Page 21 of Take This Heart (Windy Harbor #1)
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
BALLOTS
MILO
I knock on the Whitmans’ door and wait. Everett’s told me to just walk on in, but with Goldie doing everything in her power to avoid me after seeing me with Bruce and Ava the other night, it doesn’t feel right to do that.
I hear high-pitched barking and frown, looking around for the dog. Nothing.
Goldie opens the door, trying to grab a tiny white ball of fluff.
“Shh. It’s Milo freaking Lombardi. He’s not worth the energy,” Goldie croons to the pup.
She’s in leggings and a paint-smeared sweatshirt. Loose hair is falling from her messy bun and her cheeks are rosy. She looks beautiful.
The dog stands next to her and keeps barking with his whole body. She scoops him up and he stares at me smugly.
I grin. “You got a dog?”
“I did,” she says coolly, stepping aside so I can come in. “His name is Kevin and as you can see, he has excellent instincts.”
“Kevin.” I chuckle. “Is he trained to attack all men who talk to you, or is it just me?”
“I haven’t trained him yet. He just sensed your,” she waves her hand all around me, “atmosphere.”
“My atmosphere,” I snort.
“Your lying, betraying atmosphere.”
I cringe, reaching out to pet Kevin and he growls, the tiniest teeth bared.
I hold out a hand and say, “Hey, little guy. I come in peace.”
He sniffs my hand and nestles into Goldie’s arms. My eyes meet Goldie’s.
“I don’t think he likes you,” she says.
I lift an eyebrow. “He takes after you, huh?”
She shrugs.
“Goldie.” I sigh. “I’m just trying to figure out where we stand.”
“We don’t stand,” she says.
We stare at each other for a few long seconds.
“How’s Everett?”
“He’s a little better now.”
He had chemo two days ago and I haven’t seen him much since then.
“I’m glad.” I watch her pet the adorable dog with the ridiculous name and my heart swells with something I don’t want to name. “Can you please stop avoiding me? It’s making it really hard to do my job when everything we say has to go through your dad or Noah.”
“I don’t mind it.”
“Well, I do. We had a good thing going.”
“Speak for yourself.”
“I am speaking for myself!”
Kevin growls again when I raise my voice and I sigh, this time speaking softly.
“Can’t we just talk about it? You really think I’d work with Bruce to sabotage you?”
“I don’t know what to think. But what I know is you lied. And I don’t have room for liars in my life.”
“I believe you do know, but then you latch onto every possible reason to think the worst of me. I feel terrible that I didn’t tell you the truth from the beginning, but your distrust of me was there before this. What are you so afraid of? Who did you so wrong that you don’t trust anyone?”
A look crosses her face and she takes a step back, swallowing hard.
“Shit. Goldie, I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry.” I take a step back too.
“I’ve learned my lesson the hard way. I was engaged once,” she says softly.
“Wes Chandler. I thought I’d hit the jackpot.
He adored me, I adored him. Everyone did.
My family, my friends, his professors at school.
He was the perfect guy who did everything right.
” She shakes her head and her eyes are glassy.
“He liked that I was creative, wasn’t threatened by my big dreams, didn’t mind that I’m a lot…
” Her eyes shoot to me like she’s daring me to argue with her.
Finally, I take the bait and tease her. “You are a lot, but in a good way.”
“Mmm. Yeah, no. You don’t get to sweet-talk me.” Her eyes soften and I feel hopeful that maybe she doesn’t really hate me after all.
But then they get defiant and I’m not hopeful at all.
“He had everyone fooled,” she says. “Me, most of all.”
“What happened?”
“I found out that the entire two years we’d dated at school, he’d had a girlfriend he was also engaged to back home.
He went by his middle name at school and wasn’t on any social media, and was a little funny about taking pictures, but I thought it was just because he wanted to live in the moment.
That was his line and I thought that was so charming and unique.
” She rolls her eyes. “I had my wedding dress, invitations, flowers, everything, planned and paid for. His college roommate was the one to finally tell me the truth, and I think that was only because he knew Wes was really going to marry the other girl...which he did, the week before we were supposed to get married.”
“Fuck.” I’ve moved closer to her again and she’s softly petting Kevin’s ears. I want to find Wes Chandler and destroy everything he’s ever worked for.
She glances down at the little puppy and blinks, a tear falling down her cheek. She swipes it away.
“I hate talking about it. I don’t usually talk about it. Ever. I avoid even thinking about it. It’s the most humiliating part of my life.” She shakes her head when more tears fall. “I’m not crying because I still love him. I haven’t loved him in years. I’m crying because I was such a fool.”
Her eyes are devastating when she stares up at me. I put my fingers on her chin and lift it up, so she won’t look away.
“You could never be a fool,” I tell her. “You’re the smartest person I know.”
She lets out a shaky laugh. “I’m a lot smarter now.” She takes a deep breath, a big step back, and resolve washes over her face. “And I will never be a fool again.”
Fuck. Me.
“Have you been in love?” she asks.
“I thought I was.”
“When?”
“It was six or seven years ago.”
“What happened?”
I make a face. “If anyone’s been a fool, it’s me.
Roshana. We weren’t living together, but occasionally she’d stay at my place when I was out of town.
I think she was pushing for that, but I wasn’t ready for that.
Anyway, I flew in earlier than she was expecting and I caught her on my desktop, transferring a large sum of money to her bank account.
Sort of broke my trust.” I lift a shoulder.
“I would’ve gladly given it to her if she’d asked, but once she did that, I saw it wasn’t the first time she’d taken something from me. A watch of my grandfather’s…”
The door bursts open and Camden walks in. Goldie and I jump apart like we’re doing something wrong. Camden smiles and then it falters when he sees Goldie’s face.
“Hey, you guys. You okay?” he asks her.
“Yes, totally. I’m fine,” she says.
“Okay.” He looks uncertain, but when she doesn’t offer anything else, he puts his hands in his pockets. “You’re just the two I wanted to see,” he says.
“What’s up?” I ask, while Goldie turns and tries to subtly wipe away any stray tears from her face.
“I hoped we could brainstorm a little about the restaurant.”
“Oh, yes, I really hoped we could solidify the plans before you head back to Colorado,” Goldie says, perking up.
“That’s what I was thinking too,” he says. “You know how the property has that open meadow just north of the cabins? I was thinking we could turn part of that into a working garden.”
Goldie brightens. “And do farm-to-table?”
“Exactly. I’ve been talking to Dad about it. Real produce grown right here. Tomatoes, squash, herbs, berries, you name it. We could have a small greenhouse too, for year-round fruits and vegetables. Whatever we don’t grow, we still get locally. McMann’s cheese and milk. Apples from the Snyders.”
“I love this idea.” Goldie grins.
“I’m thinking a little more rustic than my restaurant in Colorado. A big wood-fired oven, open kitchen, that kind of vibe.”
“I bet Dad loved this idea too.”
“He did,” Camden says, grinning. “I’m excited about it too.
I just need to hire a few more people to make things run smoothly without me in Colorado.
I’ve had one excellent hire since I was here the last time, but I need a few more.
Then I can sell my house and be here full-time.
I’m ready. I don’t want to miss out on any of this. ”
Goldie hugs him. “When Dad first started talking about it, I couldn’t imagine it really happening—that we’d all be here, building something amazing together—but now that I’ve been here a while, I’m seeing it, and I can’t wait.”
He pulls away and looks down at her, still holding onto her arms. “I know what you mean. I hate the reason we’re all making our way back home, but I love what’s coming out of it. I think this place is going to be really special.”
Goldie glances over at me and sighs, like she’s just remembered I’m here and isn’t happy about it. She looks exhausted. It’s a heavy load she’s been carrying, with her dad being sick, this massive project, and the baggage that her asshole ex has left her with.
And the bomb I’ve dropped on her, right as her walls were coming down with me.
I want to make her load a little lighter from here on out. I don’t know how to do that exactly, but I’m going to try.
“You know what?” Goldie says. “It’s time we come up with a name soon. Nearly everything else is coming together, but we’re still missing that. I think we should do a FaceTime tonight and have everyone throw in their suggestions.”
The intensity in the Whitman household is higher than some design meetings I’ve had with billion-dollar stakeholders.
Camden is standing in front of a whiteboard.
Tully’s sprawled on the floor with a bowl of pretzels, throwing them in the air and catching them in his mouth.
Goldie is bouncing on the couch next to Kevin, who’s curled up on top of a throw pillow.
Everett is in his chair sipping tea, calmly watching his kids yell over one another.
Dylan and Noah are propped in the middle of the coffee table via FaceTime, both squinting into their screens.
Grayson pops his head into Noah’s shot, all nostrils. “Hi!” he yells.
“Hi, buddy,” Goldie says, laughing and waving. “Looking good.”
“Hi, auntie!” He holds up a rock and Goldie hums.
“Ooo, you found a good one,” she says.
“Can everyone hear me?” Dylan shouts.
“Loud and disturbingly clear,” Goldie mutters. “Okay, focus, everyone. We’re naming the resort tonight.”
“I submit The House of Kevin,” Tully says, without looking up.
Kevin stretches his little paws out like he agrees to that.
“No,” Goldie says. She reaches over and pets Kevin apologetically. “I love you, but no.”
“North of North?” Everett says.
“That’s a show on Netflix,” Goldie says.
“Really? Gosh darn. I thought I was being really creative,” he says.
“I’ve got it,” Tully says. “Moose N Us.”
Grandma Nancy cackles at that and Tully looks around proudly.
“No,” Camden and Goldie say at the same time.
Tully’s eyes narrow. “You’re supposed to always agree with me,” he tells Goldie. “I’m your twin, not him.”
“Well then, act like it,” she sasses back. She holds up her hand. “Oh…I thought of one. The Windy Shore.”
Everyone’s quiet and then Everett nods. “I like it. A nod to the town and the water that we all live for around here.”
“All right,” Camden says, writing it down. “So far we have…”
He starts writing on the whiteboard and talking at the same time.
“Number one, North of North, which we can’t use because it’s a TV show…
Number two, Moose N Us, which we can’t use because it’s dumb…”
“Hey!” Tully protests, laughing.
“Number three, The Windy Shore…which we kinda like…And number four, Wild Haven—that’s my addition…”
“What about Windhaven?” Goldie asks.
“Ooo, that’s a nice one,” Grandma Donna says.
She and Grandma Nancy have been pretty quiet, just enjoying watching their family. It’s sweet. Reminds me of my grandmothers.
“I like that,” Camden says, adding it to the list. “I like that a lot.”
“Me too,” Everett says.
“What about Elm & Echo?” Noah asks.
“That’s actually really nice too,” Goldie says.
I nod. I like that and Windhaven, but I don’t want to sway the votes. It should be their decision.
“Okay, let’s add that one,” Camden says. “Final contenders…”
He erases the other list and makes a new one.
1. The Windy Shore
2. Windhaven
3. Elm & Echo
“Anything else?” he asks.
No one says anything.
“Okay, let’s vote.” Goldie passes out papers. She looks at the screen. “Do you have paper there to write your answers?”
“Yep,” Dylan says.
Noah nods.
We all write our answers, fold them up, and then toss them into a big bowl. Camden shakes them up and reads them off, tallying on the whiteboard as he goes. Then Dylan and Noah read their votes.
“All right. Two for The Windy Shore, six for Windhaven, and two for Elm & Echo,” Camden says. “We have a clear winner.”
“Wait, who voted twice?” Goldie asks.
“I really like Windhaven,” Everett says, chuckling.
Everyone laughs.
“Windhaven, it is.” Camden circles it on the whiteboard. “And I think Elm & Echo could be a high contender for the restaurant.”
“Woohoo! I love it,” Goldie says.
“Good job, guys.” Everett grins at everyone.
“Feels big, naming the place.” Goldie reaches out and takes his hand.
“It is big.” Everett gets a distant look and then shakes his head slightly. “It’s not just about the buildings or the land, you guys. It’s about a legacy. For all of you.”
Both grandmas pull out tissues and blow.
“You want to leave something behind,” Goldie says softly.
He doesn’t deny it.
“Are you scared, Dad?” Goldie goes over and sits at his feet, her head leaning on his knees.
He puts his hand over her hair and nods. “I am, buttercup. But I’m not going anywhere just yet. I’ve got things to see. Buildings to finish. A son-in-law and daughters-in law to meet…” He looks at everyone over his readers and grins. “Grandbabies to enjoy…a puppy to win over.”
For the second time today, I see Goldie cry, but this time she’s smiling through her tears.
“You already won the puppy over.” Goldie smiles up at him.
And God help me, if I’m not careful, this woman could win me over so thoroughly, I wouldn’t even recognize myself—I already don’t.
If I’m not frustrated with her, I’m ready to bend her over the closest surface and show her how good we could be.
Who am I kidding? I want to show her how good we could be all the fucking time.
Before I leave for the night, I touch Goldie’s arm and she pauses in mid-step.
“I’d like to think that we’re becoming friends, Goldie.” I make a face. “Or something…hell, I don’t know what we are. But I don’t want to lose it. I don’t want to lose you.” My laugh is gravelly, and I clear my throat. “I’ll prove to you that I’m different,” I tell her. “You can trust me.”
She doesn’t say anything, but I feel better for saying it anyway. They’re not just empty words. I intend to show her that I mean what I say.