Read, Write, Love at Seaside(82)

“I love you. We’ll make it work.” The sounds of laughter carried in the air. Laughter. He felt like his life was crashing down around him, and he couldn’t lean on anyone for support. He wouldn’t ruin their good time with his troubles. And there was no way he’d let Leanna feel bad at a time when she should be over the moon about her new endeavor. Weekends. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. He could write without interruption during the week and make the best of his time with Leanna. He tried to convince himself that this was okay, that he could live with it.

“I don’t want you to worry. Just…celebrate. This is your time, Leanna. Go out with the girls and know we’ll be just fine. I’m not going anywhere.” Except, apparently, to Cape Cod every weekend. Kurt began calculating drive times, flight times, and how much time they’d actually have together each weekend.

Not nearly enough.

It would never be enough.





Chapter Thirty





LEANNA DIDN’T GO out with the girls Friday night. She was too conflicted to celebrate. Instead they all went to Bella’s cottage, ate too much pizza, finished the bouquet of fruit Kurt had sent, and watched Say Anything. She made the girls promise not to talk about Kurt or Daisy Chain so she could try to enjoy the movie. It didn’t work. Even without mention of him, she’d thought about Kurt all evening. He had called again before she went to sleep, and he’d reiterated that they could make their relationship work, even if long distance. She thought she’d detected a hint of sadness in his voice that he was working hard to mask, but she tried to push the thought away and convince herself they really could make a long-distance relationship work. But she already missed him so darn much after two days that she had no idea how she’d get along seeing him only on weekends.

He’d called again this morning and reassured her that they’d be just fine. He’d sounded surer, and she’d clung to his confidence like a security blanket as the day dragged on. The flea market was crowded, hot, and humid. Carey hadn’t shown up, and without him to talk with, the afternoon seemed to last forever. By three thirty she was too distracted to concentrate, so she packed up her booth early and went home. She knew Kurt had plans with his family, and he was going to call her when he was settled back at Treat’s for the evening, so she checked her email before going to help her friends pack.

The contract from Daisy Chain was waiting in her in-box. Her pulse kicked up as she read it, and her stomach clenched. The contract could not have brought on more bittersweet emotions. She still had a few days to make a final decision.

Leanna spent the rest of the evening helping Bella and Jenna close their cottages for the season, hoping to distract herself.

Bella came out of the bedroom in her T-shirt and shorts and wiped her face with her forearm. “Well, ladies, I think that about wraps it up. I can’t believe another summer’s over.”

Jenna rebuttoned the buttons on her shirt that had come undone while she was scrubbing the bathroom, and one of the buttons popped right off and shot across the room.

Bella, Amy, and Leanna burst into fits of laughter.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have had that pizza last night.” Jenna stifled a laugh as she pushed her boobs together.

“I can’t…I can’t believe it flew off.” Leanna covered her mouth, trying to regain control.

“I can!” Amy stood beside Jenna and arched her chest forward. They looked like a short-haired Sofía Vergara and Kate Hudson. Jenna swatted her.

“I can’t help it if I was born with a killer body.” Jenna wiggled her shoulders.

“Killer is right. You could knock someone out with those babies.” Bella flopped onto the couch. “So what now? Amy’s all packed. We’re all boxed and ready to go. Except Leanna, of course, who has the luxury of living on the Cape—which makes me incredibly jealous.”

“Don’t be. Without you guys or Kurt, it’s just me and Pepper, and as much as I love being with Pep…” She flopped onto the couch beside Bella and leaned her head on her shoulder. “I’m removing the ban on Kurt talk. I need to know. Am I making a huge mistake?”

“By building your dream job?” Bella asked.

“By not moving to New York with Kurt.”

“Hey, if he loves you, he’ll make it work. You can’t change your life for a man. That’s so…1950s.” Bella patted Leanna’s thigh. “I love Kurt, but I love you more. You’ve spent your whole life bouncing from thing to thing. Now you have something you love. It’s time to allow yourself to do it.”