Lizzy pursed her lips and drew a beer from the tap.
“And let’s say, hypothetically, I’m able to take care of everything,” I said. “We go through my parents’ stuff and sell the house, and then I move to Portland. Will Hunter and I still have that same spark?”
“Why wouldn’t you?” Lizzy asked.
I wiped up some condensation from the bar and folded the rag into a square. “These past few weeks have felt like a honeymoon. Everything has been perfect between us. Sneaking around, stealing kisses andotherthings. It’s been a fun little secret. But that’s not the same thing as a relationship. What if we move in together and find out we’re not compatible?”
“Technically, you’ve already kind of been living together,” Lizzy pointed out.
I gave her a look. “It’s not the same, and you know it. I guess the fight we had yesterday has me rattled. It reminded me that sometimes thingsseemperfect, but only because you’re ignoring all the imperfections.”
“Like a low-quality diamond,” she said with a grin. “Unlike aYours Foreverdiamond, which is flawless.”
I stuck my tongue out at her.
The brewery grew busy, and Lizzy and I had to stop chatting. I worked slowly and mechanically while lost in my own thoughts. For the past year, I had been planningYours Forever Gemstones.Mom had been sick the entire time, and so daydreaming about my new business idea was one of my coping mechanisms. I put all of my enthusiasm and hopes into it, especially after Mom eventually passed, and Dad, too. It was all I had.
And then Hunter came along and gave me new hope. The guy I had been dreaming about all these years wasback, and he wanted me.
Now, both of those hopes had been crushed. My gemstone business hadn’t gotten off to a fast start, even after being mentioned on Hunter’s channel. And the man himself was back in Portland, focusing on his own life.
Without those two things, what did I have to look forward to? The future felt bleak and hopeless.
The longer my shift went on, the more melancholy I felt. I was beginning to fear that I would need to excuse myself to the bathroom and cry in one of the stalls. Even if it resulted in sympathy tips, I didnotwant to start weeping behind the bar.
I was about to tell Lizzy that I needed a break when something by the front door caught my eye. Charlie was arguing with someone on the other side of the door. His hand was against the door frame like a bouncer blocking someone’s way.
It’s probably Ralph, I thought.He thinks he can come back after getting in that fight.
But then I caught a glimpse of the man trying to get in. He leaned forward to peer into the brewery, allowing me to catch sight of his silky chestnut hair. His eyes were dark and searching, and then Charlie blocked his path.
“Hunter?” I whispered.
47
Erica
At first, I didn’t believe my eyes. It was a cliché, but Ididn’tbelieve what I was seeing. I thought he was a grief-induced hallucination.
But then Hunter ducked underneath Charlie’s blocking arm, and came jogging into the brewery. He wore jeans and a tight, muscle-gripping T-shirt, and he weaved between the tables of customers. When he reached the bar, he stuck his hands in his pockets sheepishly.
“Hi,” he said with a hopeful smile.
“What…” My mouth was dry and I had to lick my lips to speak. “What are you doing here? I thought you were on a flight to Portland.”
“I didn’t get on it.”
Before he could explain more, Lizzy barreled her way down the bar and jabbed a finger in his face. “Do you know the hell we went through trying to find you today? I got a speeding ticket, and the Mustang was towed for having expired plates. You could have saved us the trouble by answering your phone!”
He winced. “I spilled beer on it last night. Fried it instantly. We had to swing by the store and get it replaced on our way here.”
“You mean you spilled beer on it when you wereshitfacedat the Marriott bar?” Lizzy said.
I had never seen Hunter blush before, so it was strange watching his handsome cheeks turn crimson. “I wouldn’t say I gotshitfaced,but yeah, I did some drinking last night.”
Relief washed over me. Hunter hadn’t been ignoring my calls. His phone was dead the whole time.
And if he hasn’t been ignoring my calls…