Hooking Him (How to Catch an Alpha #3)(16)
“I’m fine,” I tell her softly, pulling her in for another hug. “I’m just a little shaken up.”
“Honey.” Her voice cracks. “Those tides can be tricky. You could have died out there.”
My throat gets tight, and tears burn the backs of my eyelids, because I still don’t know for sure that Amy is okay.
Edie leans back to look at me, then slides a piece of hair behind my ear while tears form in her eyes. “You, my beautiful girl, have a warrior’s soul, and today you proved you’re not just willing to take risks to benefit yourself. You’re willing to take risks to help others, and that is true bravery.” She smiles slightly, and tears fill my eyes. Her thinking I’m brave means everything. It means more than she could ever know. “No tears.” She leans in to kiss my cheek, then grasps my hands. “Now, go shower and meet me downstairs for a glass of wine.”
I look at the clock on the oven. “It’s not even two.”
“If you take one lesson from today, let it be that you should live every single day of your life like it’s your last. Drink when you want, laugh until your soul is full, open yourself up to falling in love, spend time with people who are important, and enjoy every moment, even the scary ones.”
“Like you, Pearl, and Dixie,” I say softly. That’s exactly how they live their lives.
“Like us but better, because you’re still young enough to do it right from the start.” She smiles, then pushes me gently away. “Now, go shower while I find us the perfect bottle of wine.”
With my throat tight, I start toward my bathroom but stop when I hear the door open. “Edie.” I turn to face her.
“Yeah?”
“I love you,” I tell her quietly. “Thank you for everything: for believing in me and for just being here for me. I don’t know what would have happened if you weren’t placed in my path.”
“You would’ve been okay, child, but I hope you know I love you too.”
I nod, then watch her go, knowing that even with everything that’s happened, I have no regrets, not a single one. Every day I’m getting closer to finding myself and the happiness I’ve been searching for.
With that last thought in my mind, I take a shower, then go meet my friend for a glass of wine that we drink outside under the warm sun. The sound of the ocean is the background to our relieved tears after Calvin calls to tell me that Amy woke up and will be okay.
Suggestion 5
FAKE IT UNTIL YOU MAKE IT
ANNA
“Maybe I should reconsider giving you days off, because it seems a lot happens when you’re not here at the shop,” Chrissie says, picking up a bouquet of flowers off the front counter and handing it to Gaston. He’s been loading them into his car off and on all day to take to the local retirement home.
“Or you could just thank me for making this the best day of the year in terms of sales.” I smile cheekily as Gaston laughs while I walk into the back room to take a pan of cupcakes out of the oven and grab a tray of cookies. The display case is almost empty. Calvin was right about Max finding out my name. What I didn’t know she would do was put my name, along with where I work, in the article, claiming I was some kind of hero for rescuing Amy.
“What are you planning on doing next?” Chrissie asks as I come back in, carrying the tray.
“I don’t plan; I’m more of a ‘live in the moment’ kind of girl,” I tell her as I bend down to place a fresh tray of cookies in the display case.
“Is that so?”
As I hear Calvin ask that question, my head flies up, and I’m sure I look like a deer caught in headlights. I didn’t hear the door chime when I was in the back, and Chrissie didn’t even give me a heads-up that he was here.
“I’m going to help Gus take out some of these flowers. We’ll be back in a few minutes,” Chrissie says, and then the door chimes, announcing she and Gaston have left, but I don’t pull my eyes off Calvin’s. I can’t.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” he asks, walking toward the counter. He’s dressed almost exactly like he was the first time we met, in dark jeans and a button-down shirt that’s form fitting and accentuates his powerful build. His appearance, along with the look in his eyes, causes my heart to pick up speed as he gets closer.
“How am I looking at you?”
“Like you can’t decide if you want to run to me or away from me.”
I shift on the balls of my feet, wishing I were better at keeping my emotions locked away. “Why are you here?” I ask instead of answering his question.
“I wanted to come check on you. I tried to call you last night, but you didn’t answer, so I called Edie. She said you fell asleep in her guest room. And you haven’t answered my calls today or responded to my text.”
Edie told me when I woke up this morning that he’d called her, and every time I saw his number on my phone today, I tried to talk myself into answering or calling him back. I just couldn’t force myself to do it, even though I really wanted to.
“Thank you for checking up on me. As you can see, I really am okay, so you don’t need to worry about me,” I say, watching as his eyes flash with frustration and his jaw tics.
“Christ, you’re good.”