Page 93 of Finding Hayes
I’d spent the last ten years cursing this town and convincing myself that I hated this place, when, in reality, I loved it here.
Magnolia Falls is home.
I spent the next few hours chatting with everyone and moving from one table to the next. Once all the guests cleared out, we helped Demi get her car loaded with gifts and got the bookstore cleaned up and back to normal.
I hugged the girls goodbye and made my way home.
I turned down our street and saw the house in the distance.
And for whatever reason, I started jogging. My booties clacked against the pavement in a rhythmic sound.
Because suddenly, I couldn’t wait to get there.
To him.
Home.
twenty-five
. . .
Hayes
I’d orderedtakeout before lighting a few candles. I wanted to do something nice for her. Something that I should have done weeks ago.
I heard the door open and close, and I hurried to the entryway to meet her.
“Hey,” Savannah said, pulling her coat off and looking around curiously. “It smells good in here.”
“I ordered us a pizza and a salad.”
“Wow. That was sweet. You seem like you’re up to something.” She chuckled.
“Come on, I have a little surprise for you.”
I led her into the kitchen, where a few flickering candles sat on the counter. The box of letters was sitting on the coffee table near the couch, and I’d set the food there with a bottle of wine.
“What’s all this?” she asked, heading straight for the box of letters. “You’re letting me read them all?”
“The box is yours. You can read them whenever you want.” I sat down on the leather couch, and she sat beside me.
“Thank you. I thought you liked torturing me by giving me one every couple of days.”
“Well, I wanted to talk to you about something, and these sort of tie into the whole thing.”
She ran her fingers along the top of the box and looked up at me. “Is this where you tell me that you don’t want to have your wagon hitched to mine anymore, and this is my parting gift?”
Her tone was light and laced with humor, but I also noticed the way her voice shook a little. We were in limbo. I needed to show her that I was trying. I wanted to fight for us, but I didn’t know how.
“Nope. This is me telling you that I’m crazy about you. It doesn’t matter where you are, because you live here, Sav. Right fucking here.” I reached for her hand and placed it over my heart. “I know I’m not good at this. I know I’ll probably fuck it all up. But I love you. So giving you these letters is my way of showing you all of me. There’s shit in there that I don’t want to remember, but maybe it’ll show you why I am the way that I am.”
She lunged forward and hugged me. My arms came around her, wanting to keep her close. “I love you exactly the way you are, Hayes.”
“I know you do. But that’s not what I’m talking about.”
She pulled back, blinking several times to try to keep the tears at bay. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about a life together. I want you to stay here. With me. I can back you in opening your own business right here in Magnolia Falls.”
