Page 60 of Falling Inn Love
“I know. I think about it, too, all the time. Believe me. But no matter what happens, know how grateful we all are for all you’ve done. The best thing to ever happen to me is to find you on the highway that day.”
She kisses me deeply. She pulls back a little and I can’t help but tell her how I feel. “I love you. I just want you to know that. You don’t have to say anything back; I just wanted you to know.”
She looks scared. “But what if Ican’tlove you back?” she says and starts to cry. When I try to comfort her, she pushes me aside and heads out the door.
“Beth.” I take a deep breath. I grab my coat and chase after her.
There are two men sitting at the firepits. When I pass, the one wearing a white hoodie stands and walks toward me. “Hey, are you Evan?”
“I am.”
“I’m Logan,” he says. I reach out and shake his outstretched hand. Beth didn’t mention Logan was our age and not bad on the eyes. When she mentioned a literary agent, I pictured an older man in a sweater vest. Now I have questions.
“This is Preston,” he says, nodding to the other guy, who’s now standing next to Logan, his hands tucked into the front of his jeans.
“Hey, man, thanks for coming,” I tell him. “Beth told me you had some insights about the inn.”
Preston reaches out and shakes my hand as well. “It’s no problem. You have a great place here, and I know Beth is determined to help you find a way to hold on to it.”
I shake his hand. “I appreciate any advice you can offer.”
While I’d like to discuss some of Preston’s ideas with him, now’s not the time. I have to find Beth. I’m worried about how upset she got when I told her I loved her. “Speaking of Beth, have you seen her?”
“She tore through here a few minutes ago,” Logan says. “She was heading that way.” He points to the garden shed. The lights are on, so I assume she’s up there talking to Mellie.
“What happened?” Preston asks.
“I think I may have messed things up.”
“How?” Logans eyes narrow, and now their relationship becomes evident to me. This is just the kind of look I would give any dude who said he messed things up with my sister. Logan is like a brother to her.
I relax a bit and confess, “I told her I loved her and then she took off.”
Logan’s mouth goes into a firm line. “Ah, yeah, I get it. Look, Beth’s been through some things. She just needs a little time to sort things out. She’ll come around, I’m sure of it. Just be patient.”
TWENTY-THREE
BETH
You are stronger than you think.
* * *
I race over to Mellie’s. She’s musing over a seed catalog with a mug of tea as I barge in on her.
“Can I come in?” I glance around, not seeing Kase and realizing he’s probably already asleep.
“Of course. Would you like some tea?”
“Sure. Thanks,” I say, trying to push the feelings of panic away.
Mellie pours a mug in her kitchenette and brings it to me. We sit on her living room rug for a few minutes, sipping at our steaming mugs, before Mellie gently asks, “Do you want to talk about it?”
I love how Mellie doesn’t push. She can sit quietly with you, and you just know that she’s there for you. You don’t feel alone.
“I’m not really sure,” I tell her. “I have a hard time letting people in. Honestly, I would never want anyone to carry what I’ve been carrying. It’s just too awful.”
Mellie shifts her legs under her. “But isn’t that what friends and family are for? To carry you when you need to be carried? And you do the same for them?”
