Page 121 of The Last Goodbye

“Well, you’re talking to the right guy. I spent years letting fear win. And then I just realized that I was hurting myself and the people I love.”

“What were you afraid of?”

He pulled up a barstool and sat down beside me. “My mom got cancer right before I was supposed to leave for college. We didn’t know if she’d make it or not, and it changed me in many ways. Thankfully she’s okay, and she’s been cancer free for many years, but I was afraid of letting myself get too close to people for a long time after that. It changed me for a while, and fear won. But then I just sort of had this epiphany during the time when Gracie was living in Paris.”

“What was it?”

“I just missed her so damn much, and I realized that loving someone might be scary, but never allowing yourself to love someone was way worse. Because that person would eventually move on, and you’d regret it for the rest of your life. So, yes, letting yourself put your guard down, you might have some pain and some loss, but you’re also going to have love. And love is much more powerful than loss. It’s what inspires you and fills you. Fear just takes from you, you know?”

I nodded. Every single thing he’d said made sense. “Thank you for sharing that. It means a lot. More than you know.”

He stood up and wrapped me in a hug. “You’re going to figure it out, Briar. You’ve got too many people who love you here to let you go. And one in particular—a certain grumpy chef who you have somehow turned into a happy guy—he’s not going to let this end without a fight.”

“Thank you, Cutler.” I cleared my throat. “Neither am I.”

My phone rang in my purse, and he said he had to go check on the bathrooms, and that he’d lock the place up when he left.

I started toward the door, pulling my phone out to see that it was Denton. We had a scheduled meeting tomorrow, and he normally just texted me.

“Hey, how are you?”

“I’m all right.” His voice sounded strained. “You know I try to keep the peace, but I need to tell you something, Briar, and it’s not good.”

I came to a stop once I was outside, the air suddenly too still around me. “What is it? Is Dad okay?”

“Your plan for the hotel in Blue Sky Bay is being shot to shit as we speak.”

My grip tightened around the phone. “What are you talking about? We have the plans from Steven. We aren’t…we aren’t going to build the hotel?”

My voice came out sharper than I intended.

Already wrong-footed.

Already slipping.

“It’s complicated. Dad doesn’t know that I know yet, so you can’t say anything. You just need to trust me. I’m on your side. The plane is on its way to Blue Sky Bay. You need to be ready to go in an hour. Jessica and I will pick you up when you land. I’ll explain everything to you then. Do not mention this to anyone.”

An hour.

The words didn’t fully land at first. They just hung there, suspended, like my brain refused to catch up.

“What?” I swallowed hard, forcing air into lungs that suddenly felt too small. “Okay. I’ll go pack a bag—I just need to go talk to Bass.”

His voice cut in, firmer now. “Just say you need to fly home for a business emergency. This new plan will not be good for Bass, or for the people of Blue Sky Bay, and everyone will assume you were in on it. I wouldn’t say anything about the hotel until we figure things out and come up with a new plan.”

A new plan.

Blue Sky Bay.

Bass.

Everything collided at once, sharp and disorienting, like the ground had shifted a few inches to the left and my body hadn’t yet caught up.

My stomach tightened hard enough to hurt.

“What in the hell is going on?” I asked.

“Briar, I will fill you in tonight. I’m at the office, and there are too many ears here. Just get your ass on that plane.”