Page 79 of Best Laid Plans
Elle crossed her arms. “Wonder where I get it from?”
“I am sorry that I didn’t tell you about my health issues. And I’m sorry that I made a choice on your behalf that wasn’t mineto make. I’m even more sorry if that choice made you think that we felt like you couldn’t handle it.”
Wow. This sounded embarrassingly like the talk she’d given to her brother a few days ago. But still… “It did hurt, Dad. A lot. I’m a Pierce, too. Even if I live in Boston. Even if I’m not overly involved like Wyatt. I still want to be here for you and Mom.”
“I knew that you would come running back to town in a heartbeat, honey. I’ve never doubted how much you love us or what you would do for us. I didn’t want you to have to make that choice, but I now realize that was wrong of me. I really am sorry, Elle.” Her dad was looking at her with so much softness that Elle felt it in her bones. She’d never doubted his love for her, not really. She just hated feeling on the outside. Like there was some invisible line that she’d been placed beyond, where information had been pre-filtered instead of having the full picture. It had felt awful, when she’d realized.
Suddenly, she felt a lot more sympathy for her brother. “I love you, Dad. I just hate thinking that I could have done something to help.”
He nodded and squeezed her foot. “Not everyone is like you. They don’t know what they’re going to do immediately. Don’t confidently have the best answer slot into their mind. Everyone is simply making the choice that they think is best at the time.”
“I’ll have you know I do a ton of research to make decisions.”
Her dad laughed. “You really are so special, Elle. But always remember that it’s okay to be confused. And it’s okay to be scared. It’s the hard stuff that really makes us grow. A lump of coal doesn’t become a diamond until it’s put under pressure.”
Elle rolled her eyes but smiled, in spite of how corny her dad was being. “Are you trying to spin me losing my job and apartment in a positive light?”
“We’ve always told you kids that happiness is a choice. I really do believe that. There are so many thingshappening all the time. Bad things are everywhere. But good things are everywhere, too. It really depends on what you’re open to seeing.” She managed a dubious eyebrow raise, but her dad pushed on. “You came home. You got to spend time with us and your brother. You reconnected with Becca. You and Cam–”
“Let’s put that last one on the back burner, yeah?” she cut in quickly, even as a lump formed in her throat at hearing his name. But she understood what he was saying. Becca had said something similar. It was only when she’d let go. Only when she didn’t have things so clearly planned out that it felt like her life–her whole world, really–had opened up into something new and unexpected.
He nodded. “Sure, honey. In the spirit of you wanting to be relied on more, I was also hoping you could do me a favor today.”
She sat up straighter in bed. “Anything.”
“I was going to take your mom on a little day trip up the coast, but we have a delivery coming at eleven a.m. today. Would you be able to sign for it and let them into the building?”
It wasn’t lost on her that they hadn’t talked about the future of Pierce’s, but she was trying to take a page out of her dad’s playbook and stop holding on so tightly to everything.
She looked down at her watch. It was still before nine o’clock. “Sure thing. I can do that.”
Her dad stood up. “Thanks, kiddo. Your mom and I are heading out soon, but I left breakfast for you downstairs.”
Elle’s mouth watered. “If you keep feeding me, you’re never going to get rid of me.”
Laughing, her dad stopped in the doorway. “As long as you stop trying to move the furniture around, you’re welcome here as long as you want.”
And then her dad was gone, as Elle relaxed back against the pillows. Her heart still hurt, along with her head after last night, but for the first time since Friday, she was feeling moreoptimistic. Because her dad was right. There was good everywhere, and even if she couldn’t see the forest through the trees right now, it didn’t mean it wasn’t there.
One of her dad’s delicious breakfast sandwiches and a shower had done Elle wonders. The sun was still a little aggressive as she pulled into the Pierce’s Lobster Co. parking lot a few minutes before the delivery was scheduled to arrive, but, she reminded herself, most people shelled out exorbitant amounts of money to spend time in the place that she called home.
The first thing she noticed when she unlocked the front doors to the restaurant was that the lights were on. The second thing was the aromatic smells of seafood wafting from the kitchen.
Her heart instinctively did a stutter-step, realizing that there was only one person who’d be at Pierce’s on a day when they were closed. Cam.
Only, why hadn’t he called her? Or let her know that he was back in town? Which meant that she immediately assumed he was avoiding her, hoping to drag out how soon they’d have to have a conversation.
Her stomach was in knots. She didn’t have a plan for how to talk to Cam. For how to be in the same room with him and pretend like everything was okay.
But life didn’t care about whether she was ready or not as Cam popped his head out of the kitchen. He was dressed in a black Pierce’s Lobster Co. t-shirt that contoured a body she’d grown to know intimately, his stubble well-defined on his jaw and drawing her eyes to his gorgeous smile.
Was he trying to kill her? Thankfully, she didn’t have to wait long to find out.
“You’re here,” Cam breathed, quickly covering the diningroom area with long, purposeful strides. It was then that she noticed one of the tables had the chairs set on the ground, a single place setting laid out.
She wrapped her arms around herself. It hurt, being this close to him. Knowing how close they’d come to something truly incredible. “My dad wanted me to sign for the delivery. Which seems unnecessary, given that you’re here. Why are you here, by the way?”
Several beats of silence followed, which Cam finally filled. “I wanted you to be the first to try the new menu.”
