Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 70444 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70444 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Breathing out a sigh of relief, I invite her inside. “But that doesn’t answer my question. What are you really doing here?”
She smirks. “I read your letter and wanted to respond…in person.”
“Oh.” I scratch my cheek, gazing my eyes down her body, tempted as hell to kiss her.
“But first, I have to ask...” She tilts her head at me in amusement. “Can I crash here tonight?”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
OAKLEY
TWO HOURS PRIOR
The plane rattles as it lands on the runway. The late evening view from above is just as stunning as it is in person. An immediate chill hits me as I deplane, and though it’s only been two weeks since I was here, it already feels colder than before. Good thing I packed the right clothes this time.
Jessa waves frantically at me when she finds me at baggage claim. She rushes over and hugs me tight. “I’m so glad you’re back.”
I laugh, letting her squeeze me. “Me too. Though I’m second-guessing this weather.”
“Oh shush. It grows on you, and you’ll be used to it in no time.” She waves me off, grabbing my large suitcase while I take the other.
Returning to California after being here for three weeks was a big adjustment, a nd not because of the weather. The time zone difference and being without Finn sucked.
“He’s going to flip out when he sees you.”
“I hope he doesn’t mind me just showing up unannounced.”
“Are you kidding? He’s been wallowing for weeks. You’re doing us all a favor, trust me.” She groans, and I chuckle.
Finn wasn’t the only miserable one.
From the first moment I walked into my apartment, it felt wrong. The loud city noises and my neighbors yelling at each other in the middle of the night drove me nuts. Not to mention how cold and lonely my bed was. I felt like a stranger in my own home. But I figured it was because I’d been gone so long.
I’d convinced myself that once I got on schedule and unpacked my stuff, my life would go back to normal.
However, days later, it didn’t. My boxes from Vermont arrived, and I had no desire to unload them. I told my landlord I wasn’t renewing my lease and would be out by the fifteenth.
For days I packed, with no place to go other than Florida. Tatum was excited and so was I, but the hole in my heart was nagging at me. In just a few short weeks, I’d somehow gotten used to the farm and, surprisingly, found myself missing it.
Missing him more than anything.
One night while I was chatting with Tatum, I remembered my favorite palette was in one of the boxes Finn shipped back. We were talking about baby stuff as I unpacked it, and I ended up finding an envelope with my name on the front. It was in Finn’s handwriting. I hadn’t realized he’d written a letter, and tears welled in my eyes as soon as I opened it.
I’d read it aloud to my sister, and by the end of it, she demanded I go to him. We were both in tears, and I could no longer contain my emotions. I told her it was crazy to just drop everything without a plan, so she helped me make one.
Step one: sell everything I didn’t need, then put what was left in storage.
Step two: book a one-way ticket to Vermont.
Step three: ask Jessa to pick me up at the airport so I can surprise Finn at his house.
That was a week ago.
I needed time to get rid of my furniture and pack my art supplies. Jessa kept me updated and kept an eye on Finn for me. As did Levi. Both of them were on board.
A part of me wanted to reach out and make sure it was okay to just show up, but I wanted to talk face-to-face about what he wrote in that letter. It wasn’t something to nonchalantly discuss over the phone.
“Levi’s on his way to Finn’s house now to make sure he’s home. I tried like hell to get him to take the day off to rest, but he wouldn’t budge. He’s been a grumpy ass,” Jessa tells me.
I snort. “Sounds like him.”
We continue making small talk as we drive closer to the farm. Nervous butterflies swarm my stomach, and I mentally rehearse what I want to say to Finn.
“Grandma’s gonna be excited to see you too,” she says, then adds, “The whole family actually.”
“You don’t think I’m crazy for doing this, do you?” I ask warily.
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“I put my entire life—that I had no intention of leaving—in boxes and flew across the country for a man because he wrote me a love letter. Doesn’t that make me lose my feminist card or something?”
She bellows a laugh. “Sweetie, if someone poured their heart out to me and actually meant it without expecting sex afterward, I’d do whatever it took to be with them. I love the orchard, but I’d never pass up a chance for happiness with my soul mate. You’re too talented to worry about finding work, anyway. Plus, you have a social media expert at your disposal, so I’ll help you market yourself online. I have no doubt you’ll find a way to still be successful wherever you live. But finding a love like you have with Finn again? Not likely. You’d search for that for the rest of your life.”