Page 114 of Riding the Curve
This time she grabs my chin and lifts my head to meet hers. “With our voices, not our mouths.” She shakes her head, eyes alight with mirth.
“Well, you can use your voice, loudly—if you so choose.” Hovering just inches away from her lips, I feather mine over hers. Tempting her to just give in.
Her bottom lip slips underneath her teeth, and I think I’ve won. Until she shakes her head.
“I have something to tell you,” she whispers softly.
Hen’s words are like a bucket of cold water, and I place her gently back on her feet. My skin begins to prickle as I wait for her to speak.
“They gave me an offer.”
My heart stumbles, but I put on my biggest smile and bring her in for a deep kiss.
“I’m so proud of you. I knew you could do it, Henley. They are going to be lucky to have you, and you are going to be New York’s next up-and-coming chef. I can’t wait to be by your side and watch it all.”
Henley’s lip wobbles. I brush hair out of her eyes, and her palm wraps around my wrist. Silently I watch as she brings it to her mouth and presses a kiss to the inside of my palm, then brings it to cup her cheek.
“They offered me everything I wanted. Full creative control—” She pauses, her other hand slowly sliding up my chest as she speaks. “The ability to hire my own staff.”
“That’s amazing—”
“A place for you and I to live that is just a block away from the restaurant.” Her hand snakes around my neck to tilt my head against hers.
“It’s everything I ever dreamed of—” She breathes. “But I realized something.”
“What?”
“My dreams have changed.”
My heart stops completely as I struggle to take in her words.
“I didn’t take the job.”
Emotion floods through me. It works its way up my throat and threatens to close it.
“Baby, I don’t want you to—”
She covers my lips with her finger and shakes her head. “I’m not giving up my dreams, Emerson. I’m making new ones. Dreams I want to make with you. At home.”
Tears slip down her cheeks. I brush them away, then scoop her into my arms once more.
“Are you sure? It would break my heart to know you might regret this one day.”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my entire life. I could never regret what I have with you.”
When the day started, I honestly didn’t think this moment would happen. Couldn’t believe that she would choose Oakley Falls over New York. Now that she has, I’m bursting to tell her my decision. I open my mouth to speak, but she begins first.
“You know, when I was younger, I asked my mother why she stopped barrel riding.”
My eyes widen. “Gracie Cole was a barrel rider? How have I lived all my life and not known this?”
Hen lets out a breathy chuckle, but her eyes glisten with unshed tears. “She doesn’t ever really talk about it. In fact, I only found out while sorting through old pictures in the attic when I was in high school.”
“I’ve always loved Mama Cole, but this makes me love her even more. It also explains a lot about her fiery spirit . . . and yours.” I laugh. Earning myself a playful slap from Hen.
“Anyway,” she says, rolling her eyes. “Her answer was etched in my soul that day, and it was all I could think about while I was in New York.”
“What did she say?”
