Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 73010 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73010 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
“Jack says you two married young?”
“I suppose you could say that. We were only twenty-one. But I still knew I would love John forever.” I inhale a sharp breath, wondering what Aaron could be thinking about my departure. “And for the record, I didn’t know I’d take off a couple of years into our marriage. I tried to make it work in this town.”
“I think I understand.”
I twist toward him. “Do you?”
“Well…mostly. I know what it’s like to be unfulfilled and feel like something’s missing.”
“I wasn’t unfulfilled in my marriage. I—”
He shakes his head. “That’s not what I meant.”
“I knew John wouldn’t move away from this place—couldn’t. He was just getting his bar up and running, and Aqua Vista is woven into the fabric of him, of his family. Besides, my dreams weren’t his.”
He’s closely scrutinizing me, and I wonder if I’ve professed too much. But I can only imagine what Jack has told him about me. No love lost there, even if we were close as kids.
“If you don’t think I’m overstepping… I can still see the love between you.”
My eyes sting, and I blink away the tears of frustration. I think that’s why there’s no bitterness between us—we eventually came to accept this. John always knew I would want different things but married me anyway. Said he wanted to be with me as long as he could.
I turn away before I start blubbering. John is still the most giving man I’ve ever known, and if he knew the scumbags I’d been around in Hollywood, he’d lose his shit.
“There’s definitely plenty of love.” That’s never been our hardship.
7
JOHN
After breakfast, I get in my car to drive toward the mountains. I don’t know whether to thank Grandpa Malone or curse him for being the catalyst for bringing my ex back to town.
I’m a hypocrite, though, because I razzed Jack for not wanting a long-distance relationship with Aaron, knowing full well mine with Micah didn’t last. But ours revolved around different circumstances. Leading up to the legal separation, we mutually agreed to take a break in our relationship so there was no pressure. But maybe that was a mistake because all it did was fuel our estrangement. It became too painful, the longing for him too much, to hear about his prospects in LA, so a breakup was likely inevitable.
As I exit the car, I spot Rosie outside, surrounded by boxes and garbage bags. “Hey there, Rosie, how’s it going?”
I’ve met her in town a couple of times, but we mostly spoke on the phone when I called to inquire about Mr. Malone’s health. Whenever I offered to stop by or drop something off, he refused. Maybe it was for selfish reasons on my part. It was a link to Micah I couldn’t seem to part with.
She wipes her brow after tossing what looks like broken pens from the box into a bag. “He’s collected a lot of clutter over the years, but it wasn’t really my place to tell him how to live.”
“He probably wouldn’t have listened anyway,” I reply, and we share a smile. “I’m sorry for your loss. No doubt you’ve gotten to know him well over the past few years.”
She nods. “I admit I’ll miss the old grouch.”
I offer a sad smile. “What will you do now?”
“I have another family lined up for an interview.” She doesn’t seem pleased about the prospect. “For now, I’m going to help Micah. It’s what Mr. Malone would’ve wanted me to do.”
I walk inside to see Micah holding a broom while staring at an urn on the mantel, completely lost in thought.
“Hey, you okay?”
My question startles him. “What are you doing here?”
“I figured you could use an extra set of hands.”
“Are you sure?” he deadpans. “Maybe it’s not such a good idea.”
“What? To be around each other after we’ve been friends since childhood?” I tease.
“I mean, you are my husband.” The way he says it, in that sexy, smirky tone, nearly knocks me on my ass.
Our eyes connect and hold until he clears his throat. “Well, thanks. I can certainly use the help.”
I motion toward the fireplace. “Is that him?”
“Yeah, just picked up the ashes. I was remembering the first time I came to this town. How different it felt, how angry I was.”
“God, yeah. But you still made my breath catch the moment I saw you.” He was all fire and heat, his eyes molten lava, drawing me in.
Micah stifles a groan. “You were the only bright spot during that time.”
My heart thumps. “Glad to hear I helped make your childhood better.”
His eyes soften. “You made everything better.”
My stomach sours. “Obviously not everything—”
Micah steps forward with a troubled expression. “J, don’t. You know I…”
“Let’s not go there, yeah?” I give him a pointed look that stops him in his tracks. “Looks like we got our work cut out for us around here.”