My heart pounds so loud I’m sure he can hear it. My eyes sting with tears from his words. I believe him. He wants to be with me. I don’t know why, but I trust him and his words. I just don’t know if it’s the right choice for me. I knew when I left Indiana that I was going to be on my own. I planned for years. I had a plan. This isn’t a plan. This is me leaving the safe haven I’ve made for myself and running off to a land unknown, for all intents and purposes, chasing the fairy tale. That’s exactly what he’s offering me—a fairy tale. A chance to be a part of a family and have my own in him. Maybe not right away, but he claims that’s his end game.
He calls it magic.
“I’ll be here to pick you up after your shift,” he says. He must see the turmoil his words have caused. I don’t know what to do.
“I’d like that,” I confess.
He stands and hands me money. “Lunch is on me, and before you say you get a discount, that’s fine. You use this to pay and keep the rest for the incredible company.”
My legs tremble as I stand and face him. “I’ll see you later.” There is hope in my voice. I know he’ll be here, but I still have that fear of not having a set of strong shoulders to lean on.
“I’ll be here, baby.” He presses a chaste kiss to my lips. “See you soon.” With that, he’s gone, walking out the door, and taking a piece of me with him. He’s offering me everything I’ve ever dreamed of. I’m just worried it’s too good to be true.
After Owen left, I was just simply going through the motions. I avoided Linda as much as possible, needing time with my thoughts. The trouble with time is that I’m even more confused than when I clocked in this morning. My heart tells me to take the leap that Owen Riggins is my savior, and my head is telling me that I can only trust myself.
Glancing at the clock, I know he’s going to be here in an hour to pick me up. He’s going to want an answer, he leaves tomorrow, and I don’t know what I’m going to do.
“You done hiding?” Linda asks from behind me.
I sigh and continue to wipe the bar. “I’m not hiding.”
“Avoiding me is hiding, Layla,” she says in what I could imagine would have been her mom voice had she had children. “What’s going on with you?”
“He offered me a job.”
“So you’ve mentioned. What are you thinking?”
“It’s in Nashville. He and his brothers own some kind of logistics company. They need office support.”
“Have you talked about salary?”
“It’s four times what I make here.”
“Wow,” she breathes, leaning against the bar next to me.
“Yep.”
“Tell me where you’re at. What are you thinking? Have you made a pros and cons list?” she asks.
“Cons, leaving you and Ronnie. Pros, just about everything else. Including more time with Owen. At least, I think that’s a plus.” It’s a good thing if we work out. If not, I’m starting over again in a new city with no one.
“What do you mean, you think?”
“He wants more, and before you ask, he claims he wants to date me. That I’m the ‘magic’ he’s been missing in his life. Crazy, right?” I ask her. When she doesn’t answer, I finally turn to face her. “Linda?”
“Not so crazy.” She smiles. “Look, Layla, life is full of hard decisions. You don’t need me to tell you that. You’ve had to make more of them than most at your age. However, you can’t let fear hold you back.”
“I barely know him. He said I could live with him, but if I didn’t want to that his future sister-in-law has an apartment that she hasn’t let go yet. It’s all too easy,” I say, exasperated.
“Layla, sweetheart, not everything about life is hard. There are just as many good moments. Most of the time more than the bad. You were dealt a bad hand in life, and my heart breaks for you that you don’t see the good. You deserve the good.”
“I don’t want to leave you and Ronnie.”
“You know where we live. You’re welcome in our home anytime.”
“The two of you are all that I have,” I say, my voice cracking.
“You have me.”
My head pops up to see Owen standing before me. He’s in worn jeans and a T-shirt, and those blue eyes of his are dark and intense as they stare at me. “Hi,” I say, wiping the lone tear that cascades down my cheek.
In a few long strides, he’s around the counter and has my face cradled in the palm of his hands. “You have me. You have my crazy family, and we’ll come back as much as you want to visit. Ronnie and Linda can come and visit and stay with us, or me, or whatever. I promise you, you will not be alone. I won’t ever let you be alone again.” The look in his eyes tells me he means every word he’s saying.
“Oh my,” Linda says breathily, and I can’t help but chuckle.
“There she is.” Owen smiles down at me. “No more tears, baby. Only smiles for you from here on out.”
“There are going to be tears, Owen,” I say, taking a step back, putting some space between us.
“I don’t like to see you cry.”
“That’s a part of life. Tears. Pain.”
He nods. “You’re right. I’ll just have to hold you through them.”
“If you don’t go with him, I will,” Linda says, not bothering to lower her voice.
“Linda! What about Ronnie?”
“Phew,” she says, smiling and fanning her face with a menu. I burst out in laughter, which is exactly what she was going for.
“My life is in pieces, Owen. I’m a mess, and barely holding it together.”
“Let me put you back together. Piece by piece, I won’t stop until you feel whole.”
I don’t tell him that when I’m with him, I feel whole. I feel alive. My breath hitches when I realize that Linda is right. It’s my fear, but I didn’t let fear stop me before, and now I have Linda and Ronnie to come back to. Never again will I be alone. Reaching for the cordless phone that’s lying behind the counter, I dial the number he gave me for Sawyer. I memorized it, because well, I just did.
“Hello.”
“Sawyer, hi, this is Layla.” Owen’s eyes widen.
“Layla! Hi, it’s so good to hear from you. What’s up? You keeping Owen in line?”
“Is that even possible?” I ask, making her laugh.
“He is a Riggins, but I’ll let you in on a secret, they’re just a bunch of big softies. Sexy, infuriating softies.” She laughs.
My eyes find Owen’s. “I’m going to need some pointers.”
“You got it. So, what’s up?”
“I was wondering if the job was still open, and Owen mentioned you had an apartment for rent?”
“Yes, and yes. Both are yours if you want them.”
“I do.” The words are past my lips, and I can’t take them back. Not that I want to. I want this adventure he’s giving me. I’ll have a job, and my own place, and maybe if I’m lucky, I’ll get more of Owen too. It’s risky to take this leap, and I’m scared to death. However, I’m the only one who can change my future. I’m the only one who can reach for the stars as I try and hang the moon.