Page 61 of Accidentally Yours
“Your grandfather left it with me over a year ago.” Fred handed it to him carefully. “Said one day you or Mary Anne would come looking for it.”
Ethan swallowed, pulling the book close, looking down at it reverently. He brushed his fingers over the soft leather, picturing his grandpa holding the journal, penning words and thoughts.
“Thank you,” Ethan said, pushing past a lump building in his throat. “For keeping his journal safe.”
“He was a good man.” Fred’s voice was warm. “Fierce. Curious. Brave. Always spoke about you.”
Ethan cleared his throat, nodding. Paige stepped close and gently touched his back. A quiet support. No fanfare. Just her being steady.
“We were friends for nearly forty years,” Fred added. “I miss him.”
Sad, Ethan nodded. “Me too.”
“I hope you find what you need in there.” Fred gestured toward the journal. He paused, and then added, “My door is always open. If you’d ever like to hear some marvelous stories about Aldean, just stop by. I’ve got quite a few.”
Ethan clutched the journal to his chest, absorbing the powerful presence of his grandpa. “I’ll take you up on that. Thank you.”
“Good luck to the both of you,” Fred replied with a nod. “With the necklace and in life.”
They thanked him again and stepped out of the office, walking down the hall in silence until Paige put a hand on Ethan’s arm, and stopped. “Are you okay?”
He turned to face her, and their gazes connected, both stunned and curious. Then their attention fell to the book. Ethan opened it, slowly, like an ancient treasure chest. On the very first page, his grandpa’s curved cursive was laid out in a few verses. They read the words together in silence.
This is the last, the journey’s close,
Where love once bloomed and memories grow.
Not in gold, nor buried deep,
But where my love still dares to keep.
For the two who will always hold my heart—
The necklace waits where time comes apart.
Below the riddle, there was another message:Mary Anne & Ethan, I will love you always. I will be with you always. Keep the adventure going. Love, Aldean.
Ethan couldn’t speak around the massive lump wedged in his throat. He tried unsuccessfully to fist it down and when Paige looked up at him, eyes tender and soft, he had no words.
“That’s beautiful,” she whispered. When he didn’t reply, she stepped close and wrapped her arms around him. Her hug pierced his chest and anchored him. He hugged her back, letting every jagged emotion flow through him like a rushing river.
When he finally eased back, they stood close. Their gazes met, and something buzzed in the air between them. Possibility. Love. Gratitude. Likely, all of it. And the realization of that forced Ethan to grapple with reality. He needed to give Paige space. He wanted to respect her boundaries. His heart needed to settle down and stay in its own lane. And the only way to control his heart was to step back . . . from this.
“Thanks for being here with me,” he whispered.
“Of course,” Paige replied, scanning his face, her expression shifting, looking unsure.
He exhaled, pushing against the pain building in his chest. “I’ve been thinking. I don’t want things to get weird between us. Or confusing. I care about you, Paige. I care about this friendship. I don’t want to lose that.”
I don’t want to lose you.
He didn’t want to scare her away, like he had at the rink. He wanted to keep her close. And if she truly wasn’t interested in a romantic relationship, then he’d suffer in silence. Because he wanted Paige Moon in his life. And he knew he couldn’t be with her, kiss her, hold her, if it was only fake and temporary.
Her lips parted. Closed. Parted again. But no words came out.
“We’ve got a good thing going,” Ethan added, forcing a smile as he dropped the journal to his side. “I don’t want to mess that up. Let’s just . . . focus on finishing the book and finding the necklace. Together, okay? As friends.”
For a fleeting second, he gripped tight to the leather-bound pages, thinking she might protest, but it was only wishful thinking. Because, with her next breath, Paige blinked and stepped back. “Yeah. Sure. Okay.”
