Page 8 of Always There For You

Downtown Breakwater was about as cute as it could get, but Amelia had yet to visit any of the shops. Classy Corks had needed too much attention and by the time she left in the evenings, most places were long shut down. “You should definitely go.”

“Yes, and you’re coming with me.”

Amelia had figured Hadley would say that. Part of her wanted to argue; there was still so much to do. But she also knew she needed the break, and running herself ragged to the breaking point would be detrimental to actual progress on the store. So she nodded and instead said, “All right. But only in the morning. And then in the afternoon, I’ll have some of the decorations you helped me pick out arriving. We can hang those up.”

For a moment, Hadley’s nose scrunched like it did when she wanted to argue. “You’ve learned the art of compromise? My Amelia?” She put a hand to her chest. “I never thought I’d see the day.”

“Okay, if you’re just going to make fun of me, I’m going to bed.”

“Noooo, don’t do that! Anything but that!”

Laughing, Amelia stepped further into her room. “I love you, but you’re ridiculous.”

“I know, I know. Oh, wait, come here!” Hadley crossed the hallway in two steps and then was tugging Amelia into a hug. “I’m so proud of you,” she said into Amelia’s hair. “So proud of you.”

She would not cry. She wouldn’t. Amelia managed to keep her reaction to a sniffle before pulling back slightly. “Thank you. I…that means a lot.”

Hadley brushed her hair back, her touch gentle once more. “You work so hard, babe. I’m going to make sure you take care of yourself.”

“Or you’ll do it for me?”

“Don’t you threaten me with a good time, Amelia de Ville.”

Then Hadley kissed her forehead and stepped back, taking her warmth and her scent with her. It made Amelia want to beg her to come back, stay, please, don’t leave me alone.

But of course she said none of that. She waved good night, shut her door, and then slumped against it, as if the old wood could take more than just her weight but her emotions, too.

Sweet Tarts Bakery was possibly the cutest thing Amelia had ever seen, and she wasn’t normally a big fan of cute. Though, to be fair, cute could be the word to describe the entire town, through a certain point of view. The window boxes shaking off winter, the narrow streets over which balconies hung, and the shop signs creaking in the early spring breeze. And then the buildings, a mix of mid-century brick and older, more rambling architecture with brightly painted doorways and restored woodwork and the occasional flashing neon sign. In the distance, scaffolding on other buildings stood tall and proud, and Amelia saw figures moving about on the roofs. She elbowed Hadley, who looked over. “Already working, even in the cold,” Hadley said. “Man, they take their town seriously. But that’s a good thing.”

“Yeah, I think I got really lucky. The building the shop’s in had very little that needed fixed, which is surprising given the age of the town.”

Hadley hooked her arm into Amelia’s. “That just means you were supposed to be here.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I think so.”

The town was still waking up as they strolled down Main Street but they weren’t the only ones lured in by the scents of coffee and sugar; a steady stream of customers kept the door from closing all the way as they approached. A dark haired woman in her twenties seated at an outdoor table had on a leash the biggest poodle possibly in existence, all black fluff and huge brown eyes. The dog swiveled its head as they approached and the young woman smiled. Amelia had seen her and the dog around but hadn't yet taken the time to greet them.

“Can we say hello?” Amelia asked. With Hadley practically vibrating with excitement at her side, she figured now would be a good time to make introductions.

The woman waved them over. “New in town?”

“Yes! Sorry, I mean yes.” Hadley approached slowly, hand out, and soon had a massive snout sniffing her palm. “Oh. Oh. I love him. Immediately. This dog is my soulmate.”

“Hey.” But Amelia only sounded affronted to get another one of Hadley’s smiles. “Fine, toss me aside for a dog.”

“This is not any dog, this is a gentle giant,” Hadley crooned as she stooped to rub the dog’s ears. “Best day of this last…month, except for when I got my hug.”

“Oh, that’s so sweet.” The woman was looking at them with a soft expression. “You two are adorable."

And for once, Amelia didn’t have a response. With everything swirling in her mind and upending her emotions, what could she say? That she was right and then confess her love to Hadley in front of half the town?

Sure, maybe if it was a cheesy romance movie. But this was real and there were decades of tangled emotions involved and she had a shop to open and…and…

“Does he wear clothes? Because I would love to knit him a sweater.” Hadley was totally focused on the dog, unaware of Amelia's plight. Which was for the better.

“He does!” the woman exclaimed. “He doesn’t need them, and doesn’t always want them on. Especially on days like today, where the sun’s out and it’s a little warmer. But I’ll gladly pay you for something.”

“Oh no, not at all. This is my gift to you and your beautiful dog that I love so much and I just want to rub his ears all day.” The sheer delight in Hadley’s voice drew Amelia’s gaze back to them, and when she looked, she realized their little conversation was drawing a few onlookers posted up in the short line forming to get inside the baker.

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