Page 31 of Fake It Till We Fall
“But…”
Erin shrugged. I could see that she was trying not to say too much. “It was a lot for her on her own with only a few part-timers.”
I nodded, in full agreement as I looked around. “Hopefully that will turn around now.” The place looked tired. Old and worn down.
I should have come back sooner. Maybe if I hadn’t been so selfish and I’d come home earlier, I would have been able to help Grandma make changes before things got to such a point.
But I couldn’t change the past.
The bones of Willa’s Whisk were strong. “We’ll fix it,” I said, more to myself than to Erin. “It’ll take some hard work, but we’ll make it shine again.” Satisfied, I smiled and looked at Erin. “Kevin’s going to be good for this place.”
“Oh, sweetie.” Erin laughed. “It’s you who’s going to be good for this place.”
I pressed my lips together and shook my head. “You know I’m not staying, Erin. This is?—”
“Nonsense.” She waved her hand, dismissing my protest. “A young woman isn’t meant to travel forever, Harper. Especially when there’s so much for you right here in Trickle Creek.”
“I’m only here for the holidays and then?—”
“You know how happy she is that you’re home.”
The weight of her words was heavy in my chest.
“Having you back in the kitchen has brought her so much joy, Harper. Not to mention seeing you with Grayson again after all this time. She hasn’t stopped talking about it.”
I stiffened. “Of course she hasn’t.”
“You know, Harper, all those years ago, when you went off to school and started traveling, Willa was always so proud of you. She’d talk about you to anyone who would listen.” Erin laughed. “You know that, right?”
I nodded. Grandma had never been anything but supportive when it came to my career. Even though it took me farther and farther away from her.
“But as proud as she was of all of your accomplishments and where your career has taken you, I can see how much it means to have you home again.”
I swallowed hard, feeling the heaviness of the lie I’d been telling her. “She knows I’m not here to stay, though…”
“I swear, she’s already planning out the next few years,” Erin continued, as if I hadn’t spoken. “We all knew the two of you would find your way back together again someday.”
“Right.” I pressed my lips together and sucked air through my teeth. “Well, I guess we’ll see where things go?—”
The sound of my phone buzzing on the tabletop, thankfully, interrupted my next lie. I glanced at the screen, my stomach flipping when I saw the name.
Captain Howard.
“Excuse me, Erin. I have to…” I held up my phone as way of explanation.
Erin nodded and picked up her tray of cutlery before disappearing into the kitchen.
When she was gone, I swiped my phone open and read the text.
Still looking for a chef for the upcoming charter season. We’d love to have you aboard, Harper. You come highly recommended. Six months in the Mediterranean, starting after New Year’s. Let me know if you’re interested.
My throat tightened.It was the job I’d been waiting to hear about. Head chef on a seventy-five-meter boat for an entire season was a dream. I’d only done shorter charter seasons on smaller boats. If I took this job, it would be a huge boost to my career. And the Med…it was an amazing opportunity. It was exactly what I’d been working toward for years.
But somehow, reading Captain Howard’s message, the excitement I’d expected wasn’t there.
Instead, it was a crushing weight on my chest.
I couldn’t breathe.
