Page 83 of Beyond the Blue Horizon
The man behind her let go of a wry chuckle, and his words dipped in dark amusement. “So, you’re Piper Whittman. Welcome to Moonlit Ridge.”
Alarm boiled in my blood. “You know my name?”
Easing forward, he set his hands on the counter and leaned in my direction. “Ah, well, Theo is basically family, and he might have mentioned you, your son, and grandmother are staying at The Sanctuary.”
A ball of razors lodged itself in my throat.
This was not going according to plan.
The last thing I needed was for them to share a connection with the one man in this town I needed to stay away from.
But I had a feeling that’s what staying in a town this size would be like.
I didn’t know if it was a blessing or a curse.
“You have a son?” Emotion took to Emery’s face. “How old?”
I tried to swallow. “Two.”
She clasped her hands together at her chest. “Oh my gosh, that is amazing. This is my fiancé, Kane. We have a little girl who is almost five. I’m so happy you walked through my door. I feel like this is fate.”
“I…” I almost threw up a wall.
Told her I wasn’t staying permanently.
Told her never mind, and I suddenly didn’t need a job after all.
Nelly’s voice whispered in my ear.Take this time and live it like it’s the only thing you’ve got.
If I ran now, would I ever stop?
I gulped the reservations down and forced a thin smile. “That’s incredible. I’d love to meet her sometime.”
“We will absolutely make that happen. Maci is going to be so excited to have a new friend, the same as her cousin, Nolan. Wait until you meet everyone.”
“Oh, I…”
Emery rounded from behind the counter. She wore a fitted white blouse and pink jeans that perfectly fit the store. “So about the job?—”
“I don’t really have any experience in retail. I mean, I attended a prestigious fashion design school in New York for two years when I was much younger, and I’ve always loved clothes, and I really think I have an eye for it, and I’m a really fast learner.”
There I went again, words flying out of my mouth.
I clamped my lips shut.
Emery laughed a gentle sound. “Well, it sounds like we need your expertise around here.”
Surprise gushed out of me. “Really?”
“Yeah. I think you’ll be a great fit.”
She extended both hands, warm blond curls bouncing around her shoulders, brown eyes filled with a kindness so rarely seen. I inched forward and accepted her hands.
It felt like the most monumental step I’d ever taken.
She squeezed my hands tight. “I think you and I are definitely going to be friends.”
The door jingled, and a rush of cold swept in. A second later, a voice gasped, “A new friend? Why didn’t you call me? I would have come running.”
