Chapter 20

“You’re babbling.”

“I know.”

“You really like that place, don’t you? Not just the house, but the town. Everything.”

“I do.”

Another long pause. I never realized how good at those long pauses Mace was.

“What happened to tearing it down and all that?” He sounded amused. I wasn’t surprised. I was always a little wishy-washy.

“I changed my mind?”

He chuckled. “Apparently.”

“Look, I can try to get a little extra on the loan for the shop to pay you back on the house if—”

“Jules. It’s okay. I’m fine with it.”

“Yeah?”

“Just like you said to me, I want you to be happy. As you also said, I was moving there in the first place to make you happy. I told you before you could take your time with the money. And as for the shop, I’d love to still sell my paintings, Jules. If anyone can make it work, it’s you. I believe in you.”

Tears sprung to my eyes. “You’re way better than I ever deserved, Mace.”