Page 33 of Almost Home
His face had shut down to that unreadable blank expression. Something about it made me ask, “You have a house?”
“No.”
The sharp slice of the word shouldn’t have hurt, but it did. Fool that it made me, it absolutely did. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”
The blush heating my cheeks would’ve been mortifying enough, but the fact that tears pricked my eyes was downright humiliating. I wouldn’t let them see that silliness, so I turned and tossed my manners to the curb as I hollered, “See you soon, Bruce!”
I honestly wasn’t sure I’d see him again until he moved out here, but that time would come soon enough. I sucked in a breath of the cool spring air and blinked away the tears.
Why would I let him affect me like this? Of course it wasn’t just his curt response. It was everything about this situation lately that just felthard.I wanted to enjoy having this job that had already been more interesting than anything I’d done in the last decade and a half of my professional life. I wanted to enjoy being back near Wilder, who had been my best friend before he’d become my love.
But neither of those things were easy to do. Accepting this job appealed to me would do nothing in the long run since Diane would eventually have her baby and finish her maternity leave. I wouldn’t have this for long, and then I’d be stuck trying to find a teaching position next year and facing the reality that even if I found the perfect one, I wasn’t sure I wanted that anymore. Or worse, maybe that I never had.
Or more likely, that it was time for me to move on from Silverton. If I really did wrap up things with Jane and accept how things were between me and Wilder, what else was I here for?
“Sarah, hold up a minute.”
Bruce’s voice broke through my internal debate. I turned to find him a few feet away. Behind him, no sign of Wilder.
“Everything okay?” I asked, because I was not about to ask where Wilder had gone.
He frowned. “I should be asking you that, but I already know. Wilder was needlessly rude back there, and I just wanted to say…” He ran a hand through his hair and looked around him, clearly not taking in any of the small shops or people walking.
“You don’t have to apologize for him. I shouldn’t have asked him something personal like that—not really appropriate for an employee, right?”
His lips thinned into a more intense version of that original frown. “I think if these were normal circumstances and you were Diane and she asked about his property, he would’ve responded differently. That getting to know your coworker, and where they live in a small town like Silverton, wouldn’t be unheard of or crossing any lines. But I think because you’reyouand he’shim, for whatever reason, he didn’t want to talk about it.”
I searched his face for pity or disgust, both of which I’d expect if he knew what’d happened between us. Not a trace of either. Instead, something I could’ve sworn was concern.
“Well, yeah. You might be right.”
He stood taller. “I am right. And as much as I don’t want to overstep, I have known Wilder really well for the last decade. I’ve been there through some nasty stuff, and I’ve seen him start to change for the better in a few ways, even in the last six months. Retiring from active duty is no small thing.”
I offered him a small smile. “I suppose you know what that’s like.”
He nodded. “I’m in the process of it now, and it’s bigger than I can handle, I’ll tell you that. But that’s what therapists are for, right?” He chuckled and winked.
“I guess so, yeah,” I said, more than a little amazed that he spoke so freely about that. My impression of the man was that he had it all together.
“Point is, Sarah, I think you and Wilder have unfinished business.”
A wave of something hot and heavy washed over me, and the blush that had barely died down sprang back full force. “Hmm” was all I could say in response, because what did that mean? Did he know what’d happened between us and thought I needed to make a better effort at apologizing?
“All I’m going to say is this. Wilder’s a good man. Whatever history is behind you two is just that—history. You should think about what you have in mind for your future.”
His brown eyes jumped back and forth between mine like he was trying to read whether I was getting his message. At this point, I couldn’t tell either.
“Okay. Thanks.” Because, what else could I say? This was definitely the weirdest conversation I could’ve imagined having with Bruce.
“Well, I think I’ve overstepped enough. Better go find grumpy pants and scout myself a house. See you in June, Sarah.”
“Bye, Bruce.”
I watched him jog back down the street and round the corner before I started walking again. My mind swirled with questions and a whole slew of emotions I didn’t want to sort through, so instead, I focused on taking in the scene around me.
Silverton hadn’t quite burst completely into spring yet, especially thanks to the mid-April cold front that’d swept through. Too early still to plant anything since we’d have frosts on and off until the end of May, but little buds had appeared on the cherry trees and all the stores and restaurants had springy décor in their windows.
I needed to stop in at Bloom and see what glorious arrangements Dahlia was working on. I should try to see if she could hang this weekend, or maybe I could help her if she had a wedding to prep for.
