Page 73 of Lavender Lake
I nodded. “He’s great. Very understanding. But there’s only so much time I can be away from my job before they replace me with someone more dedicated, more focused.”
“You are dedicated and focused. It was a relief, actually, to see you thrive in something you loved to do. Hadley told us how well you’re doing.”
I got up and went to the bar cart to pour myself a drink. “What do I do, Muddy? I can’t go back to New York while Dad is recovering. But if I stay, my entire life in New York might not be waiting for me when I finally get back.”
“You know, life is a funny thing.” Her fork clanked against an old, chipped plate. “The things we think we want . . . sometimes when we get them, they end up not mattering at all.”
“Like what? You’ve always wanted to be here. Same with Hadley. You two are made for this life. I’m not.”
“You know what else is funny about life?”
“What?”
“When you look back, you’ll realize there were things that you took way too seriously that ended up working out in the end anyway.”
“So why worry?”
“Pretty much. You’re not the worrier of the family, Salem. Leave that to Hadley.”
I snorted. “So, what is it you wanted to talk to us about? Will you give me a clue?”
“Tomorrow,” she said. “It’ll keep until tomorrow. Why didn’t you go out tonight?”
“None of us felt like it,” I admitted. “Running on fumes. We’re all exhausted. And now that Dad is—well, not necessarily in the clear—but on the mend, it’s like we can all take a collective breath. I expect I’ll finally sleep well tonight.”
“You’re not sleeping well?” Her eyes twinkled. “Maybe you need to be getting more exercise.”
“Yeah, maybe I’ll go for a run or something.”
“I didn’t meanthatkind of exercise.”
“What kind did you—Muddy!”
She cackled. “Gideon still has the hots for you.”
“I’m not interested.”
“No? What about Bowman? He’s handsome. And right next door. I have a pair of ear plugs. The really good kind that expand in your ears.”
I stood up from my seat and grabbed my drink. “Good night, Muddy.”
“Good night, sugar.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The Hospital
“Oh, and the dogs have been sleeping with us in the cabin,” Hadley blabbed on. “Because Tempest whines when they’re not all together. And they keep trying to get on the bed because you and Jane have spoiled them.”
Dad smiled at Hadley’s exuberance, but his eyes found mine for a moment before focusing back on Hadley.
“And I have my final dress fitting in a few days, and I think that’s all,” Hadley finished.
“That sounds good,” Dad said. His voice wasn’t loud or strong, but it came easily. I worried that he had to reach for words, but in the short time we’d been there for a morning visit, I was already hopeful about his mental state.
Declan placed his hands on Hadley’s shoulders and gave them a comforting squeeze. “Some fences on the east side of the property needed fixing, so I took Bowman with me to help and we knocked it out in a few hours.”
Dad frowned. “Bowman?”
