Yours Completely(64)

“Mom was beside herself when she saw the two of you at the wedding. I've never seen her so angry.” Allison shook her head. “I'm sorry, Ella. You don't deserve this. You deserve him and the way he looks at you. Not this.”

“It's not your fault,” Ella told her. She wrapped her arms around her, holding herself together. “I heard he helped you out.”

“Yeah, he did.” Allison smiled and shrugged. “Unfortunately, Mom figured it out. Now she's pissed at all three of us.”

“And I'm her favorite whipping post. Awesome.” Ella ran her fingers through her hair. In addition to losing Jace, Delores was going to make sure her life was miserable. A shaky sigh escaped her chest. “What am I going to do?”

“Go get him,” Allison replied. She pulled a roll of bills from her back pocket and placed them in Ella's hand. “Get out of here and go find him.”

Ella looked at the money. She wasn't sure she could accept it, and worse than that, she couldn't leave the property without jeopardizing her inheritance. “But the inn...”

“The inn will survive without you. And if it doesn't, then maybe Mom will finally get her head out of her ass.” Allison closed Ella's fingers around the money. “You have to have some days off saved up.”

“I don't get days off,” Ella reminded her. “You know that.”

“That's not terribly legal,” Allison mused. “I doubt anyone would dispute that after five years of nonstop work you don't deserve a week or two off.”

“I don't know...” The thought of losing the inn was terrifying. It was all Ella had thought of for the past five years. It was her life.

“Go. I'll handle things here,” Allison promised. “It will work out. Promise.”

“What about you?”

Allison shrugged. “I've got backup plans. This was never my idea of a future. I haven't told anyone, but I applied to law school. I start in the fall.”

“Congratulations!” Ella exclaimed, hugging her stepsister. “You're going to be a great lawyer.”

“Thanks.” Allison blushed slightly and pulled back. This was more conversation and physical touch than the two had ever shared. “Now, you need to go.”

Ella stared at the money in her hand. Something inside of her finally snapped. How many years had she spent trying to fix the inn, only to have Delores push her aside? How many hours had she spent planning and dreaming, only to be told no? To be threatened? The inn was just property and a building. Six more months without Jace wasn't worth it. Her dreams were about what she could do with the inn, not the inn itself. She wanted Jace more than the inn.

“Yes,” Ella said slowly, her grip tightening around the cash. “You're right.”

“I usually am,” Allison informed her with a smug grin.

Ella hugged her stepsister again, squeezing her tight with a sisterly affection she wished they could have had years to share instead of minutes. “Thank you.”

“Don't thank me,” Allison replied, squeezing her just as tightly back. “Just invite me to the wedding.”





Chapter Twenty-Nine


Jace stared at the log-on screen to his laptop for the third time. Outside, the clouds hummed past the streamlined jet, but inside, he was stuck. He'd opened and shut his computer at least three times. Each time he tried to get work done, Ella's face would pop into his head and he'd lose his concentration.

His phone burned as if on fire. He'd already read the messages four times, in between each open and closing of his laptop. Something about it bothered him. It wasn't right. The words sounded enough like Ella, but she would have told him in person. She never would have missed saying goodbye.

This wasn't how things were supposed to happen. This wasn't how the story was supposed to play out and Jace knew it.

He was wrong to have left without looking for her further. He should know better than to follow in his father's bitter footsteps.

Jace needed to see her. He needed a real goodbye, and if she really did want to push him away, then... well, he could deal with it. But he needed to see her. He needed more than just a letter. He deserved more than just a letter.

“Captain,” Jace called out, standing up from his seat and heading to the cockpit. “Turn the plane around. We're going back.”



Ella threw her entire underwear drawer into the ratty suitcase that had been left in the lost and found. Luckily, she didn't have much to pack. Working at the inn day-in and day-out had given her a very small wardrobe. Since she wasn't bringing her work uniform, everything would fit in the small bag just fine.

Allison had already looked up the bus schedule for her. There was a bus heading to New York City leaving in two hours with her name on it. She wasn't sure exactly how to get to Jace's offices, let alone convince the staff to let her see him, but she had to try. She thought about calling him, but he was most likely on a plane thinking she hated him. She knew people turned their phones off on planes, and even though it was most likely a private jet, he still probably had his off. If he would even take her call.