Page 63 of Wine and Research
Except for her friends.
And Jeremy.
Her heart squeezed, remembering the hurt and disillusionment dulling his eyes before he left. She couldn’t blame him for being upset. Would he be relieved if she left?
Sighing, she pinched the bridge of her nose, unsure what to think or do.
This town was different. The people were warm and friendly and funny. They were giving, and for the first time in her life, she’d given herself permission to enjoy the company of others for more than a few weeks. Elle had lowered her guard, let a lot of people past her walls, and formed friendships.
She was happy here.
Dammit.
Elle blinked, putting an end to another round of threatening tears as the muffled sound of her phone, vibrating and ringing, hit her ears.
Jeremy?
With an absurd hope surging through Elle, she sprinted out of the den to the table near the door, where she’d set her purse last night. In a matter of seconds, she fished it out and answered without checking the screen.
“Hey, Elle,” Jenna said.
Elle swallowed down a wave of disappointment.
Wrong Mercer.
Her stomach knotted when she remembered that her recent discovery also affected her friend. Was Jenna going to be upsetand blame Patrick for her father’s death? Or would she be surprisingly understanding like Jeremy?
“Hey,” she said back as nervousness set in.
“Can you come by the shop right now? I have mochas and kind of need some advice.”
She frowned.
Had Jeremy already told his sister? Is that what she wanted to discuss?
No, he was on a call. Duty first. Besides, he wasn’t the type to run to his sister if things got tough, not even to discuss his new discovery about Elle’s connection to their father.
She scratched her temple. “Ah, sure.”
“Good. See you soon,” Jenna said before the line went dead.
Elle put her phone away then slung her purse over her shoulder. She wasn’t sure what Jenna needed advice on, but she was glad to help and to confess what she’d discovered about the day their lives changed two and a half decades ago.
After turning off the coffee pot, Elle locked Jeremy’s house, then headed to town. The closer she got to Main Street, the more her heart raced. By the time she parked in front of the cute corner shop, her hands were shaking.
Not good. Elle drew in a slow, deep breath, then blew it out just as slowly. Feeling slightly better, she left the car and walked past the window boxes on the florist shop. They overflowed with vibrant flowers that invited people to step inside and discover the treasures within.
A soft chime tinkled as Elle opened the door and inhaled. The air was filled with the sweet fragrance of fresh flowers from an array of blossoms in every hue imaginable adorning rustic wooden shelves.
In this charming oasis of petals and stems, time seemed to stand still, and worries melted away in the presence of suchnatural beauty. And damn, Elle never appreciated it more than she did right now.
“Hey, Elle. Good, come on back.” Jenna motioned from her office doorway just beyond the counter.
She entered the office and sat on one of the comfortable chairs in front of the desk and smiled her thanks when her friend handed her the aforementioned mocha. Somehow, she even managed to take a sip, knowing it was expected. Afterward, she set it on the desk near Jenna’s cup.
“So, what’s up?” she asked, noting how the woman kept wringing her hands.
Jenna sighed, standing near a filing cabinet with some kind of plant in a terracotta pot on top. “First, you can tell me why you look so sad. Did things not go good with my idiot brother last night? I thought maybe they had since you’re still wearing the same clothes. But, he’s a tough guy to try to help. Oh, no…don’t tell me he wouldn’t let you in.”
