Page 76 of A Cup of Autumn
Keaton shouldn’t, but he had to ask. “Don’t you want to…lock the door?”
Her lips parted. “Shouldn’t no answer be an answer by default?”
“Not sure if everyone sees it that way.”
“I would.”
Knowing she didn’t want to talk to her ex made Keaton happy. Raine deserved better. “Has he been trying to contact you and open the door?”
“Not since the text.”
“Good, I mean—”
“It is good,” she finished for Keaton. “Emmett’s the one who left for the Emerald City.”
“Oz?”
“No, Seattle. But for me, there’s no place like home.”
“Silver Falls.”
She nodded. “Emmett lived in Silver Falls his entire life. He planned on leaving, but then I moved to town to open the coffee shop, and he stayed. I thought we were on our way to a happily ever after, but he wasn’t happy. He wanted to leave Silver Falls and asked me to go with him, but…”
“You couldn’t.”
“Not only couldn’t. I didn’t want to. Not even for my happy ending.”
“Was that hard for you?”
“Yes and no. The fact I didn’t consider going makes me realize we weren’t meant to be. But I’d grown up in a suburb of Seattle, lived there until I moved here, but it never felt like Silver Falls. Long distance didn’t work. When Emmett decided he was finished with Silver Falls and me in April, I won’t claim it didn’t hurt. That it didn’t take me a while to get out of my funk, but the last time I saw him in July, I knew for sure. We’re better apart. He’s happier in Seattle. And when I’m ready for another relationship, it’ll be with someone who wants the same things as me.”
Keaton considered her words. “You found your home and don’t want to leave. I’m still searching for mine.”
“You’ll find it.” She covered his hand with hers. “You’re where you should be. Silver Falls is the perfect place to search for a new home.”
“I’m open to suggestions.”
“I have one, but first, you should know it’s not as hard as it sounds if you keep an open mind.”
“That doesn’t sound hard.”
“It’s not if you trust yourself.”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“As you search, you’ll come across a lot of different places. But when you find the one…home…there will be a sense of belonging inside of you. You won’t feel the need to look for something better. Everything you could ever want is right there. Mind you, it might not be perfect, but that doesn’t matter. You’ll be content and at peace, even when things don’t go the way you wanted.”
Keaton had a feeling she meant Emmett. “So, when you know you know?”
“Yep.” Her mouth quirked. “As for actual suggestions, with your family here, Silver Falls or Summit Ridge should be on your list of places to consider. And no Washington state income tax is a huge plus. There’s also a community college and a four-year university nearby. The cost of living is lower than you’ll find in Seattle, the Vancouver-Portland Metro area, or Spokane.”
He laughed. “You sound like a town spokesperson or Margot.”
Raine looked at her hand on his. Her lips parted as if she hadn’t realized she was touching him, and she lifted her hand from his. “Has Margot been trying to get you to stay in Silver Falls?”
Keaton missed Raine’s touch. “Yes. Garrett and especially Callie have been, too, though they’re more subtle.”
“Margot’s not known for her subtlety.”
