Make a Wish (Spark House #3)(45)
“It’s annoying that you can read me this easily,” I mutter.
“I raised you, it’s my job to be able to read you,” she reminds me. As much as I wish my parents hadn’t died in that car accident, I loved being raised by Grandma Spark. Because I was the youngest, I spent the most time with her, especially when Avery and London were in college. When I put my degree on hold, she was understanding, being the only person who knew what I was truly going through. But every once in a while she’d throw out a passing comment about whether I wanted to finish it at some point. She was beyond elated when I told her I was going to take that step.
“I know.” I blow out a breath and tell her everything. She already knew about Gavin and Peyton coming back to Colorado Springs and us reconnecting, but I fill her in on the breakup with Chad.
“Oh, sweetheart, I’m so sorry. Breakups are never easy, but I will say, from the beginning I knew he wasn’t the right one for you.” She adjusts the brim of her hat.
“Why didn’t you say something if you knew?”
“Because sometimes we have to find the wrong man before we find the right one. I met your grandfather two days before I turned down a proposal from my high school sweetheart.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“That’s because I was saving the story for the right time.” She winks. “Your grandfather delivered a bouquet of flowers sent from my boyfriend. At the time, flower delivery wasn’t common like it is now, and he’d been running errands and said he was happy to drop them off. Now, I’d seen your grandfather around town, but only in passing. He took the opportunity and jumped on it, knowing that my boyfriend was sending them as an apology.”
“What did he do that would warrant flowers?”
“He missed a date or something. I can’t remember now.” She waves the question away. “The important part is that your grandfather brought me the flowers and said if my current boyfriend was truly sorry, he would have delivered the flowers himself. And he was right. Sometimes it takes seeing it through someone else’s eyes before we realize the path we’re on isn’t the right one.”
“I think I just wanted someone for myself, if that makes sense.”
She nods knowingly. “It does. You and your sisters are very close, but they both have partners, and I’m sure that makes it more of a challenge for you.”
I nod. “I needed someone other than my sisters in my life. I think I was so caught up in the idea of having someone that I didn’t really put enough focus on whether we were a good match.”
“He was a good-for-now, not a good-forever boyfriend and that’s okay, Harley. You’ll find your person. And maybe you already have.”
* * *
Later that afternoon I get a message from Gavin asking if I’m around. I tell him I’m at Spark House managing cleanup for last night’s event, and he asks how long I think I’ll be there. I tell him probably a couple more hours.
I don’t hear anything back from him after that, so I continue with cleanup and then sit down at my desk to schedule social media posts for the beginning of the week, highlighting the businesses we partnered with for the event over the weekend and the ones we’re working with for this coming week. This is one part of my job that hasn’t changed, and I’m grateful for that. I enjoy setting up mini-photoshoots and coming up with new, creative ways to showcase the businesses who help make our events so special.
I’m in the middle of programming Tuesday’s posts when there’s a knock on my office door. “Come in!” I call out.
I’m not expecting anyone, but sometimes people driving by will pop in and ask for a tour. So I’m surprised when Gavin steps into the office.
I glance past him, expecting Peyton to be his shadow, but he’s alone. “Hey, sorry for the surprise visit, but, I uh … wanted to talk.”
“Talk?” Suddenly my heart is in my throat. And for a moment I wonder if this is how Chad felt on Friday night when I broke up with him.
I feel awful all over again, because the sudden roll in my stomach is a lot to handle.
He glances around the office. “Are we alone?”
I nod, and resist the urge to scratch my wrist. I do not need a hive attack to go with the rest of the unsettled feelings.
He takes a few steps forward, then tucks his hands in his pockets. For some reason he looks nervous. “I need to apologize.”
“Apologize?” I can’t think of a reason he’d need to be sorry for something.
“For the way my mother-in-law acted on Friday. At the assembly.”
“Oh.” Friday feels like it was a million years ago. The whole breakup with Chad overshadowed Karen and her frostiness.
“Karen is having trouble with the move. She misses Peyton, and she doesn’t like how easily she seems to be settling in.” He rubs the back of his neck. “That sounds bad. What I mean is that she’s used to being the center of Peyton’s world, and with us living here, that’s not how it is anymore. It’s been tough for her to manage, and I need to make more of an effort to plan visits with them, but my focus has been on getting Peyton settled.” He blows out a breath. “Not that this is your issue, or your fault, but she lashed out at you and that wasn’t fair. She’s worried about her role in Peyton’s life.”