sit beside me, and I wonder if I’ve upset her. But she gives me a smile and digs into her food while Robbie lets out a groan.
“I missed your cooking, Mom.”
“You’ve only been away for four days,” Serena says from across the table, arching a brow.
“Four days too long.” Robbie winks. I sip my wine, glancing at the twins as I allow myself to relax.
Serena doesn’t need to answer me right away. She doesn’t need to say the ‘L’ word back. It’s enough that I’m here, and she knows how I feel. It feels good to see her, be next to her, inhale her, kiss her, touch her, and do all the things I’ve been wanting to do.
I let myself imagine what it would be like to have a family with her. To spend my life with her. It feels right. As much as I’d love to be Finn’s business partner again, and as much as I’d like to live in Woodvale, this is better. Serena is better. She’s worth any sacrifice I could ever make.
We eat our food—whether this is dinner, or some sort of pre-dinner meal, I’m not sure—and help put the dishes away. Robbie and Serena lead me out to the living room while we pass around a bottle of wine and top up our glasses.
Robbie looks between the two of us, arching an eyebrow. “So, is this official, or what?”
“Is what official?” I ask.
Robbie rolls his eyes. “Please. You and Serena. Are you guys together? In love? Happily ever after?”
“Shut up, Robbie,” Serena says, her cheeks pink. She steals a glance at me, and all I see is hesitation in her eyes.
That doesn’t bode well.
I shrug. “I’m just here to deliver a suitcase.”
“Hand-deliver a suitcase,” Robbie corrects. “To the other side of the country. While you use your own vacation days to do so.”
A grin tugs my lips. I shrug. “What’s your point?”
His mother enters the living room with a tray laden full of chips and dips and all kinds of snacks. She places it down on the coffee table, passing around napkins. I frown, already stuffed.
Serena laughs. “Just go with it, Kit.”
“Right.”
Robbie smiles, thanking his mother as she makes sure we have everything we need. She disappears into the kitchen again, and Serena glances after her.
“Mom hasn’t had this much energy in weeks.”
“I don’t want her to serve me like this,” I say. “I don’t want to be a burden.”
“She likes it,” Robbie says. “Gives her an excuse to keep herself busy.”
“Still.” I shrug, reaching for a chip despite my full stomach.
Robbie asks after his grandmother, and he and Serena make plans to go see her in the morning. I’m only here until tomorrow evening, but I make plans to have a look around town while they visit their grandmother. After all, if I’m thinking of staying here, I should get familiar with the place, right? See if it’s a good fit? If I like the town?
After a few more hours, Robbie and I head back to his place. It’s hard saying goodbye to Serena, who gives me a tight hug and promises to spend time with me tomorrow. I wish she were coming with us, curling up in bed next to me so I could never let her out of my sight.
But I go to bed alone, dreaming of her.
The next day, Robbie and I pick up Serena at her mother’s house, then head into town. They drop me off for my morning of exploration and head to the care home where their grandmother has been moved. I wander through the streets, glancing in and out of shops before finally choosing a café.
With a coffee in front of me and an hour to kill, I find myself dialing Finn’s number.
He answers on the first ring. “Have you given any thought to my offer?”
“Haven’t been able to stop thinking about it,” I admit.
“But you’re with your girl now, and things don’t seem so easy?”
I chuckle. “Sounds like you’ve been here before.”
Finn lets out a dry snort. He sighs, and I hear a chair creak as he shifts his weight. “Look, I know I went about it the wrong way with Esme. I never wanted that to affect our relationship. It just…happened.”
“I get it,” I say. “No hard feelings.”
When I say those words, I mean them. Really mean them, down to my core. I’m happy for Finn and Esme, and I think they deserve happiness. A smile stretches over my lips as I realize I really