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“Why haven’t you quit yet?”

“I––I’m not sure what you mean.”

“You think Darlene hasn’t told me about your job offer?”

Shit.

Of course she has. They’re friends, after all.

“I’m sorry.” I wipe my hands on a napkin. “I needed some time to think about it. I haven’t accepted the offer yet or anything.”

“Why not?”

“It’s a hard decision. I don’t want to disappoint you, and I’m not even sure the job is right for me.” I’m lying and he knows it.

He lifts his eyebrows. “You don’t know if you’d like event planning?”

“No, I think I’d really like it. I know I like it, but …”

“But what?”

But I’ve been so numb from sadness that the effort it requires to make a decision has been too much.

“I’m scared. What if I’m not good at it?”

“Robin,” he says, laughing. “They wouldn’t have offered it to you if they didn’t think you were good at it. Darlene sent them everything––all the plans, invoices, cost estimates, and whatever else you did.”

“Wait, she did? I thought Megan just saw the funeral and liked it. But I also had a lot of help from Hayden. I didn’t do it all by myself.”

“And you wouldn’t do it all by yourself at your new job either.”

He has a point. I’m stressing as if I was asked to lead the company. I was offered an assistant position, for God’s sake.

“And you wouldn’t be upset if I quit?”

“Of course not,” he says, frowning. “Don’t get me wrong, I’ll miss you. You’re a pleasure to be around. But I know this job isn’t you. I want you to do what makes you happy.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “You’re sure you’re not trying to get rid of me?”

“I’m sure.” He takes another taco. “You better come say hi from time to time.”

“I’ll bring an abundance of food when I do.”

“Promise me you’ll make the call and take the job?”

“I will.”

I don’t know why I was worried about his reaction. Of course he’s supportive. I’ve known that Tom wants nothing but the best for me ever since I’ve met him. Two years ago, that meant getting a job here so I could settle into my life in Cottondale. And now it means moving on. A devastating thought forces its way into my brain.

What if I need to move on from Hayden too?

Hayden’s face flashes before me, and with it comes a heavy weight in my chest. I’ve just taken a big step into a new chapter of my life, one that he won’t be a part of.

Hayden: Any updates on the new job?

Me: yes. accepted the offer yesterday.

Hayden: THAT’S MY GIRL!