Chapter Thirteen: Ties That Hold

The next morning, the scent of cinnamon rolls and brewing coffee filled the Lawson kitchen. Ellie moved with ease now, barefoot and wrapped in Jack's oversized flannel, humming along to the radio.

Jack leaned against the doorframe and watched her. "You planning on making this a habit?"

Ellie glanced over her shoulder, grinning. "You have a problem with that?"

"Not one bit."

The days that followed were filled with small, sweet rituals. Fixing up the house. Marking recipes in cookbooks. Bringing Ruthie into their new rhythm. But with each passing moment of peace, the world outside seemed to nudge them—reminding them that even love needs tending.

One afternoon, Clara came by the shop again, a pie in her hands and a well-practiced smile on her lips.

"Thought you might need something sweet," she said.

Jack accepted the pie with a polite nod but didn't invite her in.

"You're different now," Clara said finally. "You used to be... reachable."

"I didn't know I was waiting for someone until she showed up," he replied quietly.

Clara's smile faltered. "Don't forget, even fire burns out when you stop feeding it."

He watched her walk away without a word.

That night, Ellie noticed his silence. She set her fork down and asked, "Is something wrong?"

He shook his head slowly. "Just wondering how many more people I'm going to disappoint before I get this right."

Ellie moved around the table and wrapped her arms around him from behind. "Loving someone doesn't mean never hurting others. It means choosing the life that heals you—and hoping those around you learn to understand."

Outside, Ruthie stood in the driveway, watching the two of them through the window. She smiled softly to herself, then turned toward her car. But instead of climbing in, she walked down the street—to the diner, where a local teacher had been asking after her for weeks.

Maybe, Ruthie thought, it was time to stop running too.

Back at the Lawson house, Jack turned to Ellie. "This thing between us—it's more than just a season, right?"

Ellie kissed him gently. "It's the rest of the story."