“Love you too, Addison, and I miss you terribly. Bye, now.”
Addison ended the call and then turned to Reid. She explained briefly.
“Your mother’s right. The timing is perfect,” Reid said.
“Not for us, though, Reid. It would mean extensive travel. I’d have to spend most of my time getting the other locations up and running.”
He shrugged. “I know that. But this is a huge opportunity and your mother was also right in that these things only come around so often. If you miss out you might never get another chance. This could be huge for you, Addison.”
“But . . . but I’m in the middle of so much right here. I have weddings to plan . . .” Her throat constricted at the thought of leaving him when their relationship was going so well.
“Sara won’t have any classes at the farm during the summer break. I’m sure she could fill in at your shop while you’re away.”
“But she’s busy planning her wedding and overseeing the barn renovation.”
“The renovations are going smoothly. Believe me, Sara of all people knows how to juggle her time. She is an expert in multitasking.”
“But I would miss you too much,” Addison said softly, and gave him a trembling smile. She looked at him, thinking of how much time her mother and father lost over the years and it came close to ruining their marriage. She put her hand over his but he withdrew it, making her heart pound. Please don’t do this, she thought. Please care about me more than that.
“Addison, you should go to LA and listen to your mother. She knows her stuff. She won’t steer you wrong.”
“But what about . . . us?” Addison asked in a strained voice.
Reid shifted in the leather seat. He was silent for a long moment and then said, “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that.”
Addison felt her heart rate speed up. “And?” she asked when he hesitated. She had felt that he’d wanted to tell her that he loved her for a while now. “You can be honest with me, Reid. We’ve grown so close. Don’t hesitate to tell me how you feel,” she urged.
“I . . . I’m moving back to Lexington. My firm called and wanted a final answer about whether I’m returning.”
Addison swallowed hard and felt the impact of his words like a punch to her gut. “I thought you loved the farm.” I thought you loved me, she wanted to shout.
“I do, but I came back to help get things under control. They are and then some. I’m not needed any longer. I can return to my job, knowing things are fine here.”
“So, when were you going to tell me?” she asked in a shaky voice.
His gaze flicked away. “I was trying to find the right time, I guess.”
“And so you thought after this amazing night with your family would be the best time to break it to me?”
“Addison, I had no idea what was going on here tonight.”
She nodded, on the verge of tears. “Is this about Rick Ruleman being in town? I really didn’t know, Reid.”
“I believe you.”
“Then—”
“We should get inside.”
“Um, I’m not sure I want to go to the party. I have a lot to think about and I would really appreciate it if you would just take me home. Please tell Jeff congratulations for me, okay?” She forced a smile.
Reid nodded. “Sure. I understand.”
He drove her back in silence. Absorbed in her thoughts and aching sorrow, Addison didn’t speak a word. She hoped the entire way home that Reid would suddenly tell her how much he loved her and couldn’t bear it if she weren’t in his life. But he didn’t.
When he pulled up to her apartment he came around and opened her door. “You don’t have to walk me up. I know you want to get back to the celebration.”
Something flickered in his eyes and Addison held her breath. “You’re right.” He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek—the cheek!—and her heart shattered.
Once again she’d believed in and let a man into her life, only to have her heart trampled on.
Later, while she sat cross-legged on her bed, reliving the evening, Addison wondered if this really did have anything to do with Rick Ruleman or the announcement that Garret would be working with him. Did Reid think that she’d go running back into Garret’s arms? How could he think that?
Addison leaned back against the fluffy pillows and she suddenly had a moment of clarity. This apartment felt like home. She loved running From This Moment and wasn’t remotely interested in starting a franchise. She wanted her shop to be personal and one-of-a-kind, not duplicated all over the country. Whether she made piles of money or just enough to get by, she loved her life and she wasn’t going to make the mistake of doing something because she didn’t want to disappoint her mother, even when it wasn’t what she truly wanted. Those days were over. And if Reid cared so little about her that he could just walk away, then she’d overestimated how much he cared for her. How could she have gotten it so wrong yet again?
Unlike the dull ache of disappointment she’d felt with her broken engagements to Aiden and Garret, this felt like a searing pain jabbing at her heart.
Her throat hurt with the thickness of unshed tears and her eyes burned, but she refused to dissolve into a puddle of despair. Instead, she turned off the light, determined to get some sleep and to get on with her life. Her body, however, had different ideas. Addison tossed and turned, looking at the digital alarm clock with increasing anger. She wanted to fall asleep so badly but, in truth, there was something tapping at her brain. She punched the pillow, kicked off the covers, and then got cold and yanked them back up to her chin. She closed her eyes and then realized she was squeezing them shut, and groaned.
“Okay, relax,” she whispered, but she knew that part of the problem was that she missed having Reid in her bed. His big, warm body lying next to Addison made her feel safe and loved. Without him she felt a bit lost and lonely. “It just doesn’t make sense,” Addison murmured with a tired yawn.
And then she sat up so quickly that she knocked pillows to the floor. The missing piece fell into place with a mental clink. “Well . . . duh . . .” She smiled slowly as she sank back onto the pillows. Her eyelids suddenly felt heavy and the soft pillow cushioned her head. She would head over to his cabin first thing in the morning and put an end to this stupidity.
Addison opened her eyes and blinked in confusion. Something didn’t feel right. Rolling to the side she looked at her alarm clock. “Noon? I slept until noon?” Since it was Sunday the shop was closed, but still . . . she couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept in this late. Of course, tossing and turning for hours had had a lot to do with it. But she had a mission and needed to get over to confront Reid with the truth. Tossing back the covers, she hurried to the bathroom and jumped into the shower, rehearsing in her head exactly what she was going to say to him.
Less than two hours later she pulled onto the Greenfield property and was going to head down the lane to Reid’s cabin when she spotted Sara, who flagged her down. Addison rolled down her window.
“Reid’s not here,” Sara said glumly. “He left shortly after breakfast.”
“Where did he go?” Addison asked, even though she already knew the answer.
“Lexington.” Sara stood back for Addison to get out of the Mustang. As soon as she did Sara gave her a big hug. “I’m sorry he’s being such a dipshit. Come on over to the porch. Nobody else is home except for me and the dogs,” she said.
Addison gave Booker an absent pat on the head and managed a weak chuckle when Little John came bounding their way.
“Can I get you some sweet tea?”