All the Wright Moves, page 19
I nodded. “Seemed unlikely to happen when I hadn’t been in the industry for longer, but I got lucky when we were in New York. I would be an idiot to turn this down.”
“Be happy for her!” Piper said, smacking Hollin on the arm.
He laughed and rose to his feet. He pulled me into a hug. “I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks. So, we’ll need to bring on another planner. I can shift a lot to Tessi, but I was doing the work of three people—”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Hollin said. He held his hand up. “No.”
“No, what?”
He took my two-week notice in his hands and tore it in half. My eyes widened, and I gaped at my older brother.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Hollin!” Piper said.
“You don’t have to quit. The office is still yours. You can do as much or as little as you want here. Hell, make your celebrity dreams come true and use the office as headquarters. We have plenty of space.”
“What? Seriously?”
“Of course. You’re my sister. You can give all the weddings up if you want. We’ll hire someone else. We’ll bring Tessi up to speed. Whatever you want, but I won’t accept this.” He held the torn paper back to me.
I looked at him in shock, and Piper just shook her head.
“You could have warned her,” Piper said with a sigh. She came to her feet and drew me into a hug. “I’m so happy for you, whether you stay in Lubbock and have your base of operations here or move to New York or whatever you do. Proud of you.”
“Me too,” Hollin said.
Tears came to my eyes, and finally, they were happy tears. No more crying over boys. No more crying for broken hearts. I didn’t know what was in store for me, but at least I was moving in the direction of my dream job. It was worth it, even with only one big wedding booked, to see what I could do out there. To see how far I could take it. Because I had big dreams, too, and there was a whole wide world out there to make them come true.
“Okay, should I walk you through it one more time?” I asked.
Tessi looked up at me with a blank expression on her face.
“What?” I asked with a laugh. “It’s not as bad as it seems.”
“I went from ten weddings this summer to eighteen, Nora. It’s terrifying.”
“You’re not going to do them all on your own. We’re bringing someone else on full-time to handle the bulk of the work. She’ll take the twelve other weddings that I had on my docket and assist you with the eight larger weddings.”
“Right. Right,” Tessi said with wide eyes.
“I’m still going to be here,” I reminded her. “I have six weddings on my plate.”
Just not the twenty-six weddings I’d had on my plate from now until October. Which was absurd anyway now that I looked at it. But it had been my job, and I was the best at it.
“I know,” she said on a long exhale. “And I’m happy for you. You deserve it. Just nervous. I was only brought on full-time last month.”
“You can do this. I’m always a phone call away, Tes.”
I wasn’t sure that I’d helped her anxiety about what was happening, but I couldn’t fix it all either. I’d stay on for the bigger ones that Tessi needed help with. Lubbock was still home, and it was my brother’s winery after all. But I was excited to head to New York and work on bigger and bolder weddings. Making all my dreams come true.
“I’m glad you’re not leaving full-time. Because I am not you, Nora Abbey,” Tessi said with a laugh.
“You’re not me. But you’re Tessi, and you’re going to do magical things. I believe in you.”
Tessi beamed. “Thanks.”
A knock sounded at my door, and I looked up to find Hollin standing in the doorway. “Hey, can I borrow you a minute?”
“Sure.” I handed Tessi another file. “Look over all this and let me know if you have any questions.”
I strode out of the office and followed Hollin through the cellars.
“What’s going on? Not reconsidering taking my two-week notice, are you?”
Hollin rolled his eyes. “Definitely not. You’re staying as long as you want. If you become big and famous like Campbell, then we’ll talk about it again.”
I snorted. “No one is as famous as Campbell.”
“Good. Then, it’s settled.”
I rolled my eyes. Typical.
We headed up from the cellars toward the barn. It was a beautiful May afternoon. Not a cloud in the sky. Hardly even any wind, and in Lubbock, that was a feat. It made me want to ride with the windows down and the music blasting. It made me want to live again.
Except none of it was the same since West had left. I was trying to be myself again. It had only been about three weeks. So, I gave myself grace to feel sad. The new job had definitely helped. But it didn’t make it all go away. Living without him was harder than it ever should have been.
I still hadn’t figured out what to do about the plants. I didn’t have my own place, and so I’d gone over every few days to water. Only bringing over the most delicate plants to my dad’s house. He’d side-eyed me but let it go. Hollin must have spoken to him because he’d given me my space since then.
Mostly, I just missed West.
I missed having him to come home to every day.
I missed his laugh and the little face he’d made when I was being ridiculous and the way he’d insisted on driving me around.
I missed his hands.
It was crazy to miss someone’s hands. But his were perfect. Callous from playing instruments his whole life. Big and strong and careful and caring and adoring.
I sighed as we neared the barn. The world might keep turning, but I was stuck in the past.
“Nora?” Hollin asked.
“Yeah? Sorry. I zoned out.”
“It’s fine. What were you thinking about?”
My cheeks colored. “Nothing. What were you saying?”
“You know I love you, right?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Yeah. What’s going on? Are you up to something?”
He snorted. “So much for me trying to be nice.”
“We’re siblings. Nice isn’t the first word I’d use to describe our affection.”
“I wasn’t being an asshole. Just go inside.”
“Why?”
He shook his head and walked away.
“Hollin?” I called after him.
But he didn’t turn around. I took one step after him but stopped when I heard music coming from inside the barn.
My stomach dropped, and a hand went to my heart. I turned slowly back to face the barn door. I knew that song. I’d heard it in my house as Weston’s fingers moved effortlessly across the keys. I knew it as my own.
But it wasn’t possible.
With a gulp, I pulled open the door and stepped inside.
Weston was sitting in front of a piano on the Wright Vineyard stage, singing my song.
31
Nora
My hands went to my face as tears came to my eyes.
The tears I’d sworn I’d never cry again.
But that all went out the window with what was in front of me. Weston was here. He was in Lubbock, at the winery, on the stage…for me.
His fingers coaxed the piano to life. His vocals came out almost haunted through the microphone. And the melody that had lulled me into love with him wrapped itself around me.
And the rest of the band was there. Santi tapping out a soft drumbeat. Viv adding a low bass beat. Yorke strumming a refrain on his guitar. And my brother, the lead singer and bona fide rockstar, stood in the back with a guitar strapped to him as he sang backup. Actual backup to West’s vocals.
He winked at me when I caught his eye. Had West told him? Had he found out? What was he even doing here if he knew? Shouldn’t he be furious? I couldn’t comprehend how this had all come to be.
But I could focus on nothing as I stood frozen, listening to West sing about me. I’d never had a song written about me. Definitely not one performed by Cosmere of all things. There was no way this was happening.
Then, just as it had started, the song ended.
And West met my gaze. Regret in every bit of those big blue eyes. He smiled at me. Everything I’d gone through these weeks without him. All the pain I’d endured in his absence. One song couldn’t possibly fix it all. And yet something cracked inside of me, and the tears spilled down my cheeks. This was what I’d wanted. It was all I’d wanted.
The rest of the band filed backstage, and Campbell hopped off to meet me. He wrapped his arms around me tight, whispering in my ear, “Just hear him out, shrimp.”
I laughed hoarsely. “I thought you’d hate him for this.”
“I only ever want the best for you. If he’s it, then that’s what I want. I’m sorry for ever making you think otherwise.”
He kissed my forehead, ruffled my hair—to my dismay—and then followed the rest of the band out of the barn, leaving West and me all alone.
He stood from the piano and dropped down off the stage. “Hey.”
“Hey?” I asked through my tears. “Weeks of radio silence, and now, you say hey?”
“I missed you,” he said, walking carefully toward me.
“You can’t miss me.”
“I did. Every minute.”
“Why are you here? How did you convince Campbell not to kill you?”
“Apparently, he already knew.”
I sputtered, “What?”
That didn’t make any sense. Not a single ounce of sense. Campbell had made West worry that he wouldn’t even be accepted into the band. How had he known and just let it pass?
“I was as surprised as you are.”
“Oh, I doubt that,” I told him. As happy as I was to see him, I didn’t forget the last three weeks of misery that easily.
“I deserve all of your wrath. I do. I can completely understand how you’d be furious with me.”
“Good. Because I am.”
“But I’ve been miserable without you, too.”
“Good.”
He laughed and nodded. “I deserve that. I earned it in fact. I pushed you away and made you think that what I felt, what we both felt, wasn’t important. And for that, I’ll never forgive myself. I spent the last three weeks in LA, where I was supposed to be living my best life, wanting nothing more than to have you there with me.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. I wanted so much to give in to him, but I needed more than an I’m sorry. More than an I deserve that. It wasn’t enough.
“I tried to be happy in LA without you, Snickers, but it wasn’t possible. I don’t want this life if I can’t share it with you.”
“You’re the one who picked this,” I said, my voice cracking.
“I know. And I was wrong. And I’m trying to do everything I can to fix this. I invited Campbell to the studio, and I played him your melody. I told him about us. He laughed and told me he already knew because he wasn’t an idiot.”
I laughed softly. “That sounds like him.”
“He said that when he found out, Blaire came with him to confront us. She said that if he respected me as much as he did, then he should be happy that we were together. Not try to tear us apart. He wasn’t planning to listen to her, but you know what changed his mind?”
I shook my head. “What?”
“You did.”
I blinked. “Come again?”
“He saw how happy you were. The happiest he’d ever seen you was when you were with me. And he wanted that for you. He wants you to be as happy as you were when he saw you with me.”
I sniffled at that. “I was happy.”
“And I ruined it.”
“Yeah, you did.”
He took another step forward until we were nearly touching. “I hate what I did. I was seeing things in only one way. I couldn’t find a way to make this work.”
“So, how do you know it’ll work this time?”
His hand dropped to my chin and lifted my head to look up at him. “Because I love you.”
I melted at those words. The words I’d been so desperate to hear for so long. Words I’d never thought I’d hear. Not after how everything ended. Not after he walked out without ever uttering them.
“You do?” I asked, wanting so bad for it to all be true.
“I always have. I loved you when you refused to let me into my own house because you’d redecorated. I loved you when you crawled around on the ground as a delirious drunk. I loved you when you trusted me enough to take care of you. I loved you here, and I loved you in LA. I’ve always loved you, and I always will.”
A tear spilled down my cheek. He swiped his thumb across my cheek to capture the tear.
“I love you, Nora Abbey.”
A laugh burst from my chest. “You’re back.”
“I really am. I’m here for you. I refuse to be separated from you ever again.”
“But what about LA?” I asked, looking up into his eyes.
He frowned. “We’ll figure it out. I know I said that it wasn’t possible before, but I discovered it’s impossible to live without you. I’ll fly back. We’ll video-chat. I’ll fly you out. I don’t know. As long as you’re mine, I don’t care. I know how important your job is to you. I know that you belong here. I won’t forget it or try to change you. I want you to do what you find most important. I’ll be here for the ride.”
I sniffled again and threw my arms around him. He had no idea about the job offer. He had no idea how much had changed in the few weeks since he’d been gone.
“I want to go with you,” I told him.
He pulled back fiercely and looked alarmed. “What? No. Nora, you can’t give this up for me. That’s not okay. I was wrong to even suggest it last time.”
“West, no…”
“I’m serious,” he said, grasping my hands. “I want you to be happy. I don’t want you to have to give up your passion or try to start over in LA.”
I laughed and pressed a kiss to his lips. Those were the perfect words. The words I’d needed to hear that he was sincere. He would figure this all out with me if I asked him to.
He drew me against him, wrapping his arms around my waist and kissing me, as if he’d been crumbling to dust without me and I was making him solid again. “I love you, Nora.”
“I love you, too,” I whispered. “But I’m still coming with you.”
He looked alarmed. “You’re going to quit your job? But I thought…”
“English offered me the job.”
“Oh my God,” he said, momentarily stunned. “You’re going to be working a celebrity wedding?”
I nodded vigorously. “I start next week. I already put in my two-week notice here. Hollin asked me to stay on and help while we onboard new employees or even run my own company out of the vineyard, but I could do that in LA, too.”
“You…quit your job.”
“Yes. The fee for that one wedding is most of my salary here. And it’ll give me a year to see if this is the right move for me. Maybe even a year in LA to find a new job.”
“You’re serious.” His eyes were wide with shock. “You want to come to LA with me?”
I took a deep breath. “Can we bring the plants?”
He burst into laughter, swinging me in his arms and twirling me in place. “We can bring all the plants. I’ll get you as many beautiful plants as you want. Everything and more.”
I giggled and clung to him. “You know, in LA, I can grow citrus trees.”
“I’ll get you a whole grove,” he told me.
He set me carefully back onto my high heels and pressed another deep kiss against my lips. The rest of the world disappeared in that embrace. Weston Wright loved me. He’d come back for me. Been willing to make it work while I stayed in Lubbock. I might not have forgiven him any other way, but this was exactly how it always should have been.
So, I put the past behind me and gave myself over to this man.
“I love you, West.”
“And I love you, Nora.”
We’d started out as roommates, tried it out as a fling, and ended up forever. What more could a girl ask for?
Epilogue
Three Years Later
The enormous trifold mirror in the bridal suite showed me from multiple angles. All revealing the sweeping lace and princess skirt of my wedding dress, the delicate twist to my medium-blonde hair, and the half-dozen bridesmaids I’d chosen for this momentous day. Eve was closing the several dozen buttons along the back of my dress as the rest of the girls oohed and aahed at my appearance.
“You’re a vision,” Blaire announced.
“Thank you.”
Eve grunted. “Whoever invented this many buttons was a masochist.”
Annie chuckled and nudged her out of the way. “I know it’s a maid-of-honor duty, but if I can sew perfect stitches, I can button her into a dress.”
Eve’s eyes rounded as Annie made quick work of the buttons. “How?”
“You get used to Annie’s incredible competence,” Piper said, holding up a glass of the new Abbey sparkling vintage.
“I like a girl with deft fingers,” Viv said, popping a bubblegum bubble. Her hair was a striking hot pink for the occasion. She’d asked me if I wanted her to dye it a “normal” color, and I’d looked at her as if she were absurd. Three years on tour with Viv, and she had never once had a “normal” hair color. I couldn’t imagine her any other way.
Annie winked at her. “If I wasn’t already married with a kid, I’d consider that offer.”
“Aww, and Rush is so cute,” Jennifer said, snapping pictures of the lot of us. She was in a bridesmaid dress, but she wasn’t an official bridesmaid. It had been hard enough, narrowing it down to six, but she’d insisted she preferred to be behind the camera anyway.
“The cutest,” Blaire agreed.
“I don’t know,” I said. “June and Oliver are pretty adorable.”
Blaire beamed. “They are.”
