Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 83343 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83343 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
“It’s always good to kill more than one bird with a stone,” he says.
Right. Except there are no birds in Arizona.
I got spooked. And I ran.
I didn’t see it until now. Crompton had gotten under my skin, and I pressed the emergency eject button before I could look too closely at why.
I’m an idiot.
I realize the silence has gone on a beat too long. Simon is looking at me like I’m wearing a full face of clown makeup. “And…uh…then there’s the golf,” I say. Simon chuckles.
As if I’d ever come to Arizona—or go anywhere—to play golf. I’m just trying to save face. I glance at my phone and see Jacob has texted back.
How’s Kate?
Just the sight of her name creates a flash of heat in my chest. Leaving was. . .maybe not easy, but familiar. I’m on the road again, and the road is where I feel comfortable. Flying city to city is when I feel most like me. I’ve been this way for a long time, and it suits me just fine. Or…it did.
When Simon goes to the restroom, I reply to Jacob.
Can you ask Sutton to check in on her? I type out.
I’m such an idiot. I expected to walk away without a scratch. We made no promises to each other. Neither of us expected a happily ever after. So why do I feel so shitty?
I get Instagram up and check out Crompton’s page. Kate hasn’t posted any more pictures since I left. The last one was a view of the lake. The same view we had when we sat down there together for our first date, and again the day after.
I want to reach out, comment and tell her I miss her, but I don’t want to make it worse. I don’t want her to think I’m capable of coming back and staying for good.
Because I’m not.
The hot, searing pain in my chest doesn’t lessen. It’s like my body wants her, even though my mind knows it’s impossible.
She deserves to stay at Crompton because that’s what will make her happy.
She deserves a man who can promise her forever.
She deserves more than me.
THIRTY-FIVE
Kate
Over the last two days, the Crompton staff have watched with excitement as a gigantic tent was erected on the far side of the house, away from the gardens still open to the public for a little longer. There was much fevered speculation about what it might be, but when flooring and air conditioning, along with conference tables and chairs were ferried over there, it was clear the tent was going to be something official rather than anything fun. It’s basically a huge office. When I walked by early this morning, Michael was glued to his laptop. It’s the new office now that building works have started on the old house.
Since Vincent changed Michael’s role to focus on Crompton, he no longer needs an assistant. Which is good, because training for the guest relations role is about to begin.
Michael’s making the decisions. Vincent has gone. I’m back in the tea shop and have taken back some shifts at the Golden Hare.
It’s almost like Vincent was never here.
“Are you ready?” I ask Meghan, who’s sitting next to me on one of the kitchen chairs we’ve planted outside my front door so we can watch the to-ings and fro-ings of the builders and the delivery trucks, and a miniature poodle that seems to have come from nowhere.
“The earl wouldn’t approve of the dog.”
I chuckle. “No, he would not. But it’s so cute. It must belong to one of the builders.”
“You think Sacha is rebelling and it’s hers?”
“I don’t. Although I hope she gets one when she moves into her new place.”
“I went to the new houses yesterday with some of the others from the cottages.” Meghan doesn’t live on the estate, but in the village.
It takes me by surprise. “You did? How was it?”
“Good. I’m thinking about renting one.”
My heart lifts in my chest. “That would be awesome. We could be neighbors.”
“It would get me out of the grotty place I’m in at the moment over the co-op. And if I can manage to get a full-time job at the hotel, I might even give up the pub.” She’s grinning as she speaks and is clearly excited.
“It’s going to be a while until the hotel opens properly,” I say. “But they might tell us more at the meeting.” I have no idea whether or not things are on schedule.
Last night all the staff got an email from Michael asking us to come to a meeting in the tent to meet the new general manager of the hotel. Most of the current Crompton staff haven’t been approached for jobs yet. It’s just me and Basil and the other heads of department coming from other places—people who will be moving here in the coming months. The rest of the staff are waiting on the vacancies list and opening dates.