Page 3 of Risk It All
Cloaked in bright colors and a take-no-shit attitude, my grandma was a force to be reckoned with, and my hero. She was the reason why I was blunt, sarcastic, and unapologetically myself. I knew my boldness and sense of humor weren’t for everyone, but I refused to dull myself. Another reason why casual sex worked.
“I mainly wanted to know that Eliza and Cooper would be okay after I’m gone,” Gran explained, referring to my older brother.
Jules looked between us, concern crossing her face. “Is—Is everything okay?”
“She gets like this sometimes,” I informed Jules before giving my grandma a look, even though my chest constricted at the thought of her being gone. “Gran, you’re not dying. Stop making it sound like that!”
“Anyways,” Gran said while clasping her hands together, resting her chin on them with a knowing smile. A smile that lessened the ache in my chest. “They’re going to be just fine.” She turned to me. “Be patient, and it’ll all work out.”
Patient. I could be patient. It would be good to knowhowpatient I needed to be, though.
“Maybe your new neighbor could help you break your curse.” Lily wiggled her brows, a giggle leaving her. “He moved in today.”
“So, now all of a sudden youdobelieve in it?” I asked, unamused at the mention of Leo, my ex’s older brother and new apartment neighbor. As if that wasn’t enough, he was also theincoming head chef at Lake Ridge, the bar Lily’s older brother Wes owned and where I bartended part-time.
“Maybe.” Lily shrugged innocently. “The neighborly thing would be to go say hi. Should we bring him some baked goods from the café? Maybe mention that something is wrong with your apartment and you have to stay with him?” Lily wiggled her browsagain. “I met him briefly today when he picked up the key to the apartment. You conveniently forgot to mention that he’sverygood-looking.”
“We”—I moved my finger between us—“are not saying anything. And if anything does go wrong, I’m complaining to the building owners.”
“You’re no fun,” Lily huffed, and Jules brought her drink to her lips to hide a smile.
Lily and her boyfriend Gabe owned the apartment building together. Last winter, the two of them were vying to buy the building separately. Hal, the former owner and Gabe’s grandfather, had a condition in place before he decided who he was going to sell to: They had to complete Lily’s winter wish list together. A list that led them to spending time with each other and falling in love over the holiday season.
“Wes is so excited,” Jules chimed in about her boyfriend and Lily’s grumpy older brother. “He’s surprised Leo took the job given how impressive his resume is.”
I was, too. When I’d mentioned to Wes that I knew a chef, Wes had insisted I pass along his number. So, I did. I didn’t think twice about it. I assumed nothing would come out of it, and I doubted he’d apply, let alone accept the job.
Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
“Maybe he wanted a change from the city.” Jules shrugged. “I know what that’s like.” She’d visited our small town last year and had intended to only stay for the summer before moving back to Chicago. Things didn’t quite go according to plan,because she ended up falling hard for Wes—and I’d like to think couldn’t leave Lily and me. There was absolutely zero chance Wes was going to let Jules go. While Jules fell hard, Wes fell even harder. He was prepared to move to Chicago to be with her, but the two of them decided to stay in Golden Falls and move in together.
I was thrilled that my best friends had fallen in love. It just wasn’t for me.
I ran my finger along a divot in the wooden table we were sitting at—one my late grandfather had made for Gran shortly after they’d gotten married.
That was the other thing about my grandma. She’d suffered more loss than anyone should in their lifetime. Her husband died a couple years after they had their first and only child—my dad. And when my parents died nearly twenty years ago in a car accident, Gran didn’t hesitate in raising my older brother Cooper and me. I was six at the time, and Cooper had been fourteen. We were a handful, to say the least.
Is that what love was? Loss after loss after loss?
And yet, despite it all, my grandma loved and lived fiercely.
I laid my palm flat on the table, shifting my focus to the puzzle scattered in the middle of the table. For as long as I could remember, my grandma always had a puzzle out. I had distinct memories of us sitting at this table on a rainy day, the window slightly cracked so we could hear and smell the rain. Maybe that was why I loved spring so much.
I grabbed a piece, connecting it with another. “Anyways,” I said, turning my attention to my grandma. “What else did your psychic say?”
“Well.” Gran leaned back in her chair, pulling her rainbow shawl tighter. “She was unsure about timing—the universe was too foggy—but she said there would be a rainstorm, an engagement, and a homecoming allthis year.”
Both Lily and Jules gasped when Grandma said engagement.
Lily’s eyes widened. “Oh my gosh!” she squealed, turning to Jules. “What if it’s you?!”
I watched them, amused. Leave it to my best friends to believe the good news a psychic shared over the curse I was experiencing. I couldn’t blame them—both Lily and Jules loved love. They believed in it so fiercely that italmostseemed appealing. Almost. But I’d tried the whole relationship thing once, and it wasn’t for me.
A pink blush formed on Jules’s cheeks. “I mean, we’ve talked about it, but…” She shook her head, although a hopeful smile tugged at her lips. “I don’t think he has anything planned. He’s going to be busy with all the changes at Lake Ridge.”
If one thing was certain, Wes would move mountains for Jules. If that man wanted to propose this year, nothing would stop him.
“I don’t know…” I said playfully to Jules. “What is that thing you’re always telling us? Love always finds a way?”
