Chapter 20

20

MARIGOLD

T he last few weeks had been busy but painful. I hadn't heard from Chance since the night I talked to my parents. When I woke up, he was gone. I thought for sure he'd stay to make sure I was okay, but he hadn't. Then I thought he'd call, but he didn't. Every day that went by, I lost a little more hope.

Chance could have been called into work for some emergency, but when I didn't hear from him after that, I knew it was intentional. When he didn't stop by the theater, I suspected he was avoiding me, and it sucked.

There had been persistent pain in my chest ever since. I wished Chance had told me instead of making me figure it out.

Instead, I focused on the play, spending most evenings with Scarlett rehearsing. It meant a lot to me because I created the story with the idea that it would be acted out. It felt a little like birthing a baby. I couldn't have been prouder, but I was nervous we wouldn't pull off a good performance in time.

Eli had gotten so much interest in tickets we'd committed to three performances, one on Friday night and two on Saturday.

On the night of the first performance, I arrived at the theater after work, knowing I'd be running the rest of the night. I immediately jumped into the fray, helping kids with their costumes, hair, and makeup.

The set was on stage, and the holiday decorations hung on every available surface. The kids were excited because Christmas was only a week away.

As the theater filled, I couldn't quash the hope that Chance would appear, that he'd want to support me after all.

I hovered by the curtain on the stage, watching people file in, chattering excitedly about the set you could see from the seats, the tree, and the fireplace.

The theater itself was decorated for Christmas with multiple trees in the lobby and wreaths on the doors to the auditorium. We'd used real trees, so the smell of evergreens permeated the space.

Scarlett appeared at my side. "How does it look?"

"It's filling up."

Scarlett wrung her hands. "Eli said we're sold out."

I glanced over at her. "That's amazing."

Her face screwed up. "And terrifying. What if we mess something up?"

"I'm sure something will go wrong. A kid will forget a line or bungle a costume change, but we're going to be fine."

Scarlett let out a breath. "I hope you're right."

I peeked out through the curtain again. I told myself I wasn't looking for a certain sheriff in the crowd.

"How you've been with your parents selling the house?"

I sighed, drawing back from the curtain. "I was upset at first, but I'm okay now. They hired a Realtor and are handling everything from Arizona."

Scarlett frowned. "Then what's been the problem? You've been down lately."

I'd hoped she hadn't noticed that. "I was seeing someone, and I thought it could be more, but I was wrong."

Scarlett's eyes widened. "Someone from the dating app?"

I shook my head. "Someone in town."

Her brow furrowed. "You're dating someone in town, and I didn't know about it?"

My stomach rolled. "It didn't last long, and he wanted to keep it a secret."

Scarlett shook her head. "I'm kind of in shock. I never would have expected you to be involved in something like that."

"I didn't want a fling, and I wouldn't have started anything if I didn't sense there could be more. But the signs were all there. I should have known that wasn't what he wanted."

"Are you going to tell me who it was?"

I hesitated, not sure this was the time or place. "I don't want you to get upset. It's opening night."

"I'll be okay. Tell me." Scarlett clutched my arm.

I pursed my lips. "I don't want you to get upset."

"Why would I get upset?"

I met her gaze, and I saw the moment she realized the truth. "No." She drew out the word. "You and my brother."

Her voice was soft so I wasn't worried anyone would hear her.

I nodded. "I'm sorry. I should have told you."

Her forehead wrinkled. "I can see why you wouldn't. It wasn't like I told Chance right away that I was dating his best friend."

"You're not mad?" I asked, my heart thumping wildly. The last thing I wanted to do was lose my best friend.

Scarlett let out a breath. "I always guessed there was something there. Are you okay?"

I drew in a shaky breath. "I will be."

"Oh, honey. I'm sorry." She drew me in for a hug, then said, "Chance doesn't want a relationship."

Tears stung my eyes as she pulled away. "I knew that. He never lied to me. I just thought he'd change his mind or see how incredible we could be."

She drew back. "I can't believe he did this to you."

I held up a hand. "I don't want you to confront him. He didn't want me talking to you about it. But I couldn't pretend that nothing was wrong. Or lie to you that I was never involved with your brother. It didn't feel right."

She met my gaze. "I'm glad you told me. How did you leave things?"

"We haven't talked in a couple of weeks. He probably got busy with work and just never got around to breaking things off."

Scarlett drew in a sharp breath. "You're kidding?"

"It sucked. But we knew this was going to happen. He was always honest with me about what he wanted." It didn't make it hurt any less. I touched her arm. "Please, let it go. It was nothing."

Her expression was pained. "But he hurt you."

"I want to process this in my own way without any interference," I said firmly.

Scarlett searched my face, then finally nodded. "I can give you that."

"Thank you," I said as Eli headed toward us.

He stopped in front of us with a grin on his face. "You two ready to put on a show?"

"Absolutely," I said, hoping that Scarlett didn't let on that I'd told her anything significant. It wasn't the best timing, but she'd asked what was going on and I couldn't lie to her. Not anymore.

"I'm going to tell the kids we have two minutes." Eli disappeared, and Scarlett turned to face me, holding my shoulders. "Are you going to be okay?"

I smiled. "I always am."

"If you need me, I'm here for you."

I blinked away the tears. At least I had my best friend. She hugged me once more. Then she went onstage to talk to the audience and introduce the play. I stayed off stage so I could direct kids and help with any emergencies.

I was tense, but I was able to enjoy the play as it unfolded. The crowd loved the traps, laughing when they didn't work. It was exactly how I hoped it would be.

The kids did a great job, and only one kid forgot a line. We were developing these kids' acting skills and, hopefully, teaching them resilience.

Afterward, I watched as everyone went onto the stage and took their bows. Eli and Scarlett went last since they performed as the parents and in charge of everything. The crowd stood and clapped.

I hadn't seen Chance in the crowd. He was still avoiding me. I didn't want him to ignore Scarlett just because I was always around.

It was ridiculous to make things awkward with his family. We had to hang out together. Surely, we could move on and be adults about it.

It might take longer for the pain in my chest to dissipate, but I'd be okay. Eventually.

I loitered backstage while everyone else got changed and headed to the lobby to greet their family members. But there was no one waiting for me.

The ache in my chest only grew bigger. My parents couldn't see how amazing I was and neither could Chance apparently. But that didn't mean that I was defective. I just hadn't met the right person yet.

Scarlett came rushing up to me. "There you are. This lady was looking for you." She moved to reveal a woman behind her. "This is Blaire. She's the music teacher at the elementary school."

Blaire stepped forward to shake my hand. "It's so nice to meet you. I saw your email, and the play you attached."

I'd almost forgotten about that. "Oh."

"I wanted to come see your play tonight, and I was impressed. Scarlett said you wrote this recently."

"That's right. But I have more plays in the vault."

"I'd love to consider one of your plays for our production. Is it possible to set up a meeting so we can discuss the details?"

"Of course." I tried to remain calm, but inside I was screaming.

"We have a budget allocated for the play. The new principal wants to place more emphasis on the drama club."

"I'm excited to work with you and the school."

"Great. Here's my number." She handed me a card with her information. "It was nice meeting you, Marigold."

"Nice meeting you too."

When she walked away, Scarlett squeezed my arm and squealed. "Can you believe it?"

"It doesn't feel real."

"I might have mentioned the we've been using your plays here, and you deserve to be compensated for your work."

I frowned. "But it's for a school."

"You heard the woman. They have a budget for this." She pulled out an envelope. "Here's your cut of the ticket sales."

I didn't take it. "Scarlett. We never discussed you paying me."

Scarlett shoved the envelope into my hand. "You wrote a play, and you worked every day here helping us. You deserve to be compensated for your work."

"You know that's not why I did this." I held it to my chest.

"I know. You're the best friend a girl could have. But you deserve this."

I hugged her, blinking away tears. It seemed that was all I did lately.

When Scarlett drew back, she said, "We're going to close up because we need to be here tomorrow."

"I'll help you." It didn't take much time to clear out the lobby and shut down for the night. We left everything as is, since we still had two more performances.

When we walked outside, snow was falling.

"Will you be okay getting home?" Scarlett asked.

"Of course." I watched them get into Eli's SUV and pull away. I didn't feel upset about their relationship anymore. I appreciated that she'd found the one for her, knowing I'd get the same one day.

I headed to my SUV, still expecting to see Chance. I couldn't believe he hadn't come to support his sister. Knowing him, he probably stopped by for a few minutes, then returned to work.

I got in my vehicle and headed home, driving a little slower than usual. The roads seemed to be slick. The light ahead of me turned green and just as I was proceeding into the intersection, I was jolted sharply to the side, the air bags deploying as I held tightly to the wheel. I couldn't stop the spinning. It seemed like it took forever for my vehicle to finally come to a stop. I couldn't tell which direction I was facing or if I was in the way of oncoming traffic.

I catalogued my injuries. Pain in my head and my neck.

Someone rapped on my window, then wrenched the door open when I didn't answer. "Are you okay?"

I licked my dry lips, still disoriented. "I think so."

The man held up his phone. "I called the police. I saw the other vehicle ran a red light."

"Are they okay?" I asked as he helped me unbuckle and step out of the vehicle. I held my arms, the cold air making me shiver.

"I'm heading there next. Wanted to make sure you were okay first."

I waved him off. "Go. I'm fine."

I moved on shaky legs to the curb and sank to sit. I couldn't stop the trembling. A few seconds later, there were sirens. An ambulance and fire truck pulled up.

A paramedic stopped in front of me. "Are you okay, ma'am?"

I nodded. "I'm fine. You should check with the other driver."

"My coworker is already with him."

"Oh, good." He dropped to his knees next to me. "Where are you hurt?"

"I think it's mainly my neck and back. I struck my head." I must have tensed when the vehicle was spinning.

He checked my vitals, then my body for any injuries. "Did you want to go to the hospital to get checked out? It looks like mainly whiplash to me. You'll be in pain for a few days."

"I don't think that's necessary."

"You need a ride home?" he asked just as a tow truck pulled up. The entire side of my car was pushed in, and I wasn't sure it was drivable.

"I can call someone—" I said just as a man said, "I've got her."

Chance dropped to his knees in front of me. He was in uniform, and his hair was messy like he'd been running his fingers through it all day. His hands settled on my knees. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." My heart was thumping harder now that he was here.

Chance looked over his shoulder. "They're towing your vehicle."

"I don't want to go to the hospital."

His forehead wrinkled. "Let me take you home."

I didn't have anyone else to drive me, and I didn't want to call Scarlett or Eli to come back in this weather. "Yeah, okay."

Chance helped me stand, wrapping an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his side. It felt nice, even though he was just being friendly. He wasn't declaring me to be his in front of everyone. Not when he'd ghosted me for the last couple of weeks.

He opened the passenger door to his vehicle and an officer appeared at his side. "You taking her home?"

"Her name is Marigold, and she's my girl." Then his gaze flicked to me. "If she'll still have me."

I didn't hear the rest of the exchange because there was a roaring in my ears.

"You don't have to answer that. Not right now." Then he ushered me into the vehicle, carefully buckled my seat belt, and closed the door. I watched as he crossed the hood and got into the driver's side of the car. He turned on the heat, directing the vents toward me.

Chance looked at me. "Where do you want to go?"

"Home. Oakley's there."

"Any chance you'll let me take you to my place? I have something I want to show you."

"I guess." I was a little confused because he'd told his officer I was his girl. I wanted to ask what was going on, but I didn't.

At my house, he held his hand out for my keys and went inside. He came out with Oakley and some of his things, a bed, and food.

"I don't know where you live," I said as he pulled onto the street again.

Chance flashed me a smile. "I wanted to show it to you."

Was this some belated chance to prove to me that he wasn't keeping me out of the most important part his life? It felt a little late.

I experienced a mix of emotions. Leftover adrenaline from the accident, pain from the way he'd ignored me the last couple of weeks, and elation that he was here now. I intended to maintain a neutral position. I wasn't sure what this was about and until I did, I'd be cautious.

He pulled into a tree-lined driveway.

"You put lights on your trees?" White lights wrapped around the base of each one, creating a warm, welcoming effect.

"I did it recently." He glanced over at me.

"Mmm," I said, unable to bring myself to draw any conclusions about this new development. The Chance I knew didn't have time for decorating or even spending much time at his house. He was too busy being everything the town needed him to be to do anything for himself.

He parked in front of the house, not bothering to pull into the garage. The traditional-looking house was decorated with white lights, and a tree stood prominently in the window.

"When did you have time to do this?"

"I spent a lot of time during the last couple of weeks thinking."

"About?" I asked, still dubious that reconsidering our relationship was a good idea.

"What I want out of life."

"Oh?" I wasn't going to make this easy for him.

Chance nodded grimly. "Let's go inside. You must be in pain."

That concern melted my heart. Chance had always been a good guy. The only negative was that he didn't think he could have me.

I got out while he let Oakley out and grabbed his things. Oakley was pulling on the leash, wanting to smell the new scents.

"I don't have a fence. I'll need to get one."

I frowned. Why would that be necessary? We weren't dating.

He unlocked the door, pushing it open so I could precede them inside. The floors were a dark wood. There was a staircase in front of me to the second floor, a living room to the right, and a family room to the left. He led me down the hallway toward the kitchen.

The kitchen was large with gray cabinets and white countertops. It was a beautiful space that looked rarely used. There was even a centerpiece on the counter filled with white and gold ornaments.

"What am I doing here, Chance?" I forced myself to sound cold and distant.

"Let me draw you a bath." He didn't wait for an answer, just unclipped Oakley and led the way up the stairs to the master bedroom at the end of the hall. He immediately walked into the en suite bathroom and turned on the water.

The room was huge with double sinks, a large shower with multiple shower heads, and a free-standing tub.

He sprinkled bubble bath into the tub. "Why don't you get in? I'll grab some water and pain medicine."

When he walked out of the room, I undressed and sank into the warm water. I didn't have a tub like this in my place. I closed my eyes and let myself sink deeper into the water, allowing the water to soothe my aching muscles.

By the time he returned with a glass of water and two pills, I was relaxed, the stress of the accident melting away.

I took the glass from him and swallowed the pills, knowing I'd want to fall asleep when I got out.

Chance crouched down on the side of the tub, kneeling on the fluffy white rug. "I'm sorry I disappeared. I liked being there for you, but it scared me because I knew I couldn't give you what you needed. A man you can count on. My job and responsibilities always come first."

"Chance, you don't have to explain. You were honest about what you wanted. I shouldn't have been surprised that we were over."

He winced. "I thought I'd take the time to think about what I wanted, but instead I buried myself in work and pushed it to the back of my mind."

It hurt to hear him say that out loud, even though I'd suspected that's what happened.

"I talked to Eli?—"

My gaze flew to his strained face. "You talked to Eli about us?"

He nodded.

"But Scarlett never said anything."

"I swore him to secrecy. I had a plan to show you how much you meant to me but it went a little off the tracks when you got into that accident. I couldn't wait any longer to show you what you mean to me."