Page 39 of Coming Home to the Top of Main Street

Joselyn looked between her mom and her dad. “You knew we were dating?”

Her mom shook her head. “No. I just found out when I heard that you broke up.”

“I know ice cream is the standard break-up food,” her dad said, handing her a plastic container, “but given the circumstances, we thought ice cream probably wouldn’t help. So we swung by Elsmore’s and got you brownies.”

Joselyn took the brownies and smiled up at her dad. “Thank you.”

He sat down on the coffee table in front of her. “You okay?”

“I don’t know. We broke up Saturday morning. Hannah said he’s packing his stuff to move to Hawaii soon. I’m sorry I never told you, but Marcus and I also dated back in high school. He disappeared when we broke up then, too. If he’s leaving again, then that means he doesn’t want to try to work things out. That was what happened last time.”

“That’s not what happened last time.”

Joselyn’s eyes flew to her dad’s. From the corner of her eye, she saw her mom doing the same.

He took a long, slow breath. “I knew you were dating in high school. I, uh, kind of accidentally caught the two of you kissing by the side of the garage one night. I know you were trying to hide how much you were hurting when you two broke up so we wouldn’t know.” He shook his head, looking down at the carpet. “But it broke my heart to see my baby hurting so much. With as often as Marcus was always around the house, I knew it would be hard for both of you to recover. So I suggested that he stay away for a couple of months.”

“Thatwas why he left?”

Her dad met her eyes then, his full of apology and a pleading for understanding.

It was like someone put a bomb on the spreadsheet page in her mind that had contained hers and Marcus’s past, blowing all the cells in different directions, and she was left scrambling to gather them up and put them back onto the page in the order they should be in, now that she had all the information.

Another knock sounded on the door, this one more firm and insistent. Macie once again got up to answer it. As soon as she opened the door, Everett came inside, Jason on his hip, his phone in his other hand. Right behind him was Hannah, holding Drew’s hand.

“Joselyn, you have to talk Marcus into staying. Oh hey, Mom, Dad. Did you know Joselyn and Marcus were dating?”

Her mom nodded. “We feel terrible that they broke up.”

“So wait,” Joselyn said, turning back to her parents. “You aren’t mad that we were dating?”

“We always knew you eventually would,” her mom said. “I mean it’s you and Marcus, after all.”

“Ididn’t always know,” Everett said. “And I was mad.”

Hannah patted Everett on the shoulder. “Luckily he has me to talk sense into him. And luckily I’m patient because it took a while.”

Joselyn’s eyebrows drew together as she turned to her dad. “But that day at your house, when we found out that we both wanted the same building and Mom suggested we have a business together, you said no.”

He held up a finger. “A business partnership isn’t the same thing as dating. I know how many disagreements Phillip and I have had over the years in our business. I didn’t want a business partnership to impact any chance the two of you had of getting together once you both decided that the timing was right.”

Joselyn sat back on the couch, stunned. Had everyone known they would eventually get together but her? Why didn’t anyone tell her? Maybe they could’ve stopped her from making such a stupid choice Saturday morning. And every moment since then.

“And the timing is right for the two of you to get back together,” Kennon said. “Likeright now.” Joselyn glanced around the room, looking for the source of Kennon’s voice. Everett held up his phone and she saw her brother’s face in a video chat.

“I’m moving back in two months,” Kennon said. “I’ve been away from one of my best friends for a very long time. Now be a good sister and don’t let him leave before I get back, ‘kay?”

More knocks sounded at the door, and since Hannah was closest, she opened the door and her brother Oliver, his wife Audra, their five kids, her brother Zach, his wife Lia, their toddler and their baby, and her sister Nicole, her husband Noble, and their four kids all filed into the room, filling every last bit of space in hers and Macie’s living room.

“What are you guys doing here?” Joselyn asked, bewildered.

Oliver held up his cell phone. “We got the ‘All hands on deck’ text from Everett.” He turned toward Everett. “So what are we doing?”

“We’re getting Joselyn and Marcus back together.”

“Yes! It’s about time!” Oliver high-fived Everett and then turned to Joselyn. “Wait.Backtogether? You two were dating and I missed it?”

Everett looked down at his phone. “Swear word!” he shouted, his go-to curse word whenever their mom was in the room. “Marcus just texted. He says that an in-person goodbye is more than he can handle, so he’ll call later. He just arrived at a law office in Denver to sign the business over to Joselyn, and then he’s headed across town to the airport. He got a flight that leaves tonight!”

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