Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 116455 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 582(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116455 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 582(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
“You know… I didn’t like you at first, JT,” Dan began, eyeing me from over a set of chair legs before reaching for another. “I thought you were trying to sabotage Flynn’s chances at Brew Fest.”
“Yes. I know exactly what you thought.” Since Flynn had screamed it at top volume earlier, the whole town might know at this point. “But it’s not true.”
“I got that.” He ran a hand over his short hair. “I figured that out when I saw the look on your face earlier. You were helping us. It was nice of you.”
I bristled at his generous use of the term “us” but appreciated his gratitude nonetheless. “I care about Flynn.” Which was an understatement, but Dan wasn’t the guy who needed to hear my truths or deserved my explanations.
“It seems like you do. Which is why I can’t understand why you would keep this from him. This business is his heart. If you’ve known him as long as everyone says you have, how could you not know that?”
“I did!” I snapped, pushing away from the table. “I’ve been afraid of this all along, but I couldn’t figure out what else to do. So don’t fucking talk to me about knowing Flynn Honeycutt, do you hear me? No one knows that man better than I do.”
“Really?” Dan stepped forward and jutted his clenched jaw at me. “Did you know he has dreams to travel the world? To go to school and learn from the experts?”
“No he doesn’t.” I rolled my eyes. “No more than I want to be a baseball player.”
“What?”
I shook my head, knowing that whatever else I’d fucked up, this one thing I’d gotten right. “That’s not what he wants anymore, Dan. It might have been his dream once. And maybe I believed it still was, even a few weeks ago. But dreams change. People change. Flynn’s real dream is to stay here in the place he loves most and help grow the town along with his business. He wants to support his family. He wants to build something that endures. He wants to make Honeybridge a place people want to come to and never want to leave.”
Dan’s face had morphed into an expression of surprise.
I let out a soft laugh, even though I felt like crying. “That’s what I was trying to give him, man. His dream. That’s all I was trying to do.”
Flynn’s voice came from behind me. “Then why weren’t you honest?”
“Flynn,” I whispered. I closed my eyes and breathed in and out. Just hearing his voice, filled with hurt and anger as it was, knowing he was in the same room with me, sent a wave of peace washing over me like Willow Honeycutt had just sprinkled me with relaxation mist while resetting my chakras.
I turned toward the man I loved, and in that moment, I realized my own truth just as surely as I knew Flynn’s.
I had one chance to tell him. To make this right. But it was going to take a miracle to make it happen.
Chapter Sixteen
Flynn
I couldn’t bring myself to look at JT’s face. Dan met my eyes over JT’s shoulder and tilted his head, silently checking whether I felt safe being alone with JT… while also telling me he thought I would be. Clearly, something JT had said changed Dan’s mind about the guy. Maybe he’d turned on the Wellbridge charm.
I waved Dan off. “Go home, Dan. Gonna be a long day again tomorrow. Thanks for everything.”
Thankfully, instead of arguing, Dan turned around and disappeared into the kitchen. A few moments later, I heard the back door close with a solid thunk.
Once we were alone, JT turned to face me. His face was drawn, and his blue eyes burned with some banked emotion, but he didn’t speak. His hesitation was annoying as fuck. He’d done this to himself, so why the hell was he walking on eggshells now?
“I heard what you said,” I admitted, crossing my arms in front of my chest to keep from reaching for him just to feel the solid, reassuring weight of him in my hands. “And you’re right.” He opened his mouth to speak, and I held up a hand to stop him. “So help me, if you say something smug right now, I’m going to punch you in the mouth.”
“Not feeling smug right now, Flynn.” JT’s voice was hoarse.
He ran both hands through his once-perfect hair. I liked it better these days—a little long, messy and real, perfect for grabbing hold of. I hated myself for wanting to reach out and save it from his rough treatment.
He stared at me for a long moment, then shook his head like he was frustrated with himself. “Fuck. This is the most important conversation of my whole life, and I… I don’t even know where to begin.” He huffed out a breath that wasn’t quite a laugh. “God, I’m an idiot.”