Page 77 of Love In Harbor Falls

“Yes. She cheated on him, called off their wedding, and shattered his heart, but you all act like she committed some heinous crime. She came to me with tears in her eyes because the money she saved is almost gone. She’s pregnant, Annie. What if it was you? What if you didn’t have Jerry, and you were going to raise that baby of yours on your own with no money? I thought this town was all about helping people. Obviously, I was wrong. Make one mistake, and they’ll hold it against you for the rest of your life and stake you at the cross.”

I grabbed my coffee cup and began to walk away.

“Addy, wait. I’m sorry. You’re right. I couldn’t imagine being in her shoes right now. You’re a good person with a good heart. Everyone in this town has skeletons in their closet. Except Colin.” She rolled her eyes.

“He left last night and told me he needed space after he said that me hiring Olivia showed him exactly how I felt about him. That isn’t true.” Tears swelled in my eyes.

“I know it’s not, Addy.” Annie walked over and hugged me. “He’ll come around. Just wait and see. I better get going. Are you going to be okay?”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Okay, I’ll see you later. Stop in the shop, and I’ll put together a sweet box for you. Desserts always have a way of making people feel better.” She smiled.

CHAPTER32

Colin

I was up the entire night thinking about the situation with Adalyn. She’d hurt me on a level I didn’t know was possible. As much as I loved her, I couldn’t get over the fact that she hired Olivia to work for her.

Walking into the bar, Katherine took one look at me and knew something was wrong.

“You look like shit. What happened?” she asked.

“You’re never going to believe what Adalyn did,” I said as I stepped behind the bar.

“Oh, no. What did she do?”

“She hired Olivia to work at the gallery. Can you believe that shit?”

“She what?” Katherine’s mouth dropped. “How could she do that?”

“I asked her the same thing. She went on this rant about Olivia being pregnant, her money running out, and how nobody in this town would hire her.”

“Olivia made her own bed,” Katherine said.

“Exactly. We got into a huge fight last night, and I walked out. I told her I needed some space. I also told her that by her hiring Olivia told me exactly how she felt about me. Then I asked her how she’d feel if I hired Darren to work at the bar. Do you know what she said?” I cocked my head.

“I’m afraid to ask.”

“She said that Darren was a different situation. That really blew me away.” I pointed at her. “Sure, he went and had a vasectomy and lied to her for a couple of years, but Olivia cheated on me, called off our wedding, and moved in with some guy in Seattle. In some way, I think my situation trumps hers.”

“Okay. Just calm down, Colin. You both had equally shitty lovers in the past. I think Adalyn feels sorry for her because she’s pregnant. If Olivia weren’t, I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t have hired her. She’s thinking of the baby.”

“I don’t know.” I shook my head. “It’s messed up, and it really hurts, Katherine. I love that woman more than I have ever loved anyone, and I feel like I’ve been stabbed in the heart. I’m not sure I can forgive her for this.”

“Come here.” Katherine wrapped her arms around me. “Once you both calm down, you’ll get through it.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that.” I sighed.

* * *

Adalyn

When I arrived at the gallery, Luis told me that Olivia quit.

“What? What do you mean she quit?”

“She caught wind of Colin’s reaction when he found out you hired her, and she quit. She came in this morning looking for you, and when I told her you were going to be late, she told me to tell you she doesn’t want to cause any issues between you and Colin, and she walked out.”

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