I look down the hall just as my sister links her arm with Ellie.
“Sucks to be you right now,” Grayson snickers in my ear as he pats me on the shoulder and moves to talk with a group of buddies.
I pinch the bridge of my nose and begin walking up the aisle but am stopped by a small hand on my arm.
“She’s sad,” Polly says with conviction.
“I think so, too.”
“But she’s strong, too.”
“She was about to destroy his car with a single golf club when I met her. I’d say strong is putting it mildly.”
Polly’s light blue eyes twinkle as she mimics my sister and links her arm in mine as we make our way out of the sanctuary.
“I wanna keep her.”
I look down, eyebrows raised. “She’s not a pet, Miss Polly.”
“I know that, Walker. But I think she’ll be nice to have around. Gets lonely in that big old Inn by myself.”
“You could always open it back up to guests, you know.”
Her other hand waves me off. “You know I’ll never do such a thing. The day I took in Willow when she was pregnant and had nowhere else to go, I knew my purpose for that house was for far greater things than making rooms available for travelers.”
“You’re the best kind of people, Polly.”
“I agree.” I chuckle at her blunt response but she carries on. “Now, I’ll see you, Willow and Gray at my house in just a few minutes, ya hear? And make sure you eat a second helping of the mac and cheese. Someone helped me in the kitchen this morning.”
We’re at the entryway and I turn to Polly. “Don’t go matchmaking. You know I’m not looking.”
“Doesn’t matter if you’re looking or not when the right person gets dropped right in your lap.”
“Doesn’t matter if I’m looking if the other person isn’t looking either,” I remind her.
“Nah,” she disagrees instantly. “It just means that maybe the two of you need to have a more open mind.”
“Polly,” I groan. “She’s not even been here for twenty-four hours. And she’s passing through after what looks like she got her heart broken. How can you possibly think this would be a good idea?”
“Hush. Indulge an old lady for once. You’re always fighting me.”
I bark out a laugh. “I far from fight you on anything.”
She looks toward where I know the bathrooms are before raising her eyes to mine. Her face softens and her voice drops to barely above a whisper, “Walker, I love you like you’re my own son. You know this. But you need a life. You’ve devoted your days to caring for others, whether they’re children or pets and don’t you sass me, you know it’s true,” she rushes out when I open my mouth to explain that it’s not a burden I’ve taken on, but rather what makes me happy. “I know you’d do anything for that boy. There’s nothing wrong with that but you deserve happiness beyond giving up your life to others.” She stops talking as her eyes find Ellie. With a small shrug she continues, “Maybe all those prayers I’ve been sending up have finally been answered.”
She leaves me standing and joins a group of ladies from her knitting circle. Willow is introducing Ellie to a friend she works with at the hospital and Grayson is chatting it up with a group of friends. It dawns on me when I see a couple of my friends standing around talking as their kids of various ages dance around them that maybe Miss Polly has a point.
My sister is in the middle of some story with one of the ER doctors, Jonathan, Ellie is standing off to the side not looking entirely comfortable but not hating life, either. My eyes narrow when I see Jonathan shift closer to Ellie then turn his full attention on her. He’s not a bad guy, but he’s what Miss Polly would call, a skirt chaser, and I know him well enough to see that he’s about to try and turn his charms on Ellie. She must feel my gaze on her because she looks in my direction and offers up a small smile. The breath in my throat catches from that tiny look—combined with the fact that I was a minute away from pulling her away from Jonathan like some caveman who has any right to stake his claim on her—I know I’m in way over my head already.
What am I thinking? She’s here for a hot minute and won’t be staying around. I must be hard up if all it takes is a simple smile to make me want to go all caveman. The need to get out of the building is strong so I spin on my heels and push through the door without looking back.
“DID HE JUST LEAVE?” WILLOW asks to which I nod, my eyes still focused on where Walker just stormed through the door as if angry for some reason.
“Who put a bee in his bonnet?”
I giggle at her choice of words and shrug. How should I know? I’ve spoken with him for a few minutes and it wasn’t exactly a deep conversation.
I woke up this morning conflicted for what to do with my day. Should I just leave really early, dropping a note to Miss Polly with some cash thanking her for her hospitality? But the moment I cracked my eyes open I knew I wouldn’t be doing that. The smell of coffee drifted up from the kitchen along with something cinnamon-y. Of course, the sound and smell of sizzling bacon helped my decision to stay… at least through breakfast.
I came downstairs and one look at Miss Polly told me I’d be sitting next to her in a church pew in a few hours.
She points to the seat I used just last night and takes a sip out of her coffee cup, standing next to the counter as she preps the chicken. “Sit. Eat. We’ll go to church then you can see why I can get that boy’s butt in a church pew on Sunday morning rather than sleeping the day away just by the promise of my fried chicken.”
“Which one?”
Her shoulders shake with laughter but no sound comes out. “Both, honey. Both. Now, you take today to relax. Tomorrow. Tomorrow we decide your next steps.”
“Coffee?”
She hands me an empty cup then nods her head to the coffee maker. “There’s always coffee here, honey.”
I smile and she lifts her eyes to me. They twinkle a bit.
There’s a coffee cake on the table and if the smell in here is anything to go by, it’s fresh out of the oven. If she’s trying to convince me to stay around, she just won the gold.
“Can I help?” To my simple offer her eyes not only twinkle, they dance. She reaches out her clean hand and squeezes mine.
“I’d love nothing more, Ellie.”
“I’ll see you at Miss Polly’s?” Willow’s voice pulls me out of the staring contest I was having with the door.
“Um, yes. I’ll see you back there.”
“She’s good people, you know? I’ll save my story for another time but just know, if you have her on your side, nothing and no one can hurt you.”
I nod, my throat tightening. I don’t remember the last time I’ve had truly good people on my side. But, obviously, that might be because I’m not a very good judge of character.
She gives me a small smile before walking over to her son, reaching up to place a hand on his shoulder. He turns to look down at her and wraps an arm around her showing he’s not afraid to show his mother affection in front of his buds.
I catch Miss Polly’s attention as I walk to the door, letting her know I’ll be waiting in the car. I have no doubt if I ventured over to where she’s standing, I’d be even more the center of attention than I’ve already been this morning.
The second I push through the door, I suck in a breath of fresh air which immediately gets caught in my throat when my eyes land on the vehicle parked two spots down from mine… Gary’s, really.
Which reminds me that I should probably get in touch with the jerkwad and return his car and get my own.
Walker is sitting in his pickup, window open as he stares down at his phone. I know I have two choices. Ignore or be a big girl and walk over to him and say hello.
Because I’m a grown up, I choose option two.
“Didn’t feel like sticking around, huh?” I ask as I step over to him.
He startles and fumbles around with his phone and I can’t stop the giggle from bu
bbling up out of my throat. “You scared the crap out of me,” he grumbles.
“No kidding? Couldn’t tell by the way you almost threw your phone out the window,” I tease.
“So, you stayed around, huh?”
“At least for today. Apparently my stomach can’t resist Miss Polly.”
“She gets a lot of people to bend at her will for that very same reason.”
“You saying I’m not special?” I joke.
He stares at me for a moment. “Pretty sure you know that’s not what I meant at all.”
His phone chimes with a text and he looks down at it, types something out quickly then looks back to me. “Grayson’s heading over to Miss Polly’s with his mom.”
“You’re not going?”
His eyes bore into me, probably wondering why I care. “My stomach is no match for Miss Polly either. I’ll be there. Besides, I heard mention of mac and cheese and can’t pass that up.” He winks and my stomach drops. His pickup starts up with a loud roar and he shifts into reverse. I step away just as he lifts a hand to wave at me and drives off.
“Ready?” I jump at the sound of Polly’s voice behind me.
“Yup,” I say and march around to the driver’s seat, ignoring her knowing look.
“Holy crap, Ellie. You’re never leaving. For real. You can’t deny me the chance to eat your macaroni and cheese again,” Grayson groans as he rubs his stomach after his fourth full plate of food. Lunch has been surprisingly relaxing, though Walker was a little less talkative than I had expected him to be. At least based on our first meeting where he seemed perfectly fine with injecting himself right into my life. But since we sat down, he’s barely spoken a word and hasn’t looked at me once.
“He’s right, girl. It was incredible,” Willow says, grinning at me.
“Everything was great as always, Miss Polly. Thank you for having me,” Walker says still not looking at me. He picks up whatever plates he can carry, bringing them to the kitchen. I hear water run then the sounds of plates clinking against each other. He returns empty handed and stops by Polly’s chair, leaning down to give her a kiss on the cheek. “I really hate to eat and run, but…”
“What? No! We haven’t had dessert,” Miss Polly presses, moving to stand up while giving Walker a weird look.
“You know I usually can’t resist dessert but I’m afraid I really need to head out.” His eyes finally meet mine. For a long moment he looks at me, his gaze drifting over my face. “It was… nice seeing you again, Ellie. And meeting you. See ya around and um, well, take care of yourself, okay?”
He gives me a low wave and then he’s gone.
An awkward silence settles around the table when the door slams.
Willow turns to her son and asks, “Why did he have to leave?”
He shrugs. “How should I know?”
Polly goes to the kitchen and returns with a flat round Tupperware container. “Grayson, how about you take this pie home with you and your mom. We’ll clean up here,” she says, seeming to dismiss them as well.
He looks at Willow quickly before snatching it up off the table with a wide grin. “You got it, Miss Polly. It won’t go to waste.”
“I have serious doubts it’ll even make it home without you digging in,” she teases him.
“I’m not an animal. I can wait—until I get home and have a fork, at least.”
Everyone around the table shares a small laugh. Miss Polly’s face says just how much she loves the fact that Grayson enjoys her food. The way she interacts with him makes it clear that they share a lot of history together.
Willow pulls me out of my chair and hugs me tightly. “I hope you let Miss Polly talk you into staying. She’s got my number. Make sure she gives it to you no matter what you decide to do.”
I swallow down the emotion threatening to clog my throat and return her hug. The last twenty-four hours have been a roller coaster of emotions. Two people I thought I could trust with my heart ended up being the ones who broke it all over again. I feel like I’m experiencing the worst case of déjà vu. Something I stupidly thought I’d never have to go through again.
It’s a stark reminder not to let others into my life—or into my heart.
I can’t believe I allowed myself to act so stupidly and have no clue where to go from here. I was living in Gary’s home so I don’t even have a place to live when—if—I go back. I’ll have to, obviously, so I can get my clothes. My own car. Return his. Which, thanks to Walker is undamaged. Though, it would have been a lot more fun to see the look on his face if I’d have returned it otherwise.
I step out of Willow’s embrace. “I have no idea what’s going to happen but I’ll let you know.”
“I’d like that.”
Willow and Grayson finish saying their good-byes, leaving me alone with Miss Polly. I begin cleaning up the table to distract myself and avoid the talk I know Polly is dying to have with me. I begin filling the sink with hot, soapy water and start soaking the pans.
“He hurt you.” I turn off the water, rest my elbows on the edge of the sink before I stand straight and slowly turn around and look to Miss Polly who’s leaning a shoulder against the door jamb to the kitchen.
I swallow and nod my head, my hands dripping sudsy water onto the floor.
“By the ring on your finger, I assume that means you were going to marry him?”
“Yesterday,” I confirm.
She closes her eyes and presses her lips together.
I feel my face crumble right along with the strength in my legs and I fall to the floor. The tears that I’ve been holding back come on fast and furiously. Polly quickly shuffles my way, crouching down next to me, she curls her aging body around mine and holds me in her arms.
“Shh,” she says, trying to calm me down but the tears started and don’t show any signs of letting up any time soon. I fold over, my head resting on her shoulder as I cry for the first time since I walked in on Gary and Crystal together.
Minutes pass by as she continues to try to comfort me, her arms tightening around my shoulders when I move to pull away. “Let it out, honey. You can’t put it behind you if you’re holding it in.”
Eventually my tears subside. I wipe my nose with the back of my hand and under my eyes with my fingertips. Annoyed that I’ve shed even a single tear for those two assholes, I growl, trying to shake my head of emotion.
“We need to get off this kitchen floor,” I tell her with a small smile.
“Come. This is back porch talk.”
She fills two glasses with some lemonade and I follow her, settling in side by side on a white porch swing with a thick bright blue cushion.
“I started the Inn a month after I walked in on my ex-husband having sex with my best friend.”
I gasp, her words come out so bluntly. Although, having had it happen to me, there really is no other way for it to be said. It’s as ugly as it sounds and there’s no way to soften it.
“The best thing that ever happened to me,” she murmurs.
My eyes cut to her. She’s smiling, a wistful look on her face.
Then she shocks me with, “He was such an asshole. Wanted me to be someone I wasn’t. And when I wouldn’t comply, he thought he’d find a little side piece who would.”
I choke down a laugh. She seems so prim and proper.
She pats my leg and turns to face me. “There are only a few reasons a woman runs away on her wedding day and the fact that you’re still wearing the ring, I assume it was him who screwed up.”
“I walked in on him with my maid-of-honor. I was wearing my wedding dress.”
“So your guy’s an asshole, too.”
This time, I don’t hold back. My giggle bursts out of me and then as hard as I was crying earlier, now I’m laughing.
“He really is. And a jackass, too.”
“I bet you have some other words for him in your arsenal,” she teases.
“That I do.”
We rock back and forth in silence for
a few minutes, the gentle breeze blows around us. It warms my skin and brings me an unexpected sense of peace. “Do you have to go back?”
I shake my head. “I don’t have anything to go back to.”
“Family?”
“My parents are… I don’t have any family,” I whisper.
“Job?”
“I was a trophy fiancée who worked for my friend Allison’s boutique so I had something to do with my time,” I say, the words coming out as condescending to myself.
Her eyes soften and she squeezes my hand. “You’ll stay here.” She says it like it’s a final decision rather than a question. “For as long as you need or want. My home is yours.”
“Maybe,” I say noncommittally. I blow out a breath and look out at the beautiful landscape. It’s weird to feel more at home in the backyard of The Clover Leaf Inn than in the house I lived in for the past two years. Never once since the day I moved in did Gary tell me that his home was mine. We were supposed to be building a life together and I missed every single sign that pointed me to the bright yellow light that was screaming CAUTION! RUN! RUN THE OTHER WAY! “I don’t have anywhere else to go,” I admit. Nor do I have anywhere else I want to go, but I don’t add that. I’m a grown woman. If I wanted to be somewhere else, I would be.
“You’re not stupid, Ellie. If you missed signs, it wasn’t because you were stupid.”
“You a mind reader, too, Miss Polly?”
Her smile is sad when she says, “No, but the signs are there. I see the wheels churning and I remember the thoughts I had to beat down after I found out my husband had been cheating on me before he died in a car accident.”
“Yeah, well, this wasn’t the first time my fiancé cheated on me.”
Her eyes widen. “He was a repeat offender?”
I laugh but it’s void of any humor. “Oh no. That might have actually been better. I was engaged to another man several years ago. Though, the woman he cheated on me with was a one night stand. I still don’t know if he would have told me about it but the circumstances were such that he had to come clean. I found out a week before we were supposed to get married.”
All I Need Page 4
