Page 33 of Turning the Page with My Grumpy Boss

Daniel tabbed out and bid his friend farewell, departing into the embrace of the October night. The walk home was a welcome time to clear his head. He took the long way, intent on spending some time parsing through his tangled thoughts. He couldn’t help but turn over Randy’s words in his mind, over and over.

He had never given Tessa a chance to explain her actions. Instead, he had launched into his own frustration, tearing her down. It was unlike him. There was something about this new relationship that had him on guard. It was so unlike any he had previously experienced.

As he turned onto the main street, he didn’t quicken his pace as he normally did. Taking his steps slowly and deliberately, he took in the storefront of Turn the Page. So much of his life had been spent within those four walls. It had been a safe haven and a place where he could find peace. And it had brought him Tessa.

It seemed like all the biggest hallmarks of his life had taken place in the building. And meeting Tessa had been no different. She had turned his life upside down, for better or worse. Letting out a sigh that turned to icy fog in front of him, he moved toward the door.

Within moments, he was inside, locking the door firmly behind him. He cast his gaze around the room, taking in the dimly lit bookshelves. It looked just as it had the night he had come here with Tessa when he was trying to distract her from her anxiety over Pippin. The thought seemed to drive a knife into his heart and twist.

There had been a quiet intimacy about that night. So many of his friends discussed intimacy as if it was synonymous with sex, but Daniel had always found that quiet moments like the one he had shared with Tessa that night were something that drew them closer than sex ever could. They had discussed what they had loved, their hopes, and their dreams. That is where the magic really happened, he figured.

The memories were overwhelming, and he swallowed deeply as they swept over him. It was unreal how much this place had changed for him since Tessa had come crashing into his life.

He bounded up the stairs to his apartment, intent on salvaging this night the only way he knew how—by working on his book. There was something about writing a tale that wasn’t his own that gave a certain amount of perspective. He didn’t have to be himself for a little while, and that suited him just fine.

He tossed his wallet and keys onto the side table by the door and walked toward his bedroom. He didn’t really feel like doing his nightly coming-home ritual. In a way, it was like he hadn’t really earned it.

The door to his bedroom was slightly ajar from that morning. And he found his laptop where he had left it, when he had come back to prepare for his date. Without bothering to change into something more comfortable, he lowered himself into the desk chair and flipped open the laptop.

The word document where his novel was housed stared back at him, the screencasting a bluish glow across his face. His hands hovered over the keyboard as he read through the last few paragraphs he had written. Nothing was coming immediately to mind. His thoughts were too jumbled by the events of the evening.

As he drummed his finger along the desk, his eyes wandered to a sticky note. It was one of Tessa’s earliest notes on his manuscript. Written in her loopy scrawl with hearts dotting the eyes, it made him smile. He peeled it off the desk and read over her words.

Suddenly, it was like a mental block had lifted, and he knew exactly how he wanted to end his story. With determination, he began typing. The ideas flowed as he wrote and carried him through the night as he put all his mental energy into completing the task that he and Tessa had set out to do.

Chapter fifteen

Tessastumbledthroughthestreets of Lucas, distraught. She had decided to take a late-night stroll through the town in order to assuage some of her earlier anger. Most of it was long gone by now, replaced with something far more painful. The argument with Daniel had shattered her in a way that she hadn’t realized she could be shattered. This thing between them was obviously over. How had it gone sideways so quickly?

She took a moment to collect herself on a bench near the town gazebo. The pale moonlight and the dim glow of a nearby lamppost gave Tessa enough light to fish out her phone.

She had saved Debra to her phone after their first conversation for the inevitable call where she would either turn down or accept the offer. She’d had it all planned out. Tomorrow morning, she was going to call and turn down the offer, but now—well, now, things were different. Whatever Tessa had once believed about a new start in this town, things were different now.Everythingwas different.

Her thumb hovered over the phone screen for a few moments as she considered. Maybe this wasthe cowardly way. Maybe, if she tried, she could find a life here, even without Daniel. But her time here was so tied together with him that it felt difficult to imagine. With a shaky breath and steeled resolve, Tessa hit the call button.

Debra picked up almost immediately. “Tessa! I’m so glad your gentleman friend was able to pass on the message! So, have you given the offer some thought? We have other candidates we are currently considering, so…” She left the last bit of the sentence hanging, letting Tessa fill in the gaps.

If she didn’t take the offer now, it would be gone by morning.

Running her hand through her curls, Tessa let out a big sigh and nodded. “Yes, I’ve given it quite a bit of thought. And I would be foolish to turn down such an offer. Please go ahead and send the necessary documents.” Something about the finality of those words washed over Tessa, and she closed her eyes against the ensuing emotions.

Debra, for her part, didn’t even try to contain her glee. There was a squeal from the other end of the line, and Tessa could almost picture her pumping her fist in the air in victory. “Yes! You willnotregret this, Tessa. This is an upward career move, and you will simplyloseit over the benefits package. I’ll send that over tonight. But while I have you, the offer is contingent on being able to start November 1st.”

That caught Tessa off guard. That was only a week away. Not only that, but it was the day after the Harvest Festival. She would miss, if not all of it, then at least a large portion of the festivities. It was a searing realization, but there was no helping it. If she was going to start over fresh, it was best to cut ties sooner rather than later.

She found herself speaking before her brain had even caught up to her mouth. “Yes, that would work just fine. As soon as I receive the paperwork, I will get started right away. Thank you so much, Debra.”

Debra went on for a little while longer, explaining the process and what documents Tessa would need to scan and send over. It all seemed to go over her head as she considered what this all meant. Not only was she leaving, but she would be practically stealing away into the night. It felt wrong, but Tessa couldn’t imagine staying in Lucas now, with her heartache so tightly linked to the town.

Once Tessa was able to get the woman off the phone, she sat for a while, listening to the scritch of dried leaves brushing against concrete in the wind. There was something settling about night time here. Boston never really slept. There was always plenty of noise. Here, though, when twilight hit, it was like a blanket of peace draped itself over the town.

She would miss this. She would miss so much about the town of Lucas. As she passed the town sign with the small population number embossed on it proudly, she gave it a sad smile. Lucas was more like a village than a town, not just due to the small population but because everyone took care of each other.

Tessa remembered vaguely a documentary she had seen about small country communities. They would often all show up to greet new parents after a baby was born, or help rebuild after a barn was blown over during a storm. Every move they made was informed by neighborly intent.

Before long, the boarding house came into view before her. Somehow, it looked different now. It no longer looked as welcoming as it had even earlier that day. There was something in the way the shadows cast that made Tessa shiver, drawing her jacket closer to herself.

Well, it’s time to face the music.Tessa knew that it was necessary to let Patty know. The woman had become something of a mother hen to her, always checking to make sure she was eating well, always wanting the newest gossip about her relationship with Daniel. It would be hard to tell her about the events of the night. But Tessa wanted to be the one to tell her. She stood from the park bench and started her trek back.

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