Page 61 of A Magnolia Move-In
“That sounds heavenly.”
I followed him out onto the deck and settled in a rocking chair. Spencer busied himself around me, stacking the firewood inside his small, portable firepit. In a few minutes, the fire was roaring.
I inhaled, loving the smell of burning wood. It reminded me of camping as a child with my parents and siblings. Spencer settled next to me on the other rockingchair. I handed him a glass of wine, and we both tipped our heads back as we rocked.
I stared up at the night sky, marveling at the amount of stars I could see. “That’s one of the things New York doesn’t have,” I murmured.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Spencer turn to look at me. “What?”
I pointed up at the twinkling lights. “Stars.”
“New York doesn’t have stars?”
I shook my head. “With the smog and lights, you rarely see them.”
Spencer turned his attention heavenward. “That’s a pity.”
I nodded. “It is.”
There was a pause as we both studied the sky above us. It was nice sitting next to Spencer, not feeling like I needed to fill the silence with mindless talk. I’d never been comfortable like this in front of a man. I always felt like I needed to say something to keep people’s interest. But not with Spencer.
He had this air of confidence around him that was infectious. I was beginning to feel as if I was enough. As if I was all that mattered.
“Do you miss it?”
I turned at the sound of his smooth voice. He was still watching the stars, but I could tell that I had his undivided attention. “New York?”
“Mm-hmm.”
I sighed. That was a loaded question. “At times, I missit. I miss watching shows and going down to the local deli at midnight for a sandwich.” My heart squeezed at the memories. Sure, toward the end, my career had felt like a jail cell, but that didn’t mean I hated the place. It was what made me who I was today.
“Ah. Your late kitchen runs make more sense now.”
I swatted his arm, and he pulled back, grabbing where I’d hit him with his other hand. He glanced over at me, giving me a smirk that only made me smile wider. “Some habits die hard,” I murmured.
He chuckled. “If you liked New York so much, why did you leave?”
I wrapped my arms around my chest as I settled back in my chair. Speaking these words out loud was only going to make me feel more vulnerable. But he’d opened up to me; I should do the same.
“Because I wanted a relationship with my daughter. I wanted to be there for her.” Emotions coated my throat once more, making it hard to swallow. “And…I wanted to start over.”
Spencer nodded as if he understood acutely. “There’s a sort of relief that comes from starting over. Moving to a place where people don’t know you and can’t judge you for your past mistakes…” His voice trailed off, and I could hear his reverence for what he was saying.
“It’s freeing,” I finished. He’d put to words exactly how I felt.
“Are you enjoying Magnolia, then?”
I eyed him. I wanted to say that meeting him andtalking to him helped me feel more at home, but I didn’t want to scare him. After all, I may be the only person in this relationship who felt this way. The last thing I needed was to alienate the one man who had been able to break down the wall I had built up around my heart.
“I’m getting used to it.”
He peered over at me. “That’s a good thing?”
I smiled, letting my emotions float to the top. I wasn’t one to open up, but with Spencer, it was getting easier and easier. “It’s a good thing.”
Silence fell around us as we moved our focus back to the sky. The sound of the wood crackling in front of us and the expansiveness of the sky above made me feel peace. I smiled as I sipped my wine, allowing this feeling of completeness to fall around me.
I needed this. More than I knew.
