Page 45 of Chasing Forever

“You have fun tonight, Dandelion?” Tristan asked, taking my hand in his and lifting it to his lips to kiss my knuckles as he steered with the other one.

“I had the best time. Your family is incredible.”

He shot me a happy smile before looking back at the dark road ahead. “I’m glad. And they loved you. So maybe next time, you won’t have to be so nervous.”

We lapsed into a calm, comfortable silence as we headed for home that lasted until I had a thought.

“Tristan?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“You were right.”

He quirked a brow my way. “About what?”

“Doc is a far superior dog.”

He barked out a laugh and squeezed my hand tighter. “Damn right he is. And the fact that you see it means you’re perfect for me.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Merritt

By the time my shift at the lodge was over, my feet were tired and there was a constant ache in my lower back, but I didn’t mind. Being tired and sore meant I’d done a good day’s work, and I honestly didn’t mind cleaning rooms.

Levi’s social worker had been impressed with how well he was doing after such a traumatic experience, and even offered to testify on my behalf in my custody case if it came to that.

We’d been living with Tristan for about three months now, and each day was better than the one before. We’d fallen into a routine unlike anything I’d experienced. It was safe and comfortable. It felt like we were our own little family, complete with a small dog with a big personality. I was finally where I was always meant to be. I knew in my heart this was the happy life my mother had told me to go out and find before she passed away, and I had no doubt she was looking down on Levi and me and smiling.

“You finally off?” Becky asked as I hit the bottom of the stairs.

“Yep. I think tonight calls for an Epsom salt bath and a glass of wine.” I reached into my purse and fished out my keys.

“You deserve it, honey. You’ve been workin’ hard.”

Ivy was getting closer to her due date, and though she fought her boyfriend on it tooth and nail, she’d finally relented to taking six weeks off once the baby was born. When Ivy asked if I’d be interested in handling some of the work she did for the resort, I’d been honored she trusted me enough and said yes without a second thought. So on top of my regular work, I was also training to take over for her so she could actually relax on her maternity leave and not worry that things here were going to hell.

It was a lot, and most days I felt like there was so much information in my head there couldn’t possibly be room for more, but I was excited for the challenge.

I walked backward, grinning in her direction as I began, “You know what they say... it’s not work if you love what you’re doing,” we both said at the same time. It was a mantra Becky lived by and said at least once every day.

“Look at you, catching on quick.” She shot me a wink. “You enjoy your evening with that gorgeous man and that adorable little boy.”

Word of my relationship had spread through the lodge after Tristan and Levi surprised me at work one day a few weeks back. They had made a special lunch they wanted to bring me, and we’d eaten it together at one of the picnic tables outside. Tristan hadn’t shied away from touching me while they’d hung out during my break, and when they got ready to leave, he’d given me a kiss right out front for everyone to see. Fortunately, it was G-rated, considering there were kids and families running around everywhere, but it still set tongues wagging.

It was the same in town. The cat was out of the bag after that first family dinner a couple months back. It seemed like everyone in town knew. Even people I’d never spoken to. There had been a couple days where I panicked, worried what Warren would do when he found out. Because in a town like Hope Valley, it was a foregone conclusion it waswhen, notif. Tristan had to talk me out of spiraling a couple of times, but I’d eventually settled.

The divorce proceedings were moving at a snail’s pace, and as badly as I wanted them over with, I trusted Rochelle when she said this was the way things went. When it came to divorces and the like, there was a whole lot of what she called “hurry up and wait.” It sucked, but I wasn’t going to let it cast a shadow on my life. Not when it was finally so bright and sunny.

“I will, Becky. You have a good night too.”

I headed out of the lodge and rounded the back where the staff parked, waving goodbye to different people—staff and guests alike—as I passed them. Pressing the button on the remote, I beeped the locks once I was a few feet away from my car, and pulled the door open, tossing my purse across to the passenger seat. I was just about to climb in when a flash of red out of the corner of my eye caught my attention.

I slowly turned my head, a chill working its way down my spine as soon as I spotted the flowers propped up where the hood met the windshield. The blood in my veins turned to ice at the sight of those six, perfect, long-stem red roses. It wasn’t the flowers themselves that scared me.

It was what they represented and who they were from that did.

Those were the very flowers Warren would bring me as an apology every time he hit me. I’d received so many bouquets of red roses, that the sight and smell of them made me sick to my stomach. I hated roses now, and he knew that.

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