Which is why I don’t need photographers blocking the entrance for our customers. Take a vacation, sweetie. You haven’t had one in years. Enjoy the season for once.
Julie
Mom … please.
Mom
I’ve spoken. Stay with Nick. Be happy. The shop will survive.
I show Nick the texts. “She’s banning me.”
“Your mom’s smart,” he says, kissing my temple. “She’s protecting you.”
“But October is busy. The pumpkin drinks, the tourist rush?—”
“Which your mom has been handling for decades.” He turns to face me.
My phone vibrates again, and I expect to see another text from my mom, but it’s Craig.
Craig
Saw the circus outside your place. I love you, Julie. I will always love you. I would’ve never put you in this position. If you need an escape from him, I’m here.
Nick reads it over my shoulder. “Fucking vulture.”
“He’s trying to use this against you,” I say.
Nick pulls me closer. “What do you want to do? We can’t stay here.”
“We could go to Riverside,” I offer.
“Yeah?”
“It’s private. They can’t follow us there.” I glance back at the people down below. “Truthfully, I need a break from this. And if I can’t work …”
“We could enjoy October. Like normal people.” He grins. “Well, as normal as we can be with all of this.”
“How long does it take for them to leave us alone?” I ask.
“It’s impossible to predict, but we can play it by ear.”
I sigh. “A week at Riverside doesn’t sound so bad.”
“No, we have the hot tub under the stars with actual privacy. I’ll cook for you every night. Plus, the view.”
His eyes slide up and down me, and I fall into his arms.
“Will this be what destroys us?” he asks, and I can hear the pain in his voice.
I pull away, meeting his honey-brown eyes. “It will take more than this.”
“I hope so.” He’s already reaching for his phone on the bedside table. “I need to call Asher and tell him what’s going on.”
While he talks, I start packing, trying not to feel guilty about abandoning the shop during peak season. But Mom’s right—the photographers are affecting business.
“Zane’s on his way,” Nick says, hanging up. “He’s going to create a distraction so we can slip out the back, where Autumn will be waiting for us.”
“This is unbelievable,” I tell him.
