Page 150 of Falling for the Grumpiest Protector

I smile. "Ask."

"I will."

"And Julian?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. I might fail."

"You won't."

"That's the spirit."

We hang up. I stay at the window. My phone lights up again almost immediately. This time it's Javier.

You left your jacket in my truck.

I smile.

Keep it safe.

Three dots appear.

Ransom is expensive.

I don't negotiate with criminals.

His reply comes quickly.

Then I guess you'll have to see me tomorrow.

I look at the message longer than necessary.

I guess I will.

I set the phone down. My laptop is still open behind me. Numbers. Projections. A future I understand. On my phone is a man I didn't plan for.

That isn't the whole choice. I know better than that. Javier isn't Oakridge. The restaurant isn't New York. And I refuse to turn my life into a decision between a man and my work. But something has changed. I came home believing I already knew where I belonged. Now I'm not sure belonging is only one place.

Maybe the question isn't which life I want.

Maybe it's whether I'm brave enough to build one that has room for all of me.

Chapter Twenty

Javier

By Friday afternoon, the farm looks ready. Which means something will probably go wrong. That's how these things work.

The tents are up. The tables are set. Signs point toward parking, food, hayrides, demonstrations, and enough activities to keep every kid in Oakridge occupied until dark. Jack's scarecrow is still standing near the barn. He found it yesterday. Emma claims she had nothing to do with it. Nobody believes her.

I check the generator behind the food tent, then head toward the main barn. Tomorrow morning, this place will be packed. Today, it's mostly volunteers, farm staff, and the controlled chaos of getting everything into place.

I spot Maddy near the produce tables. She's standing on a folding chair, reaching above her head to hook one corner of a banner onto a wooden beam. The chair wobbles.

"Maddy."