Page 89 of I Choose You
“I’m still not sure. Last thing Andrew told me was that he would be getting in touch with me after the grand opening.”
“I’m going to miss you when you leave. I wish you didn’t have to go.”
“I agree. I feel like you belong here. You’re one of us now,” Scarlett added.
“Thanks, guys. I’m going to miss you too.” These ladies had become my friends over the last eight months. They’d welcomed me into their circle and helped make Calla Bay feel like a home.
We left the general store and piled into Scarlett’s SUV. She put on her GPS to get us to the nearest party supply store and cranked up the music. One of the best things about hanging out with Maeve and Scarlett was that there always seemed to be music playing.
The party supply store was twenty minutes away. After we collected the paper plates, napkins, banners, and balloons, Maeve asked if we could stop for something to eat.
“We passed a creamery on the way down here. It looked like they had food, plus ice cream,” I said.
Maeve’s eyes lit up at the mention of ice cream. “Sounds perfect.”
“So,” Scarlett started after we had settled into our table at the creamery, “what does Reid think about your project coming to an end?”
“It’s kind of bittersweet. He and the crew put so much work into the renovations, I think he’s excited to finally show it off, but at the same time, it’s been such a big undertaking, and he isn’t really ready to be done with it yet.”
Scarlett locked eyes with Maeve before they both turned back to me.
“Are you sure it’s just the work on the library that Reid isn’t ready to be done with?” Maeve asked softly. Scarlett raised her brow quizzically, waiting for my response.
I knew that wasn’t the whole story. We hadn’t said the words to each other, but I knew that Reid loved me. And I loved him. Walking away was going to gut me.
“We don’t really talk about what happens next,” I told them.
“Why not? It’s going to affect both of you,” Scarlett asked.
“I don’t want to hurt him,” I whispered. “It won’t do either of us any good to pretend like this is permanent. His entirelife is here. His family, his friends, his business. While mine is…” I trailed off.
“While yours is where?” Maeve asked.
I didn’t know where my next assignment would be, or the one after that, or the one after that. I was so excited when I got my first project manager placement, ready to see new places, immerse myself in the history and culture of new people. I loved what I did, what I’d contributed to in bringing the Delano Library back to its original glory. But this job placement came up just as I ended my relationship with Will, and I couldn’t deny that maybe I was running when I came here.
I forced a smile onto my face, burying the nagging thoughts in the back of my mind. “Enough about me. Scarlett, what’s new with you?”
Her bright blue eyes popped at my abrupt change of topic. Maeve offered me a sad, soft smile before probing Scarlett for any information on the largest crime Calla Bay had ever seen.
“Yeah, what can you tell us about poor Alana Karrigan’s murder?”
From what I had been told, Calla Bay hadn’t seen a murder for over thirty years. Finding the high school honor society student stabbed to death had been a huge shock to the town.
“We’re not releasing any information yet. It’s just so sad though. She was a good kid, a good student, a good daughter. Heck, even if she wasn’t, she didn’t deserve to be murdered.”
We talked about the case while we ate our lunch. How it wasn’t just a family that was reeling with this news but an entire community. The people here were more than just neighbors passing by. They were a part of each other’s lives.
An hour later, Scarlett dropped me off at Reid’s house.
“Will I see you on Monday for the grand opening?”
“Oh yeah, I’m going to be there bright and early before I have to go into work,” Scarlett said.
Maeve frowned. “I won’t be able to get there until after work, but I promise to stop by on my way to get Jane.”
I hugged them both before I left them. I really was going to miss these ladies when I left. They’d invited me into their community without a second thought. I had no idea what waited for me back in Connecticut. My old friends there were more Will’s friends than mine. Besides the occasional text, I had barely heard from any of them since Will and I broke up. Did I really need to go back there? Was working for a man who clearly didn’t value me or my work really that important?
I couldn’t quit though. I’d quit law school. I’d quit my relationship with Will. If I quit this job too, I would only be proving my father right.
