Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 96512 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96512 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
He sounds so certain, like maybe his iron will could carry us both to the finish line, but it’s not enough. “I have a child to think about.” She’s had a happy, stable life in Star Falls. “I can’t have men coming in and out of her life. It’s not fair.”
“I’m here to stay,” he says. “I adore Riley. I’d do anything for you both.”
Tears gather in my throat. It feels so unfair that I’m not allowed to have this man in front of me. He’s everything I ever dreamed about.
“I love you, Fisher, but even though I want to, I just can’t see a way through.” My voice breaks on the last word. He puts his arms around me, and I sink into him.
“I love you, Juniper. And there is a way through. I’ll show you. We can take it slow if that’s what you need. I can stay at the Colorado Club. We don’t even need to move in together. And then if you’re not happy—if you’re not the happiest you’ve ever been in your life—I’ll walk away and you’ll never see me again.”
Tears fall at the thought of never seeing Fisher again.
“I want to believe you and I could work somehow, but I’ll hate myself every damn day if you’re stuck in Star Falls. You have a business and a life here. I don’t want you to give it all up for me.”
“You’re more than worth it. None of it means anything if I can’t have you.”
“Maybe… we could be in New York when school’s out,” I whisper against his chest.
“We can do that,” he says, dipping his head to try to meet my gaze. “I don’t want you to be sad,” he says. “I want more than anything to make you happy.”
“You do,” I say. “I’ve never been happier than being with you and Riley and watching movies and eating pancakes.”
“Well, why don’t we do that forever?”
I gaze up into his blue eyes and wonder if this is really possible. Could I really have a life with this beautiful man who’s holding me in his arms?
“You can split your time between Star Falls and New York during the semester—”
“Juniper, we can work out the logistics. But I need to know this is what you want.”
I nod, scared to say the words. I don’t know if I’m allowed to have a perfect life when I get my beautiful daughter, my dream career painting, and the man that makes everything make sense.
“Tell me, Juniper.” He takes my face in his hands and searches my eyes.
I take a deep breath. “You’re what I want, Fisher.”
It feels like an end of something, but I don’t feel sad, like I’m grieving anything. Maybe because it’s an end to my life without Fisher.
Tonight’s the beginning of something: our life together.
FORTY-TWO
Juniper
I haven’t managed to sleep much. It’s like I’m too eager to get on with my new life.
“Mommy, where are we?” Riley says, as she sits up in bed next to me. I’ve been scrolling through my phone, trying to resist Fisher, who’s in the bedroom next door.
Fisher carried a sleeping Riley back downstairs after our conversation last night, and we all went back to his place. There’s so much I need to know about his life here. I wish we didn’t have to go back to Star Falls.
“We came back to Fisher’s apartment last night,” I reply, pulling my daughter in for a hug.
Riley squeals. “Does that mean we can have pancakes?”
I check the time on my phone. “It’s six oh five. We have to leave in just over an hour to get to the airport.”
There’s a knock on the bedroom door. “Are people awake in here?”
Fisher pokes his head around the door. I can’t stop myself from smiling.
He blows us both kisses. “Anyone for pancakes? I heard someone mention something.”
“I don’t think we have time before we leave,” I say. “Our flight is at ten fifteen.”
“Do you have plans today? If I can get us all on another flight later on, would that work?”
“But we’ve paid for the flights already. We can’t change them.”
The corners of his mouth twitches. “Riley, do you want to stay in New York for pancakes and get home a little later?”
“I want to stay in New York forever! You know I’m coming to college here,” she says.
Fisher chuckles. “Well, that only gives us the next ten years to deal with.”
“What does that mean?” she says.
I need to tell Riley what’s going on. She deserves my honesty. “Sweet girl, Fisher’s probably going to be spending more time in Star Falls. With the two of us.”
“Cool!” she says, glancing down at her Vivian Cross t-shirt.
“And maybe we’ll spend some of the school vacations in New York.”
Her head snaps up, and she looks at me as if to check what she heard was correct. “Really? We get to come back to New York?”