Page 2

“Yeah, well, I’m sorry we didn’t appreciate you more while you were here, Lacey.” The sound of cabinet drawers slamming in the background only accentuated his irritation. “Should have given you a title, let you take over the entire office, and Brooks and I could have worked for you.”

Nowhe chooses to offer bigger and better? Tempting. If he’d offered before I’d put in my resignation letter, I might have stayed, but I was almost home. I could practically feel my past and everything I needed to face calling to me, including Mom.

“You sound like you’re searching for something?” I asked.

“You wouldn’t happen to remember where the Calbott plans are, would you? They want to resurrect the project, give it another try.” He sighed heavily into the phone. Ugh, their architect’s office was a mess before I was hired.

“Of course I do. I’m the one who organized all the plans in the first place.” I proceeded to tell him where to find them plus filled him in quickly on my system for the next time.

“Perfect. Thank you. And Lacey… the offer stands. If you want to come back, just call me.”

“Thanks. I need to take care of things at home for now. But reach out anytime you can’t find something.” I chuckled into the phone at how good it felt to be appreciated, even if it was a little too late. We finished with some small talk and clicked off.

I continued down the highway, putting more miles between me and New York, unsure if Archer was really serious about his offer or not. But I couldn’t think about that now.

So what the actualeffwas I doing with my life? Hopefully Carson would help me figure it out.

I snorted. Who was I kidding? Did I think he’d throw me a welcome-home parade? Hold out his arms, wish me a happy thirtieth with a pastor on standby to marry us?

Not likely. But once I found him, I’d remind him of our deal. We could work on rekindling things. Until the end of summer, anyway.

Somehow I had that in my head as enough time to figure things out between us. And if we didn’t by then, I could always leave again and start fresh somewhere new, or take Archer up on his offer if he was serious. Because without Carson, without Mom, there wasn’t much left tying me down to this town.

I hadn’t talked to Carson in—how long? I thought back, and even further back, and groaned. Not since the first Christmas without Mom that I’d stayed back in the city instead of coming home. He’d called to check on me on Christmas Eve. After that, I rarely texted him back when he reached out, so it’s been a few years too long.

I should’ve let him know I was on my way. But Carson was Carson. Always on the periphery of my life and my heart. He’d never vanish.

Even if I had.

2

BBQ AND BLINDSIDES

LACEY

My heart fluttered awake,as if seeing the town sign reinvigorated it. The slogan“Welcome to Poppy Valley, where wild things bloom, and hearts find home,”blared like a reminder, already drawing me into its arms for a warm, familiar embrace.

Ten years ago I ran from it. Tonight, I needed that hug.

By the time I arrived it was late, the sun going down behind the hills, casting just enough glow on the old Victorian windowpanes of Poppy Street. The main thoroughfare had changed little from what I could tell—red poppy flowers and greenery in floral boxes beneath each store window, same as always. A few new shops had popped up, though. I’d have to wander through them one afternoon.

Of course, right in the middle by the old town square, stood Carson’s pride and joy.

After high school, he’d served in the Army, but returned after his first enlistment. For whatever reason, owning a coffee shop had appealed to him.

I remembered his emails and calls back then, excited and telling me all about his plans to renovate one of the old buildings downtown. Now, the sign for Goodson’s JavaCompany sparked a burst of pride in me. I snickered at the thought that we used to call Carson the sleepy dwarf, being the last of seven Goodson boys, and now he must have to wake up pretty early to serve up morning coffee for his customers.

Not that the Goodson boys were short. Nope. They’d all grown up to be rather tall, well-built men. All seven of them, handsome as could be.

It had taken Carson years, but he finally opened his dream coffee place after Mom’s funeral.

Only... I hadn’t stayed to see it happen.

What kind of friend did that make me?

Surely Carson would forgive me. He knew I couldn’t bear to stay when everything here reminded me of Mom. Even now, as I sniffed the air with the windows rolled down, my heart ached for her.

I kept driving, just a block more to go until the turn toward home—when I noticed the park packed with people. Everyone must be out tonight celebrating something, typical for this town to have festivals of some sort or another.