Page 126 of Authentically, Izzy
His sneakers screeched to a halt in the hallway. “What?”
“I’ve been wrong, Luke. I was scared and paranoid and—”
“Stupid?”
She shot him a glare.
“Irrational?” He added.
“Yes, but after all I’d been through, I was just afraid—”
“Pigheaded?”
“Okay, now.” She caught his arm so he turned to face her. “You can stop being so nice about it.”
“Izzy, I consider Brodie my friend, and I’ve never been able to consider any of the men you’ve dated a friend before.” He settled his gaze on hers. “He’s a good guy. He really cares about you in all the right ways. And you’re a whole lot smarter than you used to be.”
“Thanks.” She exaggerated her eye roll and her shoulders slumped. “He may not want to have anything to do with me after the way I left things.”
“True.” Luke nodded and drew in a breath before refocusing on her. “But you get to decide if he’s worth that risk or not.” He cleared his throat and leaned close, looking around as if to check if someone was listening. “You know that quote I sent you before, ‘Being deeplyloved by someone gives you strength. Loving someone deeply gives you courage’?”
“Yes, Lao Tzu?”
He shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “Fortune cookie.”
“I thought you said it was your dog texting.”
“Hegot it from a fortune cookie.”
Her tears burst free with her laugh and she wrapped her arms around Luke’s neck. “I love you so much, Luke.”
He stepped back, shaking his head, but his smile squeezed out beneath his attempt at a frown. “I really need at least one level-headed relation, Izzy, and I’m holding out hope it’s you.”
“Then you’d better help me get to the airport.” She slipped her arm through his and pulled him toward the elevator. “And I wouldn’t mind a few prayers that Brodie Sutherland has as forgiving a nature as I hope he does.”
Chapter25
Sutherland’s Books brimmed with people. Izzy barely made it through the front door after bumping into several small groups either entering or exiting, arms filled with shopping bags complete with the old Sutherland’s logo, but by next week they should have a few with the new logo in place.
She paused to peer at the window display, a wonderful mixture of modern and classic, heart and head. A piece of her had already become a part of this place—not just her heart, but her creativity and this internal epiphany of who she was and what she wanted. For her life and her heart.
Inside, happy shoppers scurried in all directions, and Izzy followed the tide, staying among the crowd so that as she crossed the threshold into the shop, Lylla or Alice wouldn’t immediately notice her entrance. Izzy wanted to get her bearings before she met whatever fate Brodie doled out. She deserved his ire, maybe even his rejection. But she hoped, oh how she hoped, he recognized a soul who loved him and was willing to hang on tight, now that she’d gotten brave and smart enough to know what “real” looked like.
She slipped down aisles and around corners of the magical place of which she’d become particularly fond. Enchantment and anticipation swirled among the bindings and the decorations and the general love of all things story. She couldn’t help but smile at the bustling areas of laughing children and excited conversations.Home?Her pulse settled into the thought. Yes, she wanted to be here... in the middle of this bookishly wonderful family with an extra-wonderful bookish islander.
If he’d still have her. Her throat constricted. A careful shuffle placed her safely behind a solid row of classic fiction and she rested herhead against the shelf of Dickens, slowing her breathing so her pulse dimmed in her ears.
Would Brodie hear her? Would he give her a second chance? She doubted a dramatic Anne of Green Gablesapology would work in her favor. No, he’d always been direct with her, and she’d return in kind, even if it ended with a deeper heartache than she’d imagined only days earlier. If she didn’t try, she’d never know, and Brodie was worth the risk.
She shook her head to clear it of all the horrible scenarios of his rejection floating through her mind and caught sight of two little girls occupying one of the window seats, their heads almost touching as they looked at a book together. Another smile waited on her lips. Stories inspired hope. Dreams. Romance.
And courage.
She’d learned more about those things while knowing Brodie and visiting Skymar than in the five years leading up to this day. Her heart settled into the welcome sensation of belonging to this magical place, in the joy of discovery and imagination. In the adventure of new journeys and pleasant warmth—of comfortable familiarity. If given one more chance, she’d hold to it all and never let go. Her gaze shot heavenward.Just one more chance. Please?
For better or worse she’d spent the majority of her flight rereading all the correspondence between her and Brodie. Unfortunately she cried about as much on the flight back to Skymar as she had leaving it. How could she have been so blind? Allowed her insecurities such a hold on her heart? She loved him. Something had come to life inside of her when he’d started their correspondence. She wouldn’t lose a future with Brodie without a fight—even if that meant she had to fight him to do it.
She slipped through the rows and people, sliding her hands over a few familiar book bindings to help garner her strength. It was Monday morning. He worked on Monday mornings, didn’t he? Would he be here?
