Page 4 of The Last Lavender Sister

What the hell was she doing? This was crazy. Brynn Garrett wondered if she was making a mistake. When your world went up in smoke, you didn’t just pack your bags and leave town. At least, that wasn’t how she normally operated. In fact, doing so now left her feeling like she’d walked out of her house without any pants. Except in her case, she was leaving with all of them. She was the type who dotted eachiand crossed everyt. Not one of hers had any dots or crosses, yet here she was, fleeing the scene in impulsivity.

Pausing her very clichéd pacing, she stared at the voice mail notification waving at her from her phone like a pesky toddler seeking attention. Unable to put it off any longer, she pressed her thumb over the play button, leaving the voice mail to play on speaker as she continued packing like her life depended on it.

“Babe. Please don’t ignore my calls.”

First of all,babe? Tiffany hadn’t called her that in months. Since well before the breakup. She bristled at the way the word made her feel now, after everything had fallen out of place. “We have a lot to talk about and sort through.” Tiffany sighed. Brynn knew that sigh well and the voice that went with it as closely as she knew her own. But it was all wrong now, familiar or not. They were broken and gone forever. “I saw that you signed over the lease, but can we take a moment and make sure this is what we want? Whatyouwant.”

She squinted in mystification. “What I wanted is someone who wants me and only me,” she said to the empty room. Most of her belongings sat in boxes along the wall, thrown together in a less than organized packing job. This move had come on so fast. She lookedaround. Art still adorned the walls. She didn’t want it. Just reminders. She’d leave it for Tiffany and her new life, which was such a surreal concept. She tasted bile in the back of her throat, the trauma still so prevalent. She’d once believed they’d spend forever in this house, celebrating milestones and Christmases, bringing home their first child. The first time she’d caught her girlfriend on the phone with that woman, Erica, she should have known. She’d given her the benefit of the doubt, because Tiffany was trustworthy, kind, and solid. There was no reason to think otherwise.

Distantly, the voice mail continued to play. “Anyway, I’ve come to realize something important. Erica and I don’t have what you and I do. That says something, right? Maybe I need to pay attention to my gut.”

“Oh God,” Brynn said, dropping her head all the way back. “Are you kidding me?”

“Maybe what we have is special, and I think that deserves a second look.”

Brynn squinted. Was she making this call from Erica’s apartment where she’d been living for the past six weeks? It was likely. There was no chance of a reconciliation. Hell, no. Brynn still mourned their relationship, for the loss of what could have been, and her imagined future. But she was well beyond wanting them to work out. The sad part was that her trust had been shaken. She saw the world differently now. Instead of letting the voice mail finish, she silenced her phone with the push of a powerful button, bringing peace back into the room.

And also stillness. Loneliness. Hurt.

When Tyler had called with a temporary job offer, it almost felt like the arrangement had been ordained. Her good friend from vet school popped up and offered her the perfect opportunity to escape all of this? She couldn’t say no. It was as if the universe had sent help in the form of a perky brunette woman.

“I immediately thought of you as the ideal person to step in and take over the clinic,” Tyler explained over FaceTime. The two of them chatted frequently, but this news had her surprised.

“Wait. Where are you going?” Brynn had asked.

“I’m headed to Chicago. You’re there now. While I would adore spending the next six months hanging out with you there and reliving our wine infused study sessions, we could essentially trade out for a bitand you could save my ass. I won’t trust my practice to just anyone. But I trust you. Say yes.”

Brynn nodded. “I’m still on staff at a clinic here in Chicago.”

“So? They’ll replace you in a week. Here? You’ll matter, and the pets need you and your soft but logical approach to care. I keep waiting for a yes. Am I getting one?”

She could feel the hope in Tyler’s grin through the damn phone. That’s how adorable she was. Brynn chewed her cheek in thought. “It is a pretty big operation, where I work, which can feel less than validating.” She rarely saw the same patients twice, and the clinic was so large that she barely knew the names of some of her colleagues. Once she did, they were often replaced. Turnover was high.

“Then this will be a palate cleanser for you. A one woman show here in Homer’s Bluff where you can get to know my clients personally. They will bake you pie.Pie, Brynn. Are you hearing me?”

That actually sounded really refreshing. Connecting with people. Getting to know the animals. And what an interesting name for a town. Something out of a TV show from the sixties. “I will admit that your timing isn’t bad. But Homer’s Bluff? That’s literally its name?”

“It’s ridiculous but true.”

“I may need to think on this.”

“I get it, and I realize this is probably out of left field. You’ve always been thoughtful, and I would expect nothing less with a decision like this one. I’m just relieved you didn’t hang up on me.”

“I can’t stand your sad face. Never could. Your little lip drops on the side, and your eyes get so big and Bambi-like.”

Tyler laughed. “Let’s both avoid my sad face. I can give you a few days, but then I need to find other arrangements. Less perfect ones, because you’re awesome.”

“Thank you, and I completely understand.” She thought back. “Hey, what about that guy you’re always telling me about. Sage. I thought things were looking up on that front, and now you’re leaving?”

Tyler went quiet. “Well, I was dead wrong. A good reason for me to take a break from this place.”

She could certainly understand the sentiment. “Are you okay?”

“I will be,” Tyler said. “And maybe one day soon we can talk about it.”

“I’d like that because I love you and love sucks. We’re both smart to remember that.”

“Oh, it’s already tattooed across my forehead.”

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