Page 79 of Just One Spark

Beck: You think she went back to your place?

Rowan: It's possible.

She was still living there, and it was close.

Beck: While everyone is looking for her, you should come out here and do damage control.Tell them that things aren't what they seem.

Rowan: What if she doesn't want anything to do with me?

Beck: That doesn't change how you feel.

I was not sure I wanted everyone to know how I felt if the woman didn't return the feelings.Wouldn't that make everything worse?

I was still the owner of the brewery.I had to trust that everything would work out.That I'd get my chance to tell Hattie how I felt.

The only problem was, I was fairly sure I made everything worse when we talked.I said some terrible things.I blamed her for this when I was the one who set everything into motion.She should be able to tell her mother the truth.Why would I blame her for that?

I was a jerk.What if she didn't forgive me?

I went to the adjoining bathroom and washed my face with cold water.I had to pull myself together.I needed to talk to everyone and pretend my world wasn't falling apart.That one little story hadn't thrown me off my axis.

I dried off my face and looked at myself in the mirror.I wasn't the same person I was when this whole thing started.I'd proven that I could open a business and do everything that came with that.I made the hard decisions, I renovated this old building, I hired and trained employees, and I fell in love.

I didn't want to go back to the man I was a year ago.That guy was scared to tell everyone what he wanted.This Rowan was honest about what he wanted, and he didn't let anyone get in his way.

Not Malcolm's opinions or the reporter's story.Nothing would stop me telling Hattie how I felt.I just hoped she hadn't run too far.

I wouldn't let her run anymore.Because I'd always be here to catch her.I just hoped that she wanted me to.

These last few weeks weren't just physical.She was falling at the same time I was.She felt the same way.She loved me too.

She'd been hurt a lot in her life, and I wanted to be her support system.Not someone who made her life more difficult.

I wanted to be there when she was hurting.

I opened the door and walked down the hall.I barely made it through the first group of people before someone called my name.Everyone wanted to talk to the owner.

I made my way slowly through the crowd with people congratulating me and asking questions.I also heard whispers about our engagement not being real.Thankfully no one mentioned it to my face.In the back of my mind, I kept wondering if they were able to find Hattie and bring her back.It was hard to focus when she was all I could think about.

When I'd seen that story, I thought that the only thing that mattered was the business.But it was Hattie that was the most important person in my life.I wanted to love my job and enjoy it.But not if I didn't have her.

I couldn't even imagine going home without her there.How empty the cabin would be now.My heart sank that the thought.

I made my way slowly through the crowd.At some point, a server handed me a pint of my brew, and I sipped it, wishing that it was hot chocolate.I could use the sweetness right now.I wanted Hattie by my side.

This entire thing was meaningless without her.She was my constant cheerleader.The one who believed in me.Who loved me.Or at least, I hoped she was.

Beck approached."It's time to give your speech."

We'd talked about me thanking everyone for coming, so I nodded.He guided me to the stage we'd built for bands we hoped would play here.I stood at the lectern with Beck at my side.I tapped the microphone, and everyone got the hint, turning to face me.

A sense of calm settled over me.

"I want to thank everyone for coming here tonight.Opening a brewery has been a dream of mine for a long time.I spent years perfecting my recipes in a workshop which is just a short walk from here.When we were talking about opening a place, this was the best option.It was the biggest building on the property.It was close to my house, and it already had a dedicated lane and view of the mountains.But it was more than that.This is the building that my siblings and I played house in when we were little.You can see the pictures framed on the wall."I gestured at the wall, and everyone's head turned."It's the place where Beck brought Clara when we were scoping out possible locations, and he fell in love with her."

A collective sigh went through the crowd.

This wasn't the speech we'd rehearsed.But at this point, I was speaking from my heart.