Page 57 of Rhett & Moses
“I have,” he acknowledged readily. “The craft spirits scene is excellent there. Sophisticated, appreciative clientele. And I’ve always loved the city itself, the history, the architecture, the sense of tradition blended with innovation.”
His thoughtful answer surprised me. “You’ve been considering Boston seriously?”
Moses smiled, a hint of mischief in his expression. “Professional curiosity,” he echoed my words back to me.
We both laughed, the tension of the topic dissolving into shared amusement at our mutual secret planning.
“Look at us,” I marveled as we continued walking. “Both researching the other’s city, both considering possibilities, both keeping it to ourselves.”
“Great minds,” Moses suggested with a smile.
“Or fools who could have saved themselves some anxiety by communicating sooner,” I countered good-naturedly.
“That too,” he conceded with a laugh.
We had reached the hotel now, the quiet lobby empty save for a sleepy night clerk who barely glanced up as we crossed to the elevators. Once inside, Moses leaned against the wall, his expression turning thoughtful again.
“We have a lot to figure out,” he observed as the elevator began its ascent. “Logistics. Timing. Whose furniture goes where?”
“We do,” I agreed, stepping closer to him. “But we’ll figure it out. Together.”
The simple affirmation seemed to satisfy him. When the elevator doors opened on our floor, he took my hand again, leading the way to our room with purpose in his stride.
The moonlight streamed through the partially open curtains, casting long shadows across the hotel room as we entered. Moses turned to me the moment the door closed behind us, his expression open and vulnerable in a way I was still getting used to seeing.
“I don’t want to waste any more time,” he said quietly. “Twenty years is enough separation for one lifetime, don’t you think?”
I nodded, understanding the deeper meaning behind his words. “More than enough.”
As we moved toward each other in the moonlit room, I felt a sense of rightness settle over me. Whatever challenges lay ahead; distance, logistics, the merging of two independent lives, we would face them together, no longer separated by secrets or misunderstandings.
Tomorrow would bring a return to our separate cities, to the reality of daily life and responsibilities. But tonight was ours, a perfect culmination of the journey we’d begun a week ago, and a promise of the future we were choosing to build together.
In the quiet of the Gomillion night, far from the cities we called home but somehow exactly where we belonged, we foundeach other again, older, wiser, and finally ready for the love we’d been denied for too long.
CHAPTER 15
MOSES
I woketo the gentle sound of rain against the hotel window, the gray morning light softening the edges of the unfamiliar room. Beside me, Rhett slept peacefully, his features relaxed in a way they rarely were during waking hours. I allowed myself a moment to simply watch him, to memorize the rhythm of his breathing, the way his eyelashes fanned against his cheeks, the silver at his temples that caught the subdued light.
Today was the day. After a week that had transformed my life in ways I couldn’t have imagined, we would be leaving Gomillion; Rhett to Boston, me to Atlanta. Back to our separate lives, our established routines, the reality beyond this bubble of reconnection and revelation we’d been living in.
The weight of impending separation pressed against my chest, making it difficult to breathe normally. We had a plan, the three-month trial period, the scheduled visits, the shared project of exploring a future together. It was sensible, practical, and mature even. Everything our teenage romance hadn’t been.
So why did the thought of watching Rhett drive away feel like having my heart torn out all over again?
I carefully extracted myself from the tangle of sheets, moving quietly to avoid waking him. After a week of emotional upheaval,he deserved whatever extra rest he could get. Padding to the window, I pushed the curtain aside slightly, watching the steady rain transform Gomillion into a watercolor painting, buildings and trees blurred at the edges, colors muted and running together.
It was fitting, somehow, that our departure would take place under these gray skies. The previous night’s moonlit walk and heartfelt conversations had been almost too perfect, too cinematic. Today’s rain brought us back to earth, to the bittersweet reality of separation after connection.
Behind me, the rustle of sheets signaled Rhett’s awakening. I turned to find him watching me, his eyes still heavy with sleep but focused entirely on me.
“Morning,” he murmured, voice rough around the edges. “How long have you been up?”
“Not long,” I replied, moving back to sit on the edge of the bed. “Just thinking.”
His expression turned concerned, instantly more alert. “Second thoughts?”
