“About everything,” she admitted. “I couldn’t sleep until I’d figured out the pros and cons of staying in Seattle or leaving.”
Eyes wide, Colin took another bite of his toast and chased it down with a gulp of coffee. Last night she’d had plenty of time to think about a future here in Seattle. She couldn’t help but think about waking up every morning next to Colin. He was one of a kind—literally. The only man she knew who had been such a jerk to her and later become such a charmer to cause her to fall in love with him. It was weird to think about how life turned out—fate, as Kelsie called it.
“And...” he said, gesturing for her to tell him the results of her thinking—overthinking, actually. “What’d you figure out?”
Finishing up her breakfast and chasing it down with another cup of coffee, she kept him in suspense. His eyes bored into her as she kept her mouth quiet as she chewed, hesitating on how to tell him the news.
She had wanted to wait until later in the evening, after she closed the café, because she had gotten online last night and reserved a spot for two at a restaurant in the city. She wanted it to be memorable when she told him, but she realized he wasn’t going to be able to wait that long. So, half asleep, with a messy bun, she smiled, and said, “I’ve got a lot of calls to make today. I need to call the Enquirer and tell Carolyn I won’t be back for a while.”
Colin leaned back in his chair, an uncertain expression on his face—unsure how to interpret what she was trying to tell him.
“I’ve decided that I’m staying in Seattle,” she said, letting out the breath she had been holding as she relaxed in the chair.
“You’re staying?”
Colin’s expression told her that she had made the right decision. Whatever would come of her staying in Seattle, she couldn’t wait to find out. This visit had opened so many opportunities for her; it would be unjustifiable to walk away.
Slowly nodding, she stood before Colin had a chance to pull her out of the chair and into his strong arms. “I can’t believe you’re staying!”
Colin was more excited than she was. She was excited, too, but she had a lot more to figure out than just saying that she was staying in Seattle. She had phone calls to make, including to her parents, details to discuss, and other important things to figure out before she could officially say she was here to stay, for good.
***
Unloading the trunk of Colin’s Chrysler, they carried the proof of his dedication into the café and restocked the display with all sorts of goodies. Colin had made it a point to let everyone know he had helped with this bakery thing, and had announced to whoever read the Seattle Times newspaper that Janelle Harper, baker extraordinaire, was here to stay in Seattle—making it official.
The front page was highlighted with the details of Janelle’s plan to either co-own Harper’s Café or completely take over as her parents retired and enjoyed themselves in the Florida Keys. Copies were organized and stacked next to the door like every week in the past. Customers filed in through the doors, earlier than before, to congratulate Janelle on her decision to stay and make something for herself.
The petite older woman from the day before approached Janelle while she was wiping off a table. “I knew you would stay,” she said. “And I’m glad you did. A lot of people will be glad you did.”
“Thanks,” Janelle said, smiling when she saw Colin standing by the end of the counter holding his thumbs up.
The café filled within the hour, many customers were crammed in the tiny space. Kelsie worked confidently as always, with her master of mixing coffees, lattes, and cappuccinos. Customers were cheerful, more so today than she had seen them on prior days. Colin stood at the end of the counter, fully engaged in conversation with many of the customers. He took credit for somehow convincing her to stay here in Seattle. Only, when he realized she was eyeing him, he gave her that wink that caused all other thoughts to scatter.
“I told you he wasn’t a bad guy,” Kelsie whispered, standing next to Janelle’s side as she prepared the next round of drinks. “If I remember rightly, I also said he’d prove it to you.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Janelle mumbled happily. If she hadn’t known it then, she knew it now. Colin would do anything for her. Someone’s past didn’t make their future, because things change—people change. Catching a glimpse of him from the corner of her eye, she smiled, turned to Kelsie and said, “I owe a lot to you both, don’t I?”
Kelsie shrugged, concentrating on the right mixture for each cup.
“I’d say I do,” Janelle said, packaging a few cookies for the customer across from her. People were going crazy over the news. And more of their customers were focused mainly on the goodies that Colin had baked. She hadn’t seen this many people in this café in a long time. Bringing baked goods into the café had been a good idea—partly hers, but she owed a lot to Colin and Kelsie too.
***
The call she made to Carolyn had gone as well as she had expected. Carolyn had offered to keep her position open, in case she ever decided to come back. It had also been brought up in the conversation that Carolyn would write a letter of recommendation to Seattle Times. She told Janelle she had enjoyed the baking articles just as much, if not more, than the next person, and she didn’t want to see her give writing up just because she wasn’t coming back to Cincinnati. Thankful for the way Carolyn had handled the news, Janelle thanked her and promised to send her some baked goods around the holidays.
The last call of the day she made to her parents. With Colin sitting beside her on the couch, she dialed their number and prepared to tell them both on speakerphone of her decision. She was more than satisfied with how things were falling into place. It had been sketchy to think about telling everyone, including her landlord and her boss, that she wasn’t coming back to Cincinnati, but it had turned out just fine—just like her parents had told her it would be before she had arrived in Seattle.
“Hello, Elle,” her mother answered without an echo in the background. “It’s getting late, dear.”
“I won’t keep you for too long,” she promised. “I was just calling to tell you about my decision.”
She heard a click on the other end of the line. Her mother’s voice echoed into the speaker. “There, now your father will be able to hear, too.”
“What have you decided, dear?” her father’s voice boomed through the speaker.
She had a feeling that her father had known all along what her decision would be. He had known her the best, along with her mother, but he was the one who had always wanted her to chase her dreams, no matter how big or small. He was the one who had put one-hundred percent faith in her move to Cincinnati, and that she would be able to do anything she wanted to do in this crazy thing they called life. He knew it would have been only a matter of time before she would finally decide on following her heart, as she chased the dreams of her and her grandmother.
“I’m staying in Seattle,” she announced, hearing herself echo over the speaker. The words sounded promising—full of hope. “I’ve decided that I’ll be staying here.”
“That’s great,” her father said, his voice full of excitement. “We knew you’d stay. There’s so much opportunity for you out there and we know that you’ll do great with the business.”
“About the business, Elle,” her mother said, interrupting her father. “Do you want to take over?”
She hadn’t really thought all the way through about it. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to take on the family business by herself. It was a huge responsibility and she was only interested in taking baby steps right now, even though this whole experience had her basically jumping in feet first.
“You’ll have no worries,” her mother assured her. “We’ll be here no matter what. Always.”
“It’s completely up to you,” her father chimed in. “No pressure.”
She looked to Colin for suggestions, but knew that he wanted her to do whatever she felt comfortable with—he would be there by he
r side no matter what.
“I’m not sure I’m ready for that,” she said. As soon as she said the words, she wanted to take them back. Of course she was ready. She had spent her whole life dreaming about this moment. Sure, her dreams hadn’t revolved around owning the café, but definitely her own bakery. She was finally able to combine the best of both worlds, with Colin’s help of course with the Seattle Times position, but still, she was more than ready to take on this next step.
Her parents had allowed her the time she needed to think it over as they remained silent. They knew her too well. “I’ll do it.”
“Of course you will, Elle,” her father’s voice boomed with excitement. “Because there’s no place like home to build your future. We love you, Janelle.”
Ending the conversation, she turned to Colin, who wrapped his arms around her and held her close. “There’s no place like home.”
No Place Like Home - Love in Seattle Page 16
