Page 12 of Wish You Would

Honestly, the man can be so hot and cold. One minute, he’s making me tea before bed and the next, he’s growling at me for being too messy.

Daisy stops searching through the rack of vintage coats and looks at me with a shocked expression on her face. “What? That can’t be true. Holden doesn’t hate anyone. He’s the nicest guy on the planet.”

“Daisy,” I sigh. “Believe it. It’s true. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful he’s letting me stay with him, but to be honest he’s a bit of a pill.”

Daisy cocks her head at me. “What did you do to him?”

“Excuse me,what? I didn’t do anything. I’ve been there foroneday. How bad could I be?”

We’re thrifting at one of our favorite little local stores, something Daisy and I have been doing together for years.The thrill of the thrift is a very real thing. It’s that exhilarating feeling when you find that perfect pair of vintage Levi’s, a slip dress from the 40s or that handmade one-of-a-kind piece.

“I’ve lived with Holden,” Daisy reminds me. She spent most nights at Tucker’s place before moving into the house they’re in now, so she knows Holden pretty well. “I consider myself an expert on the man. Sure, he can be a little anal, but he’s a really good guy. He probably just needs some time to get used to having a roommate again. I know after he broke up with Aubrey, he seemed a little… lost.”

“Lost?” I look through the racks, trying to keep my tone uninterested.

“I don’t know. It’s his story to tell, but Tucker said he’s on a self-imposed detox. No women. No hooking up.”

I feel my brow shoot up. “Okay, maybe he isn’t looking for another relationship, but I’msurehe must be getting action.”

Daisy shrugs her shoulders. “It’s just what I’ve been told. But I haven’t seen him with a girl in a very long time. It’s such a shame. A guy like Holden is a catch. I’m still curious what went down between him and Aubrey. Something had to have happened for Holden to swear off women, but he’s never said.”

“Hmm,” I murmur, breathing in deeply, taking in the earthy scent of vintage coats I’m searching through. I seriously love thrifting.

“Briar, just get to know him. Talk to him. He has an interesting family. Wait until he tells you about his mom.” Daisy’s eyes go wide. “Speaking of… how’syourmom? Have you talked to her since you’ve been back?’

I smile. “Yeah, she’s good. So much better than two years ago. Other than missing me, she’s acting like herself again.”

“I love that for her. I can’t imagine what it feels like to lose the love of your life, and so unexpectedly like that.”

Sighing, I stop my search for a moment. “My stepdad was a great guy. It isn’t fair.”

“Briar, for what it’s worth, I think it was good for all of you that you moved back home. But I’m also happy that you’re back.”

I smile at her but feel my mood sober. My family is small, and they all live in Vancouver, B.C., where I was born and raised. My older brother, Lucas, lives a few blocks from my mom, and my grandma and grandpa and my mom’s twin sister all live about a 10-minute drive away. I’ve always been close to them. Growing up, that little extended family made up for the fact that my dad abandoned us when my brother and I were just toddlers. That was 21 years ago. I haven’t seen him since.

My mom says I’m better for it.

Four years after my dad walked out, my mother married my stepdad, Jeff. He treated her so well, and he really put the work in and made my brother and I feel like we were his. We were all heartbroken when he died suddenly of a heart attack a couple of years ago, but it was hardest on my mom. It was clear that she was really struggling, so I decided to move back home to Vancouver.

It wasn’t an easy decision to make. I had a great life in Reed Point. My friends were here, and I had a dream job as the director of sales and marketing for a big cheese company headquartered on the east coast. And the truth is, I left Vancouver in the first place for a reason.

Justin.

I had known that I needed to put some distance between us. Our relationship had become horribly toxic. I chose Reed Point because my mom and stepdad had brought ushere on a vacation when we were teenagers, and I fell in love with the place. The people, the small-town feel, the beautiful beaches. So, I packed what I could fit into one suitcase and moved to Reed Point with no real plan. I ended up building a life here. I got a student visa, enrolled at Reed Point University, where I met Daisy, and earned my marketing degree.

Moving away from my family had come with a cost—missing them. But I didn’t have to deal with Justin, and over time I found real happiness in Reed Point. Looking back, it was the best choice I’ve ever made.

So, the decision to return to Vancouver, to my old life and to the same area code as Justin, wasn’t easy. But my family needed me.

Thankfully, with time, my mom started to heal. When she was ready, I encouraged her to reconnect with friends she’d pulled away from in the year after my stepdad’s death and to get back to doing the things that used to make her happy. She still lives with the heartache of losing the man she loved, but eventually she started to seem like herself again.

Unfortunately, while I was back in Vancouver I had a setback and found myself back with Justin. He promised me he had changed, that he’d spent time working on himself while I was living in Reed Point. I believed him. I moved in with him, happy to be out of my mom’s house but not too far away from her. The idea of having my old life back, our old group of friends, was exciting. It all blew up in my face a few months later when I found him on my couch, naked, with another woman. And that was just the tip of the iceberg. I lost it. It was my mom who insisted I return to Reed Point. She could tell I was struggling being in the same city as my ex, and she told me it was time to get back to living.

So here I am, back in the place I’ve learned to call home. When I contacted my former boss, he offered me my old position back. I found a great apartment—at least, I thought I did, until the landlord pulled the rug out from under me. Holden really came to the rescue on that one. I don’t know what I would have done if he hadn’t stepped up and offered me a place to stay.

“I’m happy to be back too, Dais. I missed you,” I tell her before yanking a hanger off the rack in front of me. On it is a jet-black fur coat, the color of ink. “Not trying to change the subject, but youhaveto see this jacket.”

I take the coat off the rack and quickly throw it over my shoulders. It’s hip-length, soft with short, flat fur. It screams Hollywood glam. I pose in front of the large mirror on the shop’s wall.

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