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CHAPTER SIX

HARLOW

“ T ell me everything,” Molly said when I sat next to her on the couch.

I propped my feet on the edge of the table. “I don’t have a clue where to start.”

She pulled a knit blanket over her lap. “You’ve been back in town for three days now, and you still haven’t talked about why you ran out of the church, seconds before you were supposed to walk down the aisle. Why don’t we start there?”

I stared at my wine, swirling it around in my glass. I didn’t want to discuss this, but Molly was my best friend. She was there when I needed her most. I owed her the truth.

“I didn’t love him.”

She rolled her eyes. “Can you at least tell me something I don’t already know?”

My head snapped to hers. “If you knew I didn’t love him, then why did you ask?”

She smiled. “Because I wanted to hear you say it.”

I groaned, letting my head fall back against the cushion. “I thought if I had a long engagement, it would give me time to fall in love.”

When I agreed to the arrangement, the only thing I asked for was time. I told my dad we didn’t want it to look rushed, but the truth was, I needed to get used to the idea. I thought if I dragged my feet long enough, maybe it wouldn’t actually happen. Or at the very least, make it seem less real.

She frowned. “Harlow, that’s not how love works.”

I played with the ends of my hair. “I know that, but I convinced myself that my happiness would come later if I kept playing the role, but deep down, I always knew how wrong it was.”

I only said yes to help my dad secure a government contract. He was counting on me and I thought I could handle it. Senator Zimmerman was looking for a favor and I found myself caught up in something I never wanted.

Baz was involved in a hazing scandal in college that almost cost his father his political career. That was where I came in. I would make him seem more responsible and restore his public image.

The deal benefited everyone but me. And to make matters worse, somewhere between all the planning, I met Brooks. He was someone I never saw coming. And walking away from him was the hardest thing I’d ever done.

She sighed, tucking the blanket around her legs. “I always understood why you went through the engagement. I’m honestly surprised it took you so long to come to your senses.”

I opened my mouth, but the words got stuck in my throat.

I knew what I wanted to say, but it sounded more pathetic when I said it out loud.

No one knew the real reason, not even Molly.

She believed that the arrangement was all about my dad trying to control me, but it was much more complicated than that.

I wanted to tell her, but Brooks could never know the truth, and I would never put her in a position to keep a secret from her husband.

“I kept hoping that it would get better, but the closer I got to the wedding, the more I questioned if I could go through with it.”

She shook her head. “You always felt obligated to do what your father wanted, and he always made sure that you felt that way, too.”

She wasn’t wrong. I’d been told what was best for me since I was a little girl. My dad was a man who thrived on control.

I was raised to be the perfect daughter. The one who would toe the line, make good decisions, and marry well.

And Baz Zimmerman suited the plan perfectly.

Right after my mom passed away, my dad planted the idea in my head that Baz would be perfect for me.

I convinced myself that I could handle it. That Baz was at least tolerable, and eventually, I would grow to love him, but toward the end, I realized I was in over my head.

I swallowed hard, wishing I could take it all back. “I made a mess of everything, and now I don’t know how to fix it.”

Molly’s eyes softened with concern. “I always hoped you would wake up and realize you didn’t owe your dad anything, and you deserved more than what he wanted for you, but I knew you would have to get there on your own.”

I blew out a big puff of air. “I have no idea who I am anymore.”

It felt like all the sacrifices I’ve made over the last five years have been for nothing.

She squeezed my hand. “Then perhaps it’s time you figure that out.”

I gave her a weak smile. “You make it sound easier than it is.”

She was quiet for a minute before she asked, “Do you think you’ll eventually go back to New York?”

“I have no idea.” Just thinking about it stressed me out.

That’s where my home and my job were. I hadn’t let myself think that far ahead.

“You could always stay in Marcellus Falls.”

I blinked, surprised she would even suggest that. “What would I do about work?”

She reached for the wine bottle and poured more into my glass. “The same thing everyone else does. You start by looking for a job.”

She made it seem like it was no big deal.

“Where am I going to find a director of finance job here in Marcellus Falls?”

Her brows lifted. “I’m sure there are opportunities close by.”

“I don’t know,” I mumbled. “Are there any Fortune 500 companies around here that I don’t know about?”

“If there are, I’m sure they will scoop you up in no time.” She smirked.

I closed my eyes and dragged a hand down my face. “Maybe I’ll apply at the hardware store. God knows I’ll be spending enough time there trying to repair the house.”

She sat up and rested her hands on her thighs. “Let me ask you something. If you had the power to do anything, what would it be? What would make you happy?”

That was a good question. I’d spent the last five years structuring my life around schedules and deadlines. It was weird not having an office to go to, meetings to attend, or emails to return. I know that was part of the reason why I came here, to take a break, but now what was I supposed to do?

I spent years chasing a life I was supposed to want: the corner office, the job title, the constant hustle. Now, just thinking about it made me exhausted.

“I have no clue, Molly. I’ve been so focused on doing what was expected of me that I never really considered what I want to do.”

She leaned back and took another sip of her wine. “Okay, then. Let’s start with your hobbies.”

I peered at her over the rim of my glass. “What hobbies?”

She nudged me with her foot. “Come on, Harlow. I’ve known you forever. You weren’t always a corporate robot. What did you love before you started working for your dad?”

I opened my mouth to argue, but she was right. Working long hours and trying to meet deadlines never made me happy. The only time I was happy was when my mom and I would garden together.

I could still picture her in the dirt, with streaks of mud across her cheeks.

She would hum some eighties song while planting wildflowers, and I always admired the simplicity of it, but it didn’t stop there.

She had an eye for design, too. She would help neighbors plant their flower beds.

She had a gift and enjoyed every second of it.

“I forgot how much I loved gardening,” I said, surprising myself.

She smiled. “Maybe that’s your answer.”

I scoffed while staring down at my perfectly manicured nails. “It’s a hobby, not a job.”

It was something I did for fun. It wasn’t a business.

“Says who? Lots of people turn hobbies into careers. You don’t have to get down and plant your hands in soil all day long. You could design open spaces. You have enough passion and skills to start a small business.”

I shook my head, feeling a tiny flicker of hope. She made it sound doable, but I wasn’t convinced. “My options here would be very limited. I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”

“Well, lucky for you, you have an entire town full of overgrown yards that could use a little love. I’m sure Finn could help you get started.”

I snorted. “He would probably kill me with a shovel.”

She laughed. “I’m serious, Harlow. Think about it. If I can pull off juggling law school with a baby, you can figure out a way to make it happen.”

I never considered creating something from the ground up, but now that she’d put that idea in my head, I didn’t see it going away anytime soon.

“I guess I could give it some thought.”

After all, I had nothing but time on my hands.