Page 94 of Dandelion Sighs

“Give up?”

“Ding, ding, ding. He didn’t berate himself for his businesses not succeeding. He kept going.”

“So did I.” Sort of. I faced a lot of small obstacles until I ran into a wall.

“You hemmed and hawed. Own it. Man up.”

A laugh sputtered out of me. “Man up?”

“Will did not think he failed because he’s a failure. He knew he was a winner, so he went out there and did the damn thing. Now he has three agents working for him and an admin guy who makes the best cookies.”

I wanted to argue that Will had more support, but I had no idea if that was true.

“Just…cut yourself some slack, Sheridan. Okay?”

“Okay.” I could do at least that. Look at my history through the eyes of someone like my friend’s husband. Or even my brothers. Were they hard on themselves when they fucked up? Was my dad when he sold everything, including the house I’d grown up in, to build the restaurant onto the resort? Would my mom have left this place to me if she thought I’d make the wrong decision, no matter what it was?

Did I face that wall again?

More importantly, who was going to climb it with me?

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Jasper

Alder checked his watch, half twisting like he didn’t want me to see.

“Five minutes.” I didn’t have to see the time to know. Each minute ticked by excruciatingly slowly.

We were standing in front of the stone building in downtown Crocus Valley. The courthouse. Yesterday, I had made an appointment, and I had asked Violet and Alder to be here as witnesses—just in case.

“You think she’s coming?” Alder asked.

I shrugged, hating that I didn’t know. I’d given her all the space. I hadn’t called. I hadn’t texted. And as antsy as it had made me, I hadn’t shown up for work yesterday. Neither had I gone in today, but hopefully that would be different tomorrow. Hopefully, I’d wake up a married man. Drive with my wife to the resort where we both worked. Brainstorm plans to create water access. Come up with ideas to increase reservations through the winter.

Yet she hadn’t called or texted. I knew my reasons; what were hers?

“I bet she’s coming.” Violet didn’t resonate with the confidence I wanted to hear. Was she trying to convince herself along with me?

We’d know soon enough.

The street was quiet. The thumps of a garbage truck down the street filled the air.

I paced up and down the short sidewalk lining the parking lot. “Dammit, Alder. How much time do we have?”

He cocked a brow at me but checked his watch. “Three minutes.”

He’d worn jeans. Must’ve taken the day off. I should thank him. If he’d shown up in his suit like he was on a break at work and ready to go back as soon as she was a no-show, I might be crawling out of my skin by now.

Violet was on her work break, but she wore regular clothing to work at the refinery lab anyway. I’d pretend she’d taken the whole day to celebrate my wedding.

I trekked back and forth some more. Sheridan wasn’t coming. It’d taken everything in me not to call REG myself and ask if Sheridan had contacted them yesterday. It’d be unprofessional, but if she hadn’t, they might reach out instead.

“Nine o’clock,” Violet said softly.

My boots scraped to a stop on the concrete. My throat burned, matching the searing pain in my chest. “She’s not coming.”

I dropped my chin to my chest and embraced the hurt.