Page 41 of Forgetting Rafe Thomas
While the kettle is heating, I flop on my sofa beside her and grab a cookie. “Right, but now I’m not so sure it is. He bought me a house.”
She chokes on a bite of cookie and spews crumbs everywhere. “Pardon me? He bought you ahouse?”
“Yeah, a farmhouse just outside of Coldstone that I’ve always wanted. Even in high school, we used to pass it between my house and town, and I’d tell him if it ever went up for sale, we would buy it, fix it up, and live there forever.”
“Get out of town right now! He bought it for you? When?”
I cover my face and groan. “That’s the crummy part. Nat, he bought it for mebeforewe broke up, along with this.” I fish the engagement ring from my pocket—still in the box, sight unseen. He left it in my care to help me decide, and I know I’ve never wanted anything more than to put it on, no matter what it looks like, and start packing my things to move back home.
But why? Why do I want to go back when I know he’ll come here? We would both have what we want—two great jobs and each other. So why does that thought make me feel even more confused and dissatisfied?
“Luna, if you love him and would be happy moving back home, you know I’ll support you completely. It’s a big step though, and I want to make sure you think it through so neither of you gets hurt again.”
I nod and stand to get the screaming kettle. “I know. I still have a few days of vacation left before I have to return to work. Since the major catastrophe you freaked out about is basically managed, I think I’m going to drive to Coldstone Creek tomorrow and…I don’t know…feel it out, I guess. Maybe drive by the house and see if I still feel the same about it.”
“I can’t believe my best friend is about to move away from me,” she whispers.
“I said maybe.”
Natasha shakes her head. “Listen woman, the man bought you a house, a ring, and paid for you to meet him in Ireland. I’m not stupid. I can do this math problem without the assistance of a calculator.”
I pour water over the tea and put my hands on my hips. “You literally just said I should think it through so neither of us gets hurt.”
She shrugs and eats another cookie. “I did, but we both know you never take my advice.”
“Hypothetically speaking, if Ididdecide to relocate and leave the museum, would you still be my bestie?”
Natasha gives me the evilest glare I’ve ever seen.
“Would you take over the exhibit for me?”
“Ha, I’m not sure our boss will agree, but of course. Your precious pottery will become my precious pottery. Unless I can convince them to bring in some Scandinavian vessels, then you’re screwed, but until then it’ll be my baby.”
I chuckle at her honesty. And it is honest, because if there were even a whiff of Viking watercraft in a hundred-mile radius, she’d ditch my pottery exhibit and me.
“I need to talk to Rafe, obviously, but I’m not sure what to do. I think it’ll take some time to decide, but yeah, a trip home might help me make that choice.”
“I still say you should introduce me to one of his available brothers.” She eats another cookie and sips the scalding-hot tea I hand her.
“Yeah, yeah. Maybe. We’ll see what happens.”
“Oh, I’m breaking her down. Who knows, I could become your sister for real.”
Actually, there are definitely worse things than having Natasha as a sister-in-law, but frankly, I’m not sure she knows what she’s asking for when she asks for a Thomas. They’re a lot of work, but they’re also worth every second of it.
My mind drifts toward Rafe and all we’ve been through, and I realize how lucky I am that he wouldn’t give up on us. I only hope that I’m strong enough to support him the same way if the time comes.
Chapter Eighteen
Rafe
Waking up to afamily meeting message has become commonplace in the Thomas family, but this time none of us can figure out why Dad sent the urgent text telling us to get our rear ends to Sweet and Salty. I’m not sure at what age a man gets to tell his parents he doesn’t feel like getting out of bed to tackle some family drama, but evidently, I have not reached it, and neither have any of my elder brothers…not even the ones who live in different towns.
“I can’t figure out what this is about. They know about Lev and Emma. Ezra can’t get time off yet. Silas hasn’t proposed yet, and you said it’s not about you,” Beck says when we approach the front door together. I’m not sure why he and Vivien were at the town house this morning, but then again, I did sleep in, thanks to jet-lag. They were probably just visiting, but I didn’t get to ask before we got the all-points bulletin that there is a problem to be solved.
“Yeah, it’s weird, but I assume we’ll find out when we, you know, go inside,” Silas says, rolling his eyes as he opens the door for his girlfriend. Leave it to Mom and Dad to decide these meetings must also extend to our poor significant others. Except Luna, since she’s dealing with work stuff and I haven’t had a chance to update my parents about our relationship just yet.
Ella heads in with Emma beside her, already chatting. With Ezra and Lorelai still at his new duty station, we’ll be down two anyway.
