but I still felt the need to convince him.My conversation with Molly from a few weeks ago popped into my mind. I’d been toying with the idea of starting something on my own. Given how comfortable I’d become with the thought of living here, I’d found myself thinking about it more than ever.

I pulled on my white crop top when I felt it riding up my back. “There is something I’ve been thinking about, but I’ve been waiting for the right moment to share it with you.”

He took a bite of his strawberry. “I’m listening.”

“I decided to put down some roots here and possibly start my own business,” I blurted out.

His gaze snapped to mine. “Pardon?”

“I don’t want to spend the rest of my life chained to a desk and bust my ass for someone who doesn’t appreciate me. I want to do something meaningful. Something that makes me happy.”

He studied me for a minute. “What would you do?”

My fingers toyed with the edge of the blanket. “I thought about opening a nursery and specializing in landscape design.”

A look of understanding settled on his features. “Your mom?”

My eyes watered because, of course, he would connect the dots. “Do you think it’s stupid?”

He reached for my hand. “No, baby. I don’t think it’s stupid. I’m just surprised, in a good way,” he stressed. “Between Finn and me, we could send a lot of business your way.”

My eyes drifted across the lake to where my house sat on the opposite shore. It wasn’t visible because we were so far away, but I knew it was there. “What if I fail? I don’t know the first thing about running a business.”

His gaze followed mine. “You will not fail. I remember how pretty the flower beds were in front of the lake house. Anyonecan plant flowers and shrubs, but you knew how to lay them out and combine all the different kinds of plants.”

Tears stung my eyes. Sometimes it felt like he believed in me more than I believed in myself. “You really think I could do it?”

“Without a doubt in my mind. It’s a great idea. You’re a natural. I’m proud of you.”

A single tear slipped down my cheek. “Damn it,” I said, swiping at my cheeks. “I wasn’t planning on crying today.”

He chuckled, reached into the basket, and pulled out a napkin.“And I didn’t plan on this conversation when I was packing the cheese and crackers.”

I chuckled lightly while dabbing under my eyes.“I’m still trying to wrap my head around the idea myself.”

There was something about this moment, with the smell of fresh cut grass, the birds chirping in the distance, and the sound of the water rippling against the shoreline, that made me feel lighter. We talked and brainstormed on ways I could draw customers in and all the things I would do. The more we talked, the less it felt like a whimsical idea.

He stood up and stretched. “Wanna go for a swim with me?” he asked, crinkling up his napkin and throwing it in the bag.

“It’s almost September. The lake is freezing.”

“Come on.” He grabbed my hand to pull me up. The muscles on his back flexed as he walked. I tried not to stare, but the man’s body was a work of art. I loved how time had sculpted his body, but he was still the same guy inside.

“Brooks.” I pulled on his arm, stopping him as we got closer to the water. “I don’t think jumping in the lake and freezing our asses off before we have to hop on your motorcycle is a good idea.”

He smirked at me as if I had just issued him a challenge. “I can warm you up before we head back.”

I shook my head with a laugh. “Not happening.”

He backed me up under the willow tree. His grin turned lazy and familiar. “Do you remember this tree?”

I narrowed my eyes. “You know I do.”

It was where he first kissed me.

He leaned in, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “I convinced you to take a chance on me then. Now, I’m asking you to trust me. I have blankets in the back and a dry hoodie for you to wear.”

I looked out at the sky. The sun was slipping below the horizon. “My answer is still no.”

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