Page 45 of Stay With Me (Griffin’s Den #2)
FORTY-FOUR
Luna
As Jess and I walk into the bed-and-breakfast for my shift, I’m hit with the smell of fresh cinnamon rolls. We head into the kitchen to see Ann mixing the icing.
“Hi, Ms. Ann!” Jess says as she sets her bag by the table.
Looking over her shoulder, she smiles softly at us. “Hello, dears. You’re just in time for some breakfast. Come sit down.”
Jess pulls out a chair and starts talking to Ann about something she read in a book, and I walk over to the computer and power it on.
I was so happy when they allowed me to make them more digital.
Since launching the website, our booking process has become much smoother without the need for someone to be connected to the phone all day.
Griffin’s Den has become quite the destination spot with the farmers’ market, so as the market grows, we also get busier.
We have four check-ins this weekend. One is a couple on their honeymoon and is asking about nearby hiking spots.
I quickly send an email back congratulating them and attaching one of the PDF guides I created with a list of the local hiking paths and maps.
I let them know that if they have questions or are looking for anything more specific to reach out.
Then, I make a list of things I need to get done to make sure we’re ahead of the weekend.
I check the refurbishment status of the two cabins that are currently being worked on by the local construction company to make sure they’re still on track to be done before Thanksgiving.
With all that done, I power down the laptop.
“You need to eat before you start working, Luna,” Ann says as she sets a cinnamon roll in front of Jess and me.
“I just want to make sure we’re set up for the day. We have a busy couple of weeks coming up before it slows down a little when school starts.”
I cut into the cinnamon roll, then I dive into how many bookings we received this week, and we plan what to add to the cabin for the honeymooners. I also confirm that Joe has talked to Wayne, the owner of the construction company, about the status of the cabins as we finish breakfast.
Taking my last bite, I stand and gather our dishes. I wash them as Jess dries.
“Can I read on the porch?” she asks me as we finish up.
“Yeah, but come back after a couple of chapters to see if Joe needs help with the animals.” I glance at the clock, knowing that Joe will be here soon to get her so they can spend time doing what they both enjoy.
“Thank you! I sure hope that maybe one calf will be born soon,” she says as she grabs her book.
“It’s that time of year. I think we have the vet coming out in a week or two to check on them. You better start thinking of names for them,” Ann adds as she finishes up her coffee.
I smile to myself. I love how much they love her and treat her like family.
When I first left The Family, I remember working at a diner when a family came in. The love between them was evident as they sat around the table. It’s everything I wanted, and from the moment I stepped into Griffin’s Den, that’s what I’ve felt. It’s why I’ve stayed as long as I have.
For the first time in my life, I feel at home with who I am and the people I’m with, and I will fight to keep that.
“I’ll start making a list and run them by Mr. Joe when we go check on them,” she says as she heads to the porch.
“Tell me how things are going. Have you talked to Noah about your feelings yet?” Ann says to me once Jess is out the door.
A blush creeps across my cheeks as I think about how our conversation ended last night. “If you mean did we talk about how I felt as if I was taking advantage of him because he wouldn’t let me contribute, and we came up with a deal on how to move forward, then yes. I did.”
She puts her hand on my shoulder and places her cup in the sink. “I’m proud of you, Luna. That’s a hard conversation to have.” She squeezes my shoulder. “Now, have you told the man you love him yet?”
My mouth opens and closes, and I shake my head. “It’s too soon for that. I don’t know if I love him. I do like him, very much so.”
“My dear, you are one of the smartest people I have the privilege of knowing. You run this bed-and-breakfast on your own and have grown it more than we ever could. I know you’re not as experienced in life outside of what you left.
And I know you read those romance novels with the girls.
Those books show you that there is no timeline for falling in love.
Sometimes your soul meets its other half and recognizes it instantly.
I know that man loves you. You can see it in his eyes just as much as I see it in yours.
Allow yourself to fall. You will find that you’ll catch each other.
” She lets go of my shoulder and starts to gather ingredients for the bread we make a few times a week.
Her words roll in my head. “I don’t know if I trust what I think love looks like. I didn’t experience it with The Family. Yes, I read about it, but those stories are made up.” I face her with my hip propped on the counter. “I’m afraid I’ll fall back into a cycle of dependence and toxic lifestyles.”
“The stories themselves might be made up, but the love stories have some truth behind them. You might not have grown up with love, but it’s in you. If it wasn’t, you wouldn’t have taken in Jess without a second thought. You would have given her over to the state and let it be their problem.”
“She isn’t a problem,” I say defensively, cutting her off.
“I know she isn’t, but if you had no love in you, that’s exactly what you would think.
Kids are hard, and even harder when they come from a family like you both did.
Yes, you have Noah, who, being the man he is, stepped in because he knew it would make your life easier, but he let you determine how you wanted to tackle everything.
You both have been put in a very challenging situation, and while it isn’t perfect, you’ve moved forward, albeit a bit unconventionally, with starting a little family.
You’re doing so well. You also voiced your concerns, showing you won’t take things you don’t like lying down like you might have been forced to before. ”
“Yeah, I was worried about having the conversation we did yesterday, but communication is key if we want it to work. Pushing my feelings aside isn’t good. We both talked about our thoughts and feelings on it, and we negotiated the solution that works for both of us.”
“Communication is key. Joe and I established a rule very early in our relationship. Between running the farm and wanting to start a bed-and-breakfast, we wanted to make sure we prioritized ourselves. So every Sunday morning, we would talk over any meal that day when the guests were out and about, but if it was important, we never let it sit until the weekend. It’s important to find what works for you, and you guys are discovering your footing just fine. ”
“Yeah, I think we’re doing pretty good too,” I say as we work together in silence.
Ann finishes working on the bread, and I start to prep dinner. I can’t stop thinking about what she said.
Do I love Noah? Does Noah love me? Do I say it first? How does this get brought up?
I give my head a quick shake and file this away to think about later because the day is getting away from me.
Thankfully, Ann switches the topic to a much lighter one, asking if Jess is ready to start school officially.
I tell her that she seems excited and is on track and mostly caught up to her peers.
I also tell her about how we’re going to one of the big stores in the next town over soon to do all the school shopping.
I place the last prep dish in the fridge and tell Ann that I’m going to do a quick walk-through of the cabins that will be rented out this weekend to make sure they’re fully stocked and ready for our guests.
I peek at Jess and check my watch. “I’m running to the cabins to check on them. I’ll be back in a half hour, and we can meet up with Joe since he hasn’t come in yet. Deal?”
She looks up and pastes on a smile. “Yeah, I’ll be ready.”
“You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m, uh, just really into my book,” she says, fiddling with the pages.
“Okay. I’ll be right back.”
She nods and looks back down at her book.
Little alarm bells start to go off in my head.
Why do I feel like I’m missing something?
Maybe I’m just overthinking with all the emotions and heavy talk with Ann this morning. She knows she can tell me anything with no judgment.
With that last thought, I head to the cabins.
The timer on my phone vibrates in my pocket as I check the last cabin. I quickly lock up and head back to the main house.
Dirt crunches under my shoes as I take a deep breath, allowing the fresh air to fill my lungs. In the distance, the cows talk to each other as I round around the corner and open the backdoor.
Inside, faint voices come from near the kitchen, and I head that way.
“I’m going to call the sheriff’s department,” Joe says.
As I turn the corner, Ann is standing next to Jess with her arm around her shoulder, and Jess is frozen with a look of fear on her face.
“What’s wrong? What’s going on?” I say as panic claws at my chest.
“Everyone’s okay. I just found evidence that squatters have been in the broken-down shed that I should have torn down months ago.
They did some damage, and I want to report it so that, hopefully, it can help the sheriff find them.
They had to be there within the last couple of hours because the firepit I found was still hot,” Joe says as he picks up the phone on the wall.
I walk over to Ann and Jess and bend down to Jess’s level. “Are you hurt? Did you see anything?”
She shakes her head.
“I think she’s just a little spooked after Joe came charging in here saying he needed to call the sheriff’s non-emergency line.”
Joe talks softly into the phone, and after a few minutes, he hangs up and lets us know that Noah, the sheriff, and one other deputy, Collin, are on their way.
“Jess, do you want some lemonade to drink while you wait?” Ann asks.
“Yes, please,” she says softly as she sits down.
I sit next to her. “Are you sure you’re okay? You know you can tell me anything, right?” I ask softly.
Her eyes lock with mine, and she nods. “I know.”
“Noah will be here soon, and he and his work friends will have to ask us all some questions, probably. Remember, they want to help, and you’re not in trouble, okay?” I gently squeeze her hand to let her know it will be okay.