Page 102 of When We Were Us
“Do you think there’s a chance that you might…stay?” She flips a hand out. “Just, with everything?”
Taking a deep breath, I blow it out slowly, deciding to be honest. “Anything is possible at this point.”
A slow smile lights up her features, and then she whispers, “Really?”
I nod, unable to ignore the butterflies that erupt in my stomach. California, Derek, and everything going on with my business seem so insignificant after last night.
“Wren!” she squeals, and then looks around, lowering her voice, even though we’re alone. “This is amazing. I mean, I’m just so damn happy!”
“I haven’t decided anything for sure, but the idea doesn’t suck.”
“No, it doesn’t. And late-night kisses with a certain dark-haired rancher help the cause, right?”
“It definitely doesn’t hurt. And I’m not running, I swear. But for the first time in a really long time, California feels wrong.”
“What about Timber Forge? How would it feel if you chose to stay?”
My response is immediate: “Like home.”
She squeals again, making me laugh because her excitement is contagious.
“But Finn, you can’t say anything. Not to anyone.”
“I won’t even tell Hudson.” She traces an X over her heart, eyes wide.
“Especiallynot Hudson. I’ll have to go back eventually. At least, for a while, anyway. Logistically, I just have too much to clean up and figure out with Derek, our condo, and my business.”
She nods. “I’ll support you in whatever you do.” She cuts a glance away and then back at me.
“What is it?”
She checks the time and I glance at the clock. Six-twenty. The shop doesn’t open for another forty minutes.
“I know you need to get going, but I kind of wanted to talk to you about something, too.”
“Sure, ok.”
She crosses back to the other side of the counter and starts boxing up the cooled donut holes. When she finishes, I look at her expectantly. She suddenly looks a bit green around the gills. She twists her hands on the table infront of her and I wonder what has made her so anxious all of a sudden. Finn’s never been shy about things. So, this is incredibly out of character for her, especially after what we just talked about.
She holds up both her hands. “First, I’d like to preface this by saying that you can say no, and I will completely understand. And given what you’ve just told me, this could be a completely moot point, but I’ve been thinking about this a while now, and I just need to ask before I lose my nerve.”
“Okay…” I drag out the word as I watch her. “You’re freaking me out. Talk, Finn.”
“So, I know you still have some work to do on the house, and if you stay, you might not even sell at all. But if you do, I was wondering if you would consider letting me put in an offer before you list it?”
I’m sure the surprise is evident on my face. “You want to buy my grandparents’ place?”
She nods. “Me and Hudson.”
That has my attention. “YouandHudson?”
“Yes.” She glances at me. “That’s the other part I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Wait… Is there something going on between the two of you?”
I swear if she tells me they are together, I’ll faint.
She jerks her brows down over chocolate eyes. “Ew, no! Huddy’s like my brother, you know that.” She swipes a hand in front of her like she’s swatting a fly. “Gross, Wren.”
