my pocket might agree with me. That’s what Elisse said when she gave it to me.
“It’s gorgeous, and she’s going to love it, but it’s too soon.”
She stops in front of me. Her caramel eyes stare at mine, and she shakes her head. “This is just a fling. No one falls in love in just a week. I spent years with Stan and—” She goes back to pacing. “You’re going to push me away in a couple of years when you realize I’m not what you need. What is the plan? I stay and . . . what?”
“I want you to be a part of this family,” I answer. “I’m offering you my heart, everything I have, including Perry. Yes, I understand you had a bad relationship. I had a marriage that left me with a beautiful kid and a fear that caused me to keep people away. Or maybe I didn’t want to let anyone in until you came because we have a connection. I probably was waiting for you to arrive. The only thing I’m asking is for you to take a leap of faith.”
“You want me to uproot my life because you’re . . . infatuated?”
“Audrey, this is more than that,” I argue.
“You can’t possibly believe that this is love,” she insists. “I have a job, a life, and a future in Los Angeles. You want me to leave everything behind for someone I just met?”
“I’m . . . you said it yourself the other day, you like this town,” I remind her. “You said you could work on the B&B. I like your ideas, and I want to hire you to make everything possible. The future of the place will be in your hands.”
She frowns. “Wait, what do you mean you like my ideas?” Her hands go to her hips, and her eyes change from affliction to confusion.
“We own the B&B,” I confess. “Mom’s maiden name is Anna Beth Grant, and she never changed the deed to her legal name. We don’t want to sell. The place has been ours for generations and—”
“And you couldn’t tell me that when we met?” She’s now furious.
“It’s complicated.” The words sound weak. “You’re not the only big hotel chain wanting the B&B. People have tried to find Mom for years.”
“The only reason I’m here is to figure out who owns it,” she whisper-yells. “I can just give the name to Aurora and be done with it. I don’t want to lose my job. I love what I do. I’ve worked hard for it, and losing it because you felt like screwing with me is unacceptable.”
“It wasn’t like that, Audrey,” I argue. “You love what you do, but not your job. You should see how stressed you are when your boss calls you or while you’re working.”
“Life is filled with stress. It’s natural.”
“It’s not natural.” I run a hand through my hair. “I understand there are stressful moments while you’re working, but your life shouldn’t be stressed all the time. I’m offering a job you labeled a new dream—a life with us. Unconditional love. A family.”
If I’m setting everything on the table, I might as well do the entire thing. I pull the ring out of my pocket.
She gasps when I open my hand and looks at the solitaire ring sitting on my palm.
“No,” she whispers, shaking her head and giving me a look between anger and sadness. “I can’t do this. You lied to me. I’m running the risk of losing my job, and I won’t move to a town where I can’t trust anybody.”
“It wasn’t like that,” I assure her desperately. “We were just trying our best to keep things the way they are. I get why you want to run away, but I beg you to think before you leave. You’re the one who made me realize I can’t hide for the rest of my life because I’m afraid to live. I’m doing this because I believe in us.”
She walks to my bedroom and gets dressed.
“Audrey,” I say her name almost in desperation. I’m so torn. I’m terrified now that she’ll say goodbye and never contact me . . . us again. But I have to believe in my gut instinct as Mom suggested. Yes, she is trustworthy, but her trust has been broken a few times in her past. So, I beg again. For me, for her, for us. “Stay with me. Let’s write a story beyond hot chocolate, snowflakes, and silent nights.”
“No,” she says. “This