Page 88 of So in Love
“But maybe your concern isn’t coming from them but from you.For me, I knew I felt differently about Kelsey than I did about Paige.Once I figured that out, I relaxed.Is what you feel for Crystal the same as what you felt for Sadie?”
Yes and no.He wanted to spend every waking moment with Crystal, and he’d wanted that with Sadie too.He wanted to share things with Crystal, but he’d wanted that with Sadie too.With Sadie, it was maybe that he was trying to impress her, to score points, to keep her interest.Crystal wasn’t like that.He shared things with her to see the light glow in her eyes or hear the music of her laughter.“Yeah, I guess it’s different.I loved Sadie.I think I’minlove with Crystal.”
Luke grinned.“Sounds like you’ve got it figured out.You should go to wherever she is.”
“I agree.”Mom’s voice broke into their conversation.She stood behind Jamie, a few steps away, surprising both Jamie and Luke who exchanged looks.
“I swear I didn’t see her there,” Luke whispered.
She moved closer, a faint smile lifting her lips.“I’m glad you came tonight, Jamie.”
“Did you mean what you said just now?”
“That you should go after Crystal?Yes.Does that surprise you?”
“I was pretty sure she was persona non grata in your opinion.”
Mom took a deep breath.“No.I mean, she was.Which was stupid.None of this is her fault—at least none of what happened in the past and certainly not how I feel about it.The screenplay is another issue, and I do wish she’d maybe shared her vision with the town.”
“She’s not obligated to do that,” Jamie said, his ire pricking.
Mom touched his arm gently.“No, she’s not.I’m only saying what I wish would’ve happened, but then hindsight’s easy, isn’t it?”
Given the conversation he’d just had with Luke about Sadie, Jamie couldn’t argue.“Yes.”
“This has been tough,” Mom said, frowning.“I know it may sound odd, but learning all this about my family sort of makes me question my own identity.”
“That’s not odd,” Jamie said.“I’ve done the same thing.”
Luke nodded.“Me too.”
“I’m starting to get my head around it.”She smiled weakly.“And I’m doing my best to soothe others.”
Jamie handed her the booklet.“I wanted to give you this.It’s from my friend in San Francisco.It’s Rose Stowe’s diary.”
Mom took it from him gingerly, as if she might break it.“Is it…bad?”
“It’s probably not going to make you happy.It describes—quite definitively—what happened that night they burned the Bird’s Nest Ranch, and specifically what happened to Dorinda Olsen.”He knew in that moment he had to get it to Crystal as soon as possible.
Mom pressed her lips together.She lifted her gaze from the book and looked at Jamie.“Thank you.Is this for me to keep or do you need to give it to Crystal for her story?”
His heart swelled.“That’s really nice of you to ask.I have a copy for her.That one’s yours.”
“What are you waiting for?”Luke asked.“You should go.”
A text pinged on Jamie’s phone.He pulled it from his pocket just in case it was Crystal.
And it was—a picture of her with Alaina, but the text had come from Alaina, not Crystal.They were both smiling while a guy stood behind them doing rabbit ears and making an obnoxious face.He looked like he might be one of Crystal’s brothers.Where the hell was she?And Alaina was there too?
He read Alaina’s text.It said,Blueville.There’s a red-eye.
Jamie stuffed the phone back in his pocket.“I gotta go.”
Mom leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.“I’ll pay for the ticket—and give her my best.”
Luke gave him a thumbs-up, and Jamie tore out of the pub.
