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She was still smiling when she heard the soft click of his phone.

Chapter Twenty-One

With that conversation out of the way, Lily began discussing the offer with the other important people in her life—her parents and her best friends. She had yet to decide, and she knew talking it through with them would help her sort out her thoughts.

The following weekend, Lily joined her parents for brunch and decided it was as good a time as any to bring up the topic.

“So I had an interesting conversation with my FilmInsanity.com supervisor last week,” she said after the waiter filled their glasses with orange juice.

This piqued Anne’s interest. “How are things going with the website?”

“Things are going very well. Actually, Devon wants me to join the staff full time as a senior writer.” She glanced up at her parents, nervous to see their reaction.

“That’s wonderful, sweetheart! I’m guessing it’s a good offer?” Anne said.

Lily nodded. “I think so. I’m still considering it, but I’m very tempted to say yes.”

“And what is tempting about it?” Henry asked in his serious, I-mean-business, dad tone.

Lily thought for a moment before answering. “Writing about movies is something I love doing. Covering every aspect of them, from filming to premieres, makes me excited to sit down at my computer and share the stories. And I think I have something valuable to offer the website. Right now, I’m the only writer for the site who has a background in journalism, so I think I can give the staff a better sense of how the press works.

“I want people to see that journalists who cover the entertainment industry are not paparazzi. The site has always been ethical in its coverage, and I like the thought of making sure it stays that way.”

“All right, tell me about the offer.”

Lily went on to explain the details of what her salary and benefits would be, casually throwing in the most significant detail at the end.

“Oh, and Devon said the company will help with relocation expenses,” Lily mentioned as she lifted a bite of her omelet to her mouth. The sound of her parents’ flatware clanking against their plates followed almost immediately.

Henry was the first to speak. “Relocation? To where?”

Lily set her own fork down, swallowed her food, and squared her shoulders. “To Los Angeles. Devon plans to open an office for the staff there, and I’d help manage it.”

Henry continued to stare at Lily as Anne reached for her daughter’s hand. “Sweetheart, that’s so far away.”

Lily squeezed her mother’s hand. “I know it is, Mom. But you’ve always encouraged me to spread my wings. And I’d just be a plane ride—or a really, really long drive—away. It’s not like I’d be leaving the country.”

Her father sighed with resolve. “It sounds like you’ve already made up your mind.”

Lily looked at her father with sad eyes. “Not completely. But knowing that I have your blessing would make this decision much, much easier.”

Anne glanced at her husband and took a deep breath before responding. “If you think taking this is job is what is best for you and for your career, then of course you have our support. We’ll just miss you, that’s all.”

Lily nodded, and then glanced to her father. “Dad?”

He leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table. “If this is what you think you need to do, then I’m behind you one hundred percent.”

Lily smiled as tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. “Thank you.”

A mischievous grin then lit Anne’s face. “What does Nate have to say about all this?”

Lily’s cheeks pinked. “He said that he would support me no matter what my decision was, but that he’d love for me to live closer to him.”

Henry abruptly cleared his throat. “Closer to him or
with
him?”

“Dad! No, not with him. We’ve talked about it, and while we’re definitely committed to each other, neither one of us is ready for that step. I thought I’d rent my own place near the new office, and Nate and I would just . . . date . . . since we haven’t really had the chance.” She reached up and touched her pendant. “Besides, Dad, I told you after grad school that the next person I live with will have to put a diamond on my left hand. And right now, the only diamond I’m wearing is around my neck.”

Lily couldn’t help but giggle at her father’s pleased smile.

“Well, sweetheart, how much longer do we have you here?” Anne asked.

“I still haven’t accepted the job, but Devon said the Los Angeles branch is scheduled to open by the end of the year.”

“Okay. Let us know what you decide, and we’ll help you pack,” Henry said reluctantly. Lily smiled, knowing that was her father’s way of accepting whatever choice she made.

Telling Maggie and Colette about her job offer was somehow even harder than telling her parents. It wasn’t as if they saw each other every day, but Lily would miss her friends terribly if she accepted the job.

“But it’s so far away,” Maggie whined, causing Lily to laugh.

“I know, I know. But I would expect you to visit—often. I think you’d like the West Coast, Mags.”

Maggie crossed her arms over her chest. “Okay, but that doesn’t mean I’m happy about you being on the other side of the country.”

“In all honesty, it sounds like a good offer,” Colette commented. “I’m behind you no matter what you decide.”

“Me, too, I suppose,” Maggie offered. “I bet Nate is over the moon about the possibility of you moving to Los Angeles.”

“Yeah, he is. But he’s been great about not putting any pressure on me. He wants this to be my decision.”

Maggie grinned. “See? I knew things would work out for the two of you.”

Lily continued to weigh her own pros and cons for the next couple of days before making her decision. In the end, she knew that she could return to print journalism if things didn’t work out with the website. Her web experience would give her a unique perspective as well as contacts that publications in Los Angeles would appreciate.

Accepting the job held many risks, but in the end, she knew she would carry the what-ifs with her for the rest of her life if she didn’t accept it.

It was a chance she had to take.

With that in mind, she called Devon and agreed to his offer.

Her next phone call was to Nate. She fought back a grin when he answered.

“Hey, love. How are you?”

“I’m good. Great, actually. I just got off the phone with Devon.”

Lily heard Nate take a deep breath. “And?”

“I accepted the offer.”

His exhale came in the form of a laugh. “That’s the best news ever!”

Lily laughed with him. “Well, I’m glad you think so.”

“Of course I think so. I’m beyond ecstatic. I can’t wait to have you here.”

Lily grinned. “Just a few more months until I’m all yours.”

“I’m counting down the days. Now tell me how I can help.”

Nate became invaluable to Lily as she got ready to move. Since she couldn’t get back to Los Angeles before her move, he scouted out rental properties for her, narrowing the field. When he found one that fit her budget and met her requirements, he would send her photos. If she liked it, then they arranged for Nate to take a tour with Lily present on video chat on his phone.

That was how they decided on a comfortable loft not too far from the beach with walls the color of eggshells and bamboo hardwood floors. It had only one bedroom, but contained enough open space for her to create a makeshift office within the main living area. It was exactly what she wanted, and she spent hours sorting through the photos that Nate took for her, mentally arranging all her things in her new home.

Every spare minute Lily had in the next few weeks was spent packing her apartment. She planned to leave a week after her last day at the paper, which was a couple of weeks before her first day on the new job, giving her time to get settled. Her parents and best friends came over to help pack when they could, and although Lily appreciated their assistance, she cherished the laughter as they reminisced about shared memories even more.

Her brother, mother, and father all took time off work to make the drive to Los Angeles with Lily, and the four of them divided the driving duties. With her car packed, and her life in the back of a U-Haul truck, Lily looked around her apartment one last time. But she wasn’t sad. Instead, she was looking forward to the next chapter in her life.

A smile graced her lips as she closed the door.

“I’m ready to go,” she said, turning to face her family.

“But I don’t want you to go,” Evan protested. Celeste bobbed her head up and down beside him. “I want you to stay here with us.”

Lily glanced up at her sister-in-law’s sad eyes then leaned down and wrapped her arms around her niece and nephew. “I know you do. And I’ll miss you so much. But I promise you I’ll be back to visit soon, if you promise me that you’ll be good for your mom and dad, okay?”

Evan and Celeste nodded and hugged her tight. She glanced at little Dillon in Kate’s arms, his big eyes holding a seriousness that contradicted his very young age. He reached out to Lily when she stood and put his chubby hand on her cheek, babbling at her. She gave his hand a kiss and said goodbye to her sister-in-law.

“We should get on the road,” Henry said. The entire Richards family gathered for one more group hug before going to their vehicles.

Lily and Anne settled in for the long drive in Lily’s Cavalier, while her brother and dad climbed in the truck. She took a deep breath as they passed under the first interstate sign that read I-40 W MEMPHIS. She wasn’t nervous about what was to come. In fact, this new journey excited her. But she couldn’t help but feel like she left part of herself behind. The old Lily was safely tucked away in Nashville, and the new Lily looked forward to her future on the West Coast.

To say the drive was long was an understatement. It took three long, hard days of driving to reach Los Angeles, and Lily swore she never wanted to see another interstate. But the sight waiting for her at the end of the drive made it worth all the trouble.

Nate stood near Lily’s new apartment when they finally pulled into the parking lot. Her eyes immediately lit up, and she got out of the car, stretching as he made his way to her. A smile tugged at her lips, and she threw her weary frame into his arms. Lily let out a happy sigh and melted against him, not really caring that they had an audience.

“Welcome home, love,” he whispered in her ear, causing her to lift up on her toes to kiss him.

Lily’s mother cleared her throat behind them. Nate discreetly nuzzled Lily’s cheek before letting her go.

“It’s good to see you all again. I’m glad you made it safely,” Nate said before hugging Anne and shaking Henry and Sean’s hands.

“Well, let’s see the new place,” Henry said.

They all pitched in to unload the essentials—Lily’s bed, suitcase, her television and other valuable electronics, a few lamps, and some other necessities—before locking the truck. Her family had reservations at a nearby Marriott, but Lily looked forward to her first night in her new loft, so they said their goodbyes and made their way to the hotel in Lily’s car. They would return in the morning to help finish unloading and start unpacking.

Lily closed the door and turned to lean against it, grinning at Nate, who had been standing behind her.

“I’m happy to be here,” she said.

“I’m happy to have you here.” His gaze was heated as his lips descended on hers in a searing kiss. Everything seemed to slow, and Lily felt overwhelmed with sensation by the time his hands reached her hips.

Her eyes remained closed after Nate broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. “I have a little surprise for you. Why don’t you go relax and take a shower? Meet me out here when you’re done.”

She nodded and opened her eyes, a bit breathless. It would be nice to wash the trip off her body, and she had no doubt a hot shower would ease her tense muscles. Although, at the moment, her overheated senses might also benefit from a cold shower.

Once the spray had worked its magic, she put on yoga pants and an old sorority T-shirt and pulled her hair back into a ponytail.

She gasped when she returned to the living room.