Four Weddings and a Swamp Boat Tour - Erin Nicholas Page 0,94
see her. “I’ve realized that a relationship is about the two people in it, but it’s not just about them. At least not in families like ours. And Piper and Ollie are our family, even if it’s not blood.”
Paige heard Josie sniff, and she knew her soft-hearted sister was tearing up.
“So you’re telling me that you’ve become pro-marriage?” Josie asked.
Paige smiled. “Well, it’s helpful for a wedding planner to not be anti-marriage, at least.”
Josie laughed. “True. You want to keep doing the wedding planning thing, then? I think that’s great. And hilarious.”
“I know.” It was kind of hilarious. “But yeah, I really enjoy it. And I’m strangely good at it.’
“I don’t think that’s strange,” Josie said. “It’s not that you can’t be sentimental and creative and family-oriented. It’s that you’ve been choosing not to be.”
Paige was quiet. She thought about that. Finally, she said, “Yeah. You’re right. I consciously rejected all of that so that I didn’t get anyone’s hopes up.”
“It worked.”
“It did. But… I think I’m over that.”
“Over what?”
“Over not getting people’s hopes up. I want people to want things from me.”
Josie didn’t say anything for a moment. When she did answer, her voice was soft. “I’m happy and sad.”
“Sad?”
“This means you’ll be staying in Louisiana, right?”
Paige realized that was exactly what it meant. Or what she hoped it would mean. “It’s not that I don’t love Appleby.”
“I know. But Autre was able to give you something we couldn’t.”
“Is that bad?” Paige felt a little guilty.
“No.” Josie gave a soft laugh. “I’m glad Appleby could give Grant something Chicago couldn’t. It’s how it happens sometimes. I think Autre gave you the ability to figure out who you really wanted to be. In Appleby, you might have figured it out eventually, but there were a lot of people with ideas about who you were already. In Autre, you could start fresh. All of the ideas were just yours.”
Paige felt herself nodding. “Yeah. That’s it. For a place that has a ton of history and roots, the fact that I didn’t have any there was exactly what I needed so I could figure out what I want my history and roots to be like when I look back.”
“I’m going to miss you.”
“You can come visit. And I can come home a lot. My brother-in-law is loaded and has a private plane.”
“Yes, he does. And I am learning that I can talk him into almost anything.”
Paige’s laugh was loud. “You’re just now learning that? Because we’ve all known it for a long time.”
Josie’s voice was full of love and happiness when she said, “It’s all going to be great. But I think you’re going to wait for that visit home until the weather is a little nicer between there and here.”
Reminded of her current predicament, Paige groaned. “I really wanted to see the wedding.”
“I can put you on a video call, and you can watch the whole thing from the safety and warmth of that B and B,” Josie said.
Paige sighed. “Yeah, I guess. And maybe they’ll get the road cleared in the morning, and I can make it just in time.”
They chatted for a few more minutes, and Josie promised to send photos of the wedding cake before they disconnected.
Paige was smiling as she sat back against the fluffiest pillows she’d ever met.
But she sobered after only a couple of minutes.
Was she going back to Louisiana?
Of course, she was. Most of her clothes and five of her cats were still there. This trip to Iowa hadn’t been intended to be permanent.
But was she staying once she got there?
Mitch hadn’t asked her to come back.
He was probably assuming she would. For the cats, if nothing else. Temporarily.
But they hadn’t talked about when she would be back. Or how long she’d stay. If she’d stay past August. If she’d even stay until August.
He hadn’t asked. He had been quick to say no to coming to Iowa with her. He’d flat out told her not to make him any promises.
How would he feel about her being there permanently?
She’d told him she was going to stay in Autre until August. He knew she’d intended to head to Colorado eventually. That had been the plan.
She had made him a promise.
To not stay.
To not get serious.
To not commit to anything or do anything long term or to even be there past August.
She was in love with him, but he didn’t know that. And he’d certainly not said he felt anything like that for her.