by Fiona Rivers
“You’re welcome. You too,” he said as she walked out.
24
When Colin saw Adalyn standing in the coffee shop, it was as if he was seeing her for the first time all over again. His heart ached at the thought that he couldn’t be with her, but he was grateful just to run into her. He didn’t expect to see Olivia there, but he thought he’d better get used to it seeing as though she moved back to Harbor Falls.
“Hey, Colin.” Olivia smiled.
“Morning, Olivia.” He gave her a slight nod.
“Adalyn is a beautiful woman and she seems really nice.”
“She is,” he said as he could feel Delilah staring at them.
“Hey, Colin. Since you’re here, would you mind taking a look at the sink back here? It’s been giving me some trouble.”
“Sure, Delilah,” he said as he stepped behind the counter.
Delilah handed Olivia her coffee.
“I’ll see you around, Colin,” Olivia said before walking out of Rooster’s.
He gave her a nod without saying a word to her.
“I figured you could use some rescuing.” Delilah smiled at Colin. “I don’t even know how you can talk to that woman after what she did. And then coming back here pregnant thinking you’d take care of her and her kid.” She shook her head.
News in town traveled fast. It always had and he was used to it.
“I put what Olivia did behind me and seeing her again made me realize that anything I ever felt for her is completely gone. There’s really no use hating on her and I hope everyone in town realizes that. She came back here to build a life for her and her kid. It’s a great place to do that and we can’t fault her for it.”
“True. But it doesn’t mean we all have to like her.” Delilah smirked.
After Colin looked at the leaky sink, he ran to his truck and got his wrench. It took him less than a minute to stop the leak.
“You’re all set, Delilah.”
“Thanks, Colin. You are a true gem. Here’s your breakfast sandwich, and I threw in a cranberry muffin too.”
“Thanks, Delilah. You didn’t have to do that.”
“And you didn’t have to fix my sink either.” She smiled.
Adalyn walked into the gallery and handed Luis his cappuccino.
“Thank you, darling.” He kissed her cheek.
“I saw Colin at Rooster’s,” she said as she set her purse down and brought her cup up to her mouth.
“Oh.” His brow raised. “And how did that go?”
“It was awkward considering it was the first time I’ve seen him since that day.”
“You mean the day you told him that you weren’t interested in him and broke his poor fragile heart?”
“Luis!”
“Just kidding, darling.”
Adalyn sighed as she leaned over the counter and stared out the window of the gallery. She’d thought about her life back in New York and how if she hadn’t found out what Darren had done, she’d still be taking the pregnancy tests each month only to be heartbroken and disappointed.
“Hello, hello,” Annie’s cheerful voice interrupted Adalyn’s thoughts when she stepped inside the gallery.
“Annie, hi.” Adalyn smiled.
Annie walked over to where Adalyn stood and gave her an unexpected hug.
“What’s this for?” Adalyn asked.
“I just had to rush right over here first,” Annie said with tears in her eyes.
“Annie, is everything okay?” Adalyn asked with concern.
“I just came from the doctor, Adalyn. I’m pregnant!”
“Oh my gosh, Annie. Congratulations!”
“I honestly don’t know how it happened. Well, I do. You know what I mean.” A bright smile framed her face. “It’s just I’ve been so busy getting the sweet shop ready to open that I wasn’t even thinking about it.”
“Jerry must be ecstatic.”
“He doesn’t know yet. I’m going to tell him tonight over a romantic dinner. I just wanted to tell you first because you understand what I’ve been going through. I can’t believe it, Adalyn! I’m having a baby!”
“Who’s having a baby?” Luis walked over with a grin on his face.
“I am! I’m having a baby!”
“Annie, darling. I’m so happy for you!” Luis gave her a hug.
“Thank you. This is just between us though. After I tell Jerry the whole town can know.”
After Annie left the gallery, Luis hooked his arm around Adalyn.
“Are you okay?”
“Of course.” She gave him a small smile. “I’m really happy for her. You know I was thinking earlier that maybe it’s a blessing Darren did what he did. He’s not the man I thought he was, and I honestly couldn’t imagine having a baby with him. He was really never there for me as it was, and a baby wouldn’t change him or anything.”
“I do believe you’re right, darling.” He pulled her closer.
The gallery was getting busy with all the tourists that were coming and going. After Adalyn helped a customer and sold a two-thousand-dollar piece of artwork, her phone rang, and it was Rosie.
“Hey, Rosie,” she answered.
“Hello, sweetheart. I can’t stop thinking about that painting I saw in your shop the other day. The seascape one that had the vibrant colors.”
“Yes. I remember you looking at that one.”
“Is it still available? Carl just redid one of the guestrooms and it would look perfect in there.”
“It is. Shall I package it up and bring it by?”
“Would you mind?”
“Not at all. I’ll bring it by after the shop closes.”
“Thank you, sweetheart. It means a lot to me.”
“No problem, Rosie. I’ll see you later.”
Adalyn removed the painting from the wall and wrapped it up behind the counter.
“What a busy day,” Luis spoke as he stepped behind the counter. “That piece sold?” He pointed to the artwork.
“Rosie just called and she’s going to purchase it for one of her guestrooms. I’m going to take it over after we close up.”
“She has good taste.” He grinned. “Do you want me to go with you?”
“No. That’s okay. You go home to Alfred. I can handle this.”
Six o’clock came and the last customer for the day had left. After cleaning up the gallery, Adalyn grabbed Rosie’s painting and she and Luis headed out of the shop.
“Have a good night, darling. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You too, Luis.” She smiled.
She placed the painting in the back of her jeep and drove to Rosie’s Bed and Breakfast.
“Good evening, Adalyn,” Carl spoke as she stepped into the bed and breakfast. “It’s good to see you.”
“Hey, Carl. It’s good to see you too. Is Rosie around?”
“I’ll go get her.”
As Adalyn was standing and waiting for Rosie, the front door opened, and when she turned around, her heart began to rapidly increase as every part of her body froze in place.
“Adalyn?” Darren cocked his head.
“Wha—what are you doing here?”
“I came looking for you. I honestly didn’t expect to see you here in the bed and breakfast. I just drove in.”
“Adalyn, sweetheart.” Rosie smiled. “Oh, hello there and welcome to Rosie’s Bed and Breakfast. Are you checking in?” she asked Darren.
Rosie could see and feel the tension in the air as she stared at both Darren and Adalyn.
“Yes. I am. The name is Darren Richards.”
Adalyn swallowed the hard lump that formed in her throat.
“Mr. Richards.” Rosie cleared her throat as she looked at Adalyn.
“Yes and in case you’re wondering, Adalyn is my ex-wife.”
“I see.” She looked at her computer and began typing away. “Carl, can you come out here?”
Carl walked into the room and stood in front of Darren.
“Ca
n you please show Mr. Richards to room four?” Rosie asked him.
“Of course. Welcome to Rosie’s.” He grinned as he grabbed Darren’s bag.
“Please, don’t go anywhere. We need to talk,” Darren spoke to Adalyn.
“There’s nothing to talk about. Actually, you need to leave Harbor Falls.”
“I’m not going anywhere until we talk,” he spoke as he followed Carl up the stairs.
As soon as he was out of sight, Rosie grabbed the wrapped painting from Adalyn and set it up against the wall. She grabbed hold of Adalyn’s hand and led her outside to the porch swing.
“I had no idea that he was your husband. I didn’t make the connection with the name. If I had known, I would have refused him a reservation here.”
“It’s okay, Rosie. You don’t want to turn away business. Listen, I really need to get out of here before he comes back down. Please don’t tell him where I live.”
“You don’t have to worry about that.” She gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “He never physically hurt you, did he?”
“No. He would never lay a hand on me.”
25
When Adalyn left the bed and breakfast, she immediately called Luis.
“Hello, darling.”
“Luis, can I come stay at your place tonight?” her shaky voice spoke.
“Of course. Addy, what’s wrong? You don’t sound good.”
“I’ll explain when I get there. I’ll see you soon.”
Luis became concerned and stared out the window, waiting for Adalyn to pull up. When he saw her jeep, he opened the door and stepped outside.
“What is going on?” He opened her door for her.
“I was delivering Rosie’s painting and Darren was there,” she spoke as she climbed out of her jeep.
“What?! Was it just a coincidence?”
“No. He said he came looking for me because we need to talk. I can’t, Luis.”
Luis hooked his arm around her and led her into the house.
“How did he find you? We all made sure to tell him you moved to Seattle.”
“I don’t know. I’m sure he hired a private investigator to track me down.”
“Let’s go into the kitchen and I’ll make us some tea.”
“Actually, I need something stronger,” she said.
“Of course. Umm. I think you should know that Colin is on his way over.”
“What? Why?” She cocked her head at him.
“We bought a new TV for the bedroom and we want it hung on the wall. You know me and Alfred aren’t handy. So, I gave him a call when I got home, and he said he’s on his way. Honestly, I didn’t think he’d come tonight.”
“Great. Can I have that drink now?”
“What on earth would Darren want to talk to you about?” Luis asked as he handed Adalyn a glass of wine.
“I have no idea, but I don’t want to talk to him.”
“Well, he’s here and you’re going to have to.”
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and Alfred answered it. The moment Colin stepped into the kitchen and saw Adalyn, his face lit up and Luis gave him a small smile.
“Hey, Luis. Adalyn, good to see you.”
“Hey, Colin.” She looked down.
“Come on, Colin. I’ll show you where we want the TV,” Luis said as he got up from the table.
Luis, Alfred and Colin walked up the stairs and into the master bedroom.
“What’s wrong with Adalyn?” Colin asked as he could sense her despair.
“You didn’t hear this from me, but she just ran into her ex at your Aunt Rosie’s.”
“What? What is he doing here?” Colin asked.
“Apparently, he tracked her down and wants to talk,” Luis spoke. “You can see she’s upset about it. I better get back down to her. Alfred will show you where the TV is going.” He patted Colin’s shoulder.
“Can I talk to you alone?” Colin asked Adalyn as he stepped into the kitchen after he was finished hanging the TV.
“Sure. We can go down by the water. You don’t mind, do you?” she asked Luis.
“Not at all. Go talk.” He gave Adalyn a wink.
Colin and Adalyn stepped outside on the deck and took the stairs down to the beach.
“Listen, Adalyn, Luis told me your ex-husband is here.”
“Yeah. He’s staying at Rosie’s.” She stared at the water as they walked along the shoreline.
“He’s here for a reason and I know you’re upset about it, but you do need to talk to him.”
“I don’t need to do anything, Colin.” Her voice was stern.
“That’s true, but for your peace of mind, you do. I can tell you’re holding onto a lot of resentment and anger, and I don’t blame you. You have every right to. But there will come a time when you’ll need to let all that go.”
“I have let it go. I just don’t want to talk to him ever again. I don’t want to see him, and I don’t want to hear what he has to say.”
“Nobody understands that like I do. Trust me. I didn’t want to see or hear what Olivia had to say either. But you know what that says about us?”
“What?”
“It says we’re letting our ex’s control our lives. You’re letting him emotionally grip you and you don’t have to do that. He can’t hurt you anymore than he already has.”
“And you know this from experience, right?” she asked.
“I do. And as your friend, I’m offering you some advice. He’s had control over you for years and he had control over you not getting pregnant. Don’t let him control you anymore by running away and hiding. I know firsthand you’re stronger than that, Addy.” He gave her a small smile. “I honestly, and correct me if I’m wrong, don’t think you had full closure on everything that happened. Use this opportunity to get closure.”
Colin was right and Adalyn knew it. The first thing she did after finding out about Darren’s vasectomy was run. She moved out that night and any contact they had were through their attorneys. She may had physically put closure on what happened, but not emotionally.
“Thanks, Colin. Maybe you’re right.”
“I know I’m right.” He grinned.
They walked back to the house and Adalyn grabbed her purse.
“What are you doing?” Luis asked.
“I’m not hiding anymore. I’m going over to Rosie’s to talk to him.”
“You sure you really want to do that?” Luis frowned.
“Yes. This is my town and my home and I’m in control here. Not him.”
“Wow. I must say I like this side of you.” Luis smiled as he kissed her cheek.
Adalyn left and Luis looked at Colin.
“Thank you,” he spoke. “You’re a good friend.”
“She just needed a little push in the right direction.” He gave Luis a wink. “And you’re a good friend too. She’s very lucky to have you and Alfred in her life.”
Adalyn pulled into the bed and breakfast and stepped inside. Rosie was surprised when she saw her.
“Adalyn, what are you doing back?” she asked.
“Which room is he in?”
“Four, but he stepped out.”
“Where did he go?”
“I don’t know.”
“I’m right here,” Darren said as he stood in the doorway of the bed and breakfast.
“Good. Now you’re going to tell me why you tracked me down and why you’re here.”
“Maybe we should go outside and talk,” Darren said.
“I’ll be right here if you need me,” Rosie spoke as she placed her hand on Adalyn’s shoulder.
Darren and Adalyn stepped outside and took a walk to the garden that housed a beautifully lit white gazebo.
“It’s beautiful here. I can see why you moved out of New York. I love how your family deceived me into thinking you moved to Seattle. Why are you hiding from me?”
“Cut to the chase, Darren. What do you want?”
“Answer my question, Adalyn.”
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“I’m not hiding from you. It’s none of your business where I moved to. We aren’t together and we aren’t married. Where I am is none of your business. Now answer my question.”
“The truth?” he said.
“If you can manage to tell it.” Her brow arched.
“I miss you.”
“Ha.” She let out a laugh.
“And I want to apologize for everything. You never gave me the chance. You blocked my number, you refused to talk to me and the only interaction we had was when we were with our lawyers.”
“And you sure didn’t waste any time moving on.”
“If you’re talking about Celeste, it was only a couple times. She isn’t you, Addy, and since you’ve been gone it made me realize how selfish I was in our entire relationship.” He looked down as his hands stayed tightly tucked in his pants pockets. “After you got pregnant, I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a father, even though we talked about having kids. Then after you had the miscarriage, it destroyed you, but instead of destroying me, it made me happy.”
“What?” She couldn’t believe those words had come from his mouth.
“I’m ashamed to stand here in front of you and admit it, but I’m being honest with you.”
“So instead of telling me how my miscarriage made you happy, you ran out and got a vasectomy and kept it from me. What did you think was going to happen when I found out? You knew I wanted a baby with you. You were my husband and my life, and I loved you.”
“I know you did and I’m sorry. I knew you’d eventually find out, but I honestly didn’t think you’d have the guts to walk out on our marriage. I thought I could convince you that having kids wasn’t the right choice for us and in time you’d see that.”
“Then obviously you didn’t know me at all! Neither one of us knew each other, Darren. We were nothing but strangers who ended up married.”
“I know that now and the reason I came here was to tell you that I’ve missed you terribly and I want you to give me a second chance. I can make things right, Addy. I’ll go get the vasectomy reversed if that’s what it takes.”
“You’d actually get it reversed if it meant me coming back to you?” Adalyn asked in a calm voice.
“Yes. I would do that for you. I love you and I never stopped. It took you leaving me to realize that.”
