Page 87 of Keeping it Local

“You can’t. And I probably will. I know I won’t be perfect. I won’t say all the right things or do the right things, but in my heart, I believe in us. Do you believe in us?”

“Maybe I can try.” She sniffed, running the back of her hand across her wet face.

“I’ll take it.” I smiled, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, and kissing her forehead.

“And for what it’s worth… I love you too, Johnny.” She looked up at me, her face blotchy and wet, and in that moment, she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

I pulled her into me, tilted her head back, and kissed her swollen lips. They tasted like vanilla, just like her, just like home.

I didn’t know how long we stood there for, just holding each other, my arms wrapped around her, my lips kissing her neck, her arching against me, exactly where she should be.

Chapter 33

Beth

My mind ran a hundred miles per hour, but all my body wanted was to stop and be with Johnny. Touching him. Feeling him.

On the walk back to the house, I gave Johnny a tour of all the facilities and filled him in on the plan for the business with Michael buying me out now and eventually buying my parents out in the next couple of years. I let him know about the plan to take over Mary’s shops, and he filled me in on finally closing on the resort.

“I’m proud of you. That’s huge,” he said.

“Thanks. It was a big move but an important one. It’s time.” I nodded.

“How are your parents doing with everything?”

“Oddly…” I paused, looking over at the bright lights in their kitchen. “Really well. Surprisingly well. They almost seemed relieved.”

He hummed, acknowledging me, giving me the space he knew I needed.

“I think I built it up in my head to be a much bigger conversation than I needed it to be. Who knows? Maybe I was doing that all along.”

“I’m glad it went well for you then. You deserve it.”

I took his hand, giving him a smile before leading him up the stairs to the house. “Thanks. You ready though?”

He gave me a puzzled look, halting on the steps like a deer in the headlights. “For what?”

“To officially meet the parents. After all, you’re the one dragging me to Port St. Clair and pulling their daughter two and a half hours away.”

He laughed, not knowing if I was joking or serious.

“Come on. It’ll be fine.” I nodded.

The next couple hours, we spent around the kitchen table where I’d spent most of my childhood dinners and experienced many of the big life changes—coming to work for my parents, going through my dad’s illness, and now, the last night in the house before the move.

My dad seemed fine—more than fine, and part of me wondered if he was waiting for me to decide to move away or if he just expected it. Either way, it seemed like both of us were in a good place, and he leaned back in his chair and gave me a smile he hadn’t given me in years.

He even took Johnny out back to give him the Dale Weber Special Tour. Afterward, they stayed talking on the back porch, and my mom leaned in toward me.

“I like him,” she said, her eyes bright.

“Me too.” I beamed at her.

A couple hours later, I jumped in my car, and Johnny followed me the 1.2 miles to my little three-bedroom brick ranch.

“This seems like you,” he said.

“Yeah, not for much longer though. Movers come first thing in the morning.”