Page 93 of The Wish List
“You’ve gotten better,” she assured him, turning in a circle to take in the whole space.
Declan moved closer and laced their fingers together. “You make it better,” he said, and her heart tumbled.
“I need to talk to you about something.” She’d expected to ask him about Nashville curled up together on her sofa in front of the tiny tree he’d brought her, but she didn’t want to wait. An empty bar would have to make do.
“Me first.” He squeezed her hands and then released one to dig in the pocket of his canvas jacket. “Before I chicken out.”
Her heart picked up speed. It didn’t feel as though he was going to break up with her, but she’d had enough surprises lately that she knew better than to trust her instincts.
He pulled out a small box wrapped in bright red paper. “Merry Christmas, Beth. I hope you like it.”
“Your gift is at my house.” She took the box from him and stepped back. “Should I wait, and we can open them at the same time?”
“No waiting.”
“Okay. I’m sure I’ll love whatever it is, Declan. You don’t have to be nervous.”
“Just open it.”
She ran a finger under the taped seam to reveal a plain brown box. She placed the ribbon and wrapping paper on a nearby table then opened the lid.
“It’s a key.” She studied the small, gold piece of metal, unsure how this was a gift to her but not wanting to hurt his feelings.
“It’s the key to Champions.”
She blinked then glanced up at him, even more confused. “I don’t understand.”
“I bought the bar from Bill,” he said proudly. “I’m staying in Magnolia, Beth. For you. For our future.”
“No,” she whispered, placing the key and the box on the table. “You can’t.”
His head snapped back like she’d slapped him.
“That didn’t come out right.” She waved her hands then pressed them to her belly. Her stomach pitched like Declan’s announcement was the first giant dip on a roller coaster. Her heart did not want a ticket for this ride and what she saw coming down the track.
“Declan, I’m leaving.”
“I don’t understand.” His gaze flicked to the key in the box on the table and back to her. “This is your home.”
“I’m moving to Nashville to go back to school. It’s a nurse practitioner program.” Her throat felt dry, hands clammy. Why did it feel as though following her plan was going to wreck every other aspect of her life? Was this how goals were supposed to work? “Classes start after the New Year.”
“How long have you known?” He pressed two fingers to his temple as if his head had started pounding. She knew the feeling.
“It’s been in the works for a while. It was something I decided to do after my divorce. I needed a new path and something for myself—to get away. When my mom had the stroke, I wasn’t sure it was going to work. But I enrolled and rented an apartment near the Vanderbilt campus. I’m going to make it work. I have to.”
“You didn’t think to share any of this with me?” He scrubbed a hand over his face, and when he looked at her again, all of the emotion she’d seen in his gaze was gone. His eyes were flat gray—no storm, no turbulence, no warmth.
“I didn’t think it would matter. At first, I was worried about telling my mom and my sisters. You were—”
“Not a priority,” he finished.
She shook her head. “You were unexpected. This...” She gestured between the two of them. “We were unexpected. I was going to ask you to go with me.”
“To Nashville?” He raised a brow.
“Yes. I wouldn’t ask for some big commitment. You travel. We could keep it...light, casual, fun.” This was not at all how she’d wanted to broach the subject of them continuing their relationship. She didn’t want casual from Declan.
But he seemed to have shut down, so that was all she felt like she could offer without risking total humiliation and heartbreak. Hadn’t she been through enough of that? Didn’t she deserve something easy?
