Chapter Sixteen

The sun shone bright on Sarah’s drive over to Three Sisters Apothecary. Little pops of yellow, purple and red dotted the sides of the road as the first wildflowers of spring bloomed with the dark green of the thick fir trees behind them. With the wedding less than a month away, the signs of renewal were welcome. She’d doubted the weather and the vision Bridget had for the wedding, but her little sister was proving to be correct in her predictions.

After parking, Sarah walked over to the store with a smile playing on her lips. She’d spent the night with Corey again and she was counting the minutes until the day was done and they would meet up. He wanted to take her out to dinner tonight. “A real date,” he’d called it. The thought of being in public together made her pulse race with anxiety and satisfaction. She knew the town would gossip over the two of them, yet she wanted to stake her claim, let the other women of Fallbank know Corey was off the market.

Humming as she crossed through the front door, Sarah waved to Gran. “Good morning.” She made her way over to the heavy wooden counter that held the old-fashioned cash register and set up her laptop on the open space next to it.

Gran kissed Sarah’s cheek as she walked by while dusting shelves. “Hello to my favorite oldest granddaughter. How are things?”

With a smile and shake of her head, Sarah answered, “Fine and dandy. It’s a gorgeous day outside.” She opened her email and took a sip from her travel coffee mug. Warm and welcome caffeine danced through her mouth and into her bloodstream. She locked onto an unread message and the liquid goodness soured in her stomach. On a soft inhale, Sarah clicked to find an offer as a finalist for a job interview at a medium-sized firm in Seattle, the one she’d had the phone consultation with a few weeks back. Before this past weekend, she’d have been ecstatic to receive this. Now, she didn’t know how to feel.

“What’s wrong? You’ve turned pale.” Gran furrowed her brow and propped a hand on one hip. “Bad news?”

“I-don’t-know-what-to-think news.” Sarah raised her gaze up to Gran’s. “It’s an in-person interview request.”

“That’s great!”

“From a firm in Seattle.”

Gran nodded with a neutral facial expression. “I see. Does this indecision have to do with you and a certain male in this town admitting their romantic feelings to one another?”

“Maybe.” Sarah chewed on her lower lip as she processed her feelings. On one hand, she needed a job. Steady income was a must. This opportunity was what she’d been after. The position was as a junior partner with her own team to lead, a chance to grow a business to a new level. On the other hand, the company was based in Seattle and while some remote work could be possible, it wouldn’t be enough for her to live in Fallbank instead of Seattle. Corey couldn’t up and move to Seattle, he was now co-owner of Timber Logging Company. The thought of leaving Corey after connecting with him again so recently had her recoiling in her seat. “It’s so new. New-old or whatever. We’re testing the waters to find out if what we had before is still between us now. I can’t move back to Washington. It would ruin everything.” Her heartbeat sped to a gallop the more she contemplated this.

Gran hummed, but said nothing.

Tilting her head back, Sarah heaved a sigh. “But I can’t say no. I need a job. This is an amazing chance. How do I discount the potential answer to this?”

“Who says you can’t go on an interview? Explore your options, then come back and talk about it with Cornelius. You might be surprised at what he says. Don’t decide for him how he’ll respond.” Gran wrapped an arm around Sarah’s shoulders and squeezed. “And don’t cut yourself off from looking at possibilities. It’s a conversation. The job might not get offered to you. If it doesn’t, you’ve lost nothing. If it does, you have choices. You can say yes or no. That isn’t a bad thing.”

Sarah nodded. “You’re right, Gran. Saying yes to a meeting doesn’t obligate me to them. I’ll think of it as an investigation. Fact-finding to make an informed decision.”

As she replied back to say yes, Sarah felt better. Kind of. The enthusiasm she expected to have at the prospect of the job didn’t materialize. Uncertainty still nagged at her. Did she tell Corey about this or wait to see what happened? There wasn’t much reason to worry him if she didn’t get the job offer, right? She could tell him she was meeting up with friends in the city. Sarah would do that, so it wasn’t lying.

The bell above the door trilled as Corey sauntered in. Mmm, but she wished she could record him walking toward her and play it in slow motion whenever she needed a hit of serotonin. He looked good enough to eat. Smiling as if he could read her thoughts, he circled around the counter and kissed her long enough to have her pressing in for more. Cornelius leaned back with a satisfied waggle of his brows and a wink.

A beam of heat shot through her to land low in her stomach. “Hey, Corey. What brings you by?”

“I wanted to see you.” He shrugged.

Sarah laughed. “You saw me this morning.” With a glance at her watch, she said, “It was less than two hours ago. Don’t you have work?”

“Yeah, I do. But there’s a big storm coming in at the worksite, so we can’t be out there today. I’m playing hooky. I figured if Jack can come up with whatever excuses he has for seeing Bridget during the day instead of being at the office, I could do the same.” He pushed up the sleeves of his plaid shirt and rested his elbows on the polished wood.

Sarah eyed his well-defined forearms. Her mouth watered when she thought of those muscles flexing as he held her hips while driving into her. Shivers exploded across her skin.

A moaning sound dragged her back to the present, and she realized the sound came from her. Glancing away as she coughed to clear her throat, Sarah smiled. She didn’t trust herself to speak yet.

He shifted over to dip his head close to her ear. “Judging by the lust in your eyes, you aren’t mad to see me.” After a quick nip of her earlobe, he pulled away.

She batted a palm at his shoulder. “Quit it,” she grumbled. “Gran is right there.”

“I think she’s caught on to our adult activities,” Cornelius stage-whispered.

“That I have,” Gran chirped. “And my hearing is no worse for wear, despite my age.”

Pressing her hands to her heated cheeks, Sarah shook her head. “Okay, okay. You’re distracting me from the store. What’s up?”

“I’m going to go visit my mom—and dad, for an extended weekend. Leave on Friday and come back Monday. I wondered if you wanted to join me?”

He looked so shy, yet eager and it broke her heart to say no. But she’d need to prep and travel to Seattle for her interview scheduled for Monday. “I would love to under normal circumstances, but…” Sarah cast around for an excuse. “With the wedding a few weeks away, leaving Bridget for a mini holiday may not be the best idea.” She squeezed his hand. “I wish I could go. I’d love to see Clarissa and Boyd.”

Cornelius nodded. “Checking on my mom is the main reason I’m going. Hope that’s okay for me to duck out so close to the wedding…and other stuff.”

She chuckled. “Other stuff. You’re adorable. I get it. No biggie. I think I might see if I can meet up with a friend in Seattle while running a wedding errand for Bridge. She ordered a present for Jack and it’s ready to be picked up.” All of this was true. Sarah just left out the part about a job meeting taking place at the same time. Guilt pressed on her chest, but she was used to that sensation. After years of carrying her secret, Sarah was well acquainted with the plague of discomfort and warring with herself to tell the truth. And she would tell Cornelius, if an offer was given and decisions had to be made.

Repressing a sigh, Sarah bit her lip. “How is your mom doing? She’s done with treatment?”

“This week is her last one. We’re celebrating when I get there. Mom’s in good spirits and the chemo hasn’t been as brutal as she’d expected. It’s the little things that keep her going.”

“That’s great news! Give her my best, will you?”

“Of course.” Cornelius laced his fingers through hers. “Pick you up at seven for our date?”

With a grin and one firm nod, Sarah said, “Perfect. I can’t wait.”

Cornelius tasted her lips once more. “Same, princess. Same.”

 

* * * *

 

Cornelius spent the entire week walking on clouds. His dinner date with Sarah had gone off without a hitch. They’d fallen back into their easy conversation and camaraderie. Every night they’d ended up at his place. Most of the nights, they’d torn at one another’s clothes and fallen into bed together. Yet there’d been one night when he’d been too exhausted from work at a logging site for bedroom shenanigans. Instead, they’d curled up in comfy sweats with a bowl of fresh popcorn and streamed a movie while cuddling on the couch. It might not have ended up as physical as usual, but emotionally the night was spot-on for what he needed. A relaxing night with his girlfriend cuddled up next to him was perfect.

Sarah was also bonding with his pets. She had learned how to feed the frogs and helped change out the water once, too. He loved how often she would sit by the window and watch the girls swim around or burrow in their tank. He hadn’t expected her to find them so fascinating, but was happy she did.

Now he was on a plane to visit his parents and stuff in as many mom hugs as he could into the next three and a half days. A quick cab ride later, Cornelius knocked on his parents’ door to be greeted by his mother. She looked frail—too thin, too pale, no hair anywhere he could see—yet her smile was strong and her greeting cheerful. That alone eased a fraction of the worry lodged like a thick rope knot in his sternum.

“Hey, Mama.” He dipped lower and folded his mother into a gentle hug.

She returned the gesture, then took his face between her palms. “My boy. I missed you.”

“Same here.” After depositing his bags in the guest room, he joined his parents in the living room.

“How’s life treating you?” his dad asked.

“Can’t complain and even if I could, I wouldn’t. None of my stress compares to yours.”

A soft snort left his mother. “As if we’d equate them. Everyone’s worries are different, but no less valid.” She eyed him the way every mother seemed to do, assessing their young for signs of truthfulness. “You do look lighter than the last time we video chatted. Dare I ask if this has anything to do with a girl?”

“It might,” he teased. His parents didn’t know the relationship development in his life yet. He had wanted to tell them in person and see his mother’s reaction.

“One who lives back in Fallbank, now? Quite close to your own house?”

Heat stung the tips of his ears, but Cornelius smiled. “Yes, that’s the one.” He flicked his gaze up to meet hers. “Sarah and I are back together.”

Clarissa clasped her hands together with a gasp of delight. Her smile lit up her face. “Oh, honey, I’m so happy for you two. This is the best news! You should have brought her with you to visit.”

“I tried, but with the wedding coming up so soon, she needed to stay and help with things there.” He wanted to promise next time she’d tag along, but also didn’t want to get hopes up. Jack’s concerns nagged at him despite the feeling of completion with Sarah. He was already in love with her again—not that he had ever stopped—but didn’t want to jump too fast. He wouldn’t risk scaring her off. The uncertainty of future plans hung over them like a dark cloud.

“Tell us everything. When did this happen? How did it happen?” His mother’s elation pulled Cornelius back to the here and now. With a smile, he opened his mouth and filled his parents in.

Later in the evening, after his mom had retired to bed before the sun had even set, Cornelius and his father sat drinking beer on the back porch overlooking the water lapping soft and slow at the land while the sun melted into the water. Twilight was a touch chillier here than in Fallbank. The closeness of the ocean carried cooler temperatures with it. With a clear view of the horizon, the colors of the painted sky offered a view he didn’t often get being inland from the Oregon coast. Yet the tall redwoods and firs growing around the rocks that lined the edge of the northern California coastline reminded him of home. “Why Eureka, Pops? I know you’re from California, but southern Cal. So how’d you end up here?”

Boyd swigged his bottle. “Yep, raised as a SoCal surfer boy. Then I went to college in Oregon, met your mother and we settled in Fallbank because that’s where she was from. It made her happy and that made me happy. When retirement came along, she offered to move back to my home state. But when we looked around all the sun and sand and surf, it didn’t fit anymore. I love the ocean and being near it was important, but not the sunny palm tree beaches. Landing in Eureka was a way to take one more life adventure, get the salt water I craved and have the feel of home in Fallbank. Compromise.”

Cornelius turned his dad’s words over in his mind. He had to admit, when his parents had announced they were moving, and to California of all places, he’d thought they were crazy. Given time, he’d accepted his dad’s desire to go back to his home state. Yet he couldn’t figure out why choose a place similar enough to Oregon to make it seem silly that they had moved at all. Not that Cornelius had voiced his thoughts to them at the time. He’d been grateful for the house and having a bit of space to grow into his own. But it had been damn solitary.

“My turn,” Boyd said. “Why Sarah? I know how enthusiastic your mother is, but going back to someone after you break up is not always the best idea.” His father put a warm hand on Cornelius’ shoulder and squeezed. “Not that I don’t like her or don’t want you to be happy. I just hope you aren’t falling back on comfortable to appease your old mom and pops.”

His father’s concerns should have worried him, but Cornelius was too happy to be bothered. He kicked up one corner of his mouth. “Comfortable is not how I’d describe my relationship with Sarah. If I had to pick one word, I’d go with…fire. She and I burn when we’re together. Yeah, we cuddle and are at ease with one another, but there’s always an ember glowing and ready to incinerate us.”

“That’s good.” His dad’s voice was quiet, thoughtful. “I knew when I saw you two together as kids that she’d woven herself into the fabric of your soul.” Boyd sucked in a breath. “When she ended things, the devastation I saw in you scared the hell out of me. I love that girl like my own, but I don’t ever want to see the destruction she left in her wake inside you again. That was terrible.” His dad sipped his beer and stared out at the ocean. “I know I told you we wanted to see you settled, but with the right person. I hope you know we don’t ever want to see you fall on old habits because you can slip back into a relationship to make us satisfied.”

Cornelius laughed as he pictured Sarah. His sword-wielding, take-no-prisoners, fierce and fighting princess. “That’s not what this is. Being with Sarah again is like breathing fresh spring air and like drowning in a lake at the same time. We fit. That’s not new and we both know it. That doesn’t mean it’s easy. She’s holding back for some reason. Maybe because she doesn’t know what next steps to make in her professional life and that impacts her personal life, and that makes me nervous. Whatever she decides, though, I’m supporting her. We’ll figure whatever that looks like out. Once we both settle into our trust with one another given time, then we won’t be sinking anymore. We’ll float.”