Page 46 of The Orc That Got Away

I swallow and glance down at the table. “I need to go back to Atlanta,” I say.

“That’s not a big deal, though,” Bradford says. “Right? I mean, I’ve already had two trips since we’ve been here, and those were both a lot farther away. So you go to Atlanta and head back to Green Haven when you can.”

“No, that’s not what I mean,” I say, shaking my head. “Things are getting crazy at work, and I need to be back there full-time.”

“Does this mean that your exile in Green Haven is over?” Bradford asks, the corner of his mouth quirking up in a smile.

I smile, too, relieved that he’s so relaxed about this. “Apparently so. HR, the board, even my employees, they all want me back and running the company again.”

“That’s great!” Bradford says. Then he looks at me. “Wait. Isn’t it?”

“Yes and no,” I admit. “I’ve missed being at work, and I hated how things were when I left. It was humiliating being told to leave like that. But now there’s … us,” I say hesitantly. “I don’t want to leave you.”

“And I don’t want to leave you, either,” Bradford said. “But we never planned on staying in Green Haven forever. Right? At least, I didn’t think that you did.”

“My life is in Atlanta. It has been for a long time.” I pause, adrenaline coursing through me. Why is it so hard to just ask him this? “Would you come with me?” I blurt out.

Bradford looks surprised. “What?”

“To Atlanta. Would you come back with me?”

“And, what, live out of another hotel while you work?” he asks.

“No. Move in with me,” I say. “I want you to be present all of my life now, and I want to be a part of all of yours. Whether it’s messy or mundane, exciting or boring, I want to share my life with you. And I really hope you want to share yours with me.”

“You don’t think that it’s too soon for us to live together?” he asks.

“I really don’t,” I tell him. “We’re together every night already; we’re practically living out of your hotel room together. I should probably be paying Mildred my own nightly rate for how much I’m here.”

“I’d be fine with that,” she says as she walks by our table on the way to the lobby.

Bradford grins at her comment. Then he looks at me, his face growing serious again. “I want to be a part of your life too, Ragnar. And I want you in mine. Hell, to be honest, you’re becoming a much bigger part of my life than I ever expected.”

“I hope in a good way,” I say.

“In the best way,” Bradford assures me. I reach across the table and grab his hands.

“Then let’s do this. Come with me to Atlanta. Move into my place.”

Bradford squeezes my hands. “I will.”

I grin. “This is great! I’m so excited. There is one more thing, though.”

“What?”

“I have to be back in the office by tomorrow morning. We’ll have to leave today.”

Bradford leans over the table and kisses me. “Then we better get packing.”

After breakfast, I go back to Gorlag and Emily’s house. It doesn’t take me long to pack up my clothes and other miscellaneous items, but when I’m done, I sit down on the bed and look around the guest room.

This has been my home for longer than I ever expected. But what surprises me most now is that I realize how sad I am to leave. Living with Gorlag, Emily, and Amelia gave me a glimpse into a life that I never thought I would have – one with a family.

And it also helped me figure out that I want what Gorlag has. I want Bradford and I to make that kind of commitment to each other, to build a life together. I want us to have our own home one day, and maybe even a kid or two of our own.

I never would have discovered that about myself if I hadn’t come to Green Haven. And if I hadn’t reconnected with Bradford. For so many years I thought that I was doomed to be alone. But this town, and this man, have shown me that my life can still surprise me in the best way possible.

I put my suitcase in the trunk of my car and drive to the town square. From there it’s a short walk to both the diner and Bradford’s B&B. I go to the diner first, hoping to find Gorlag. Sure enough, he’s sitting on a stool at the counter, talking to Emily.

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