Copyright © 2019 Jo Rain

 

     Hi, I’m Leah Hart, and you could say I’ve had a change of heart.

    The past few years have been a whirlwind of emotions. It all started on the first day of college, which came late for me at twenty-years old, thanks to my old-fashioned parents, who thought I needed “life experience” beforehand. They thought they had my whole life planned out for me. Instead of becoming a photographer, or anything else I might had wanted to be, they considered running the family business my best bet for success—not that I’d ever voiced an opinion otherwise. In fact, up until a few years ago, I never not listened to my parents. Well, except for that one night, which used to plague my thoughts as the exciting and regretful memory it was. So, when the familiar face of always-charming Austin Morgan sat down next to me in class, I knew I’d never be the same.

His cockiness was just the icing on the ruggedly-handsome cake, with a playboy reputation for added decoration. Of course, I fell prey to his swoon powers. How could I not? I wasn’t even his yet, but he treated me as though I already was. He put in some major time and energy, too; all those not-dates, the real dates, the family dinners—I was so naïve. I should’ve known a Morgan can’t change their spots or their ability to be honest. Maybe if he had as much sincerity as he did money, I would’ve stayed.

    No, I had to leave.

   After Mom broke her promise and what she finally confessed, I couldn’t just keep doing nothing. I signed the papers, ransacked my room, and packed everything I could fit into my giant-sized luggage. I transferred their money and took my own, making one last stop before I hit the road all by myself, trading Montana mountains for North Carolina sandcastles.

My parents probably still think I’m crazy for giving it up. I didn’t ask for it; for any of it…

   Eleven states, three hotels, and over a thousand dollars in gas later, I finally said hello to my grandmother’s beachfront house that she had left me in her will. The pain of losing my grandparents when they moved doesn’t compare to losing them for good. But in doing so, they gave me options, and I will forever be grateful for their guidance. If not for them, I wouldn’t be here. Here is where I found myself. Here is where both of my careers started, and where I found Fuzzy Amos. Here is where I met my best friend Minnie, a feisty, fun, and sometimes meddlesome, southern-bell, who has a knack for helping me as much as she gets me into trouble. Well, not exactly trouble—at least not yet. She did, however, push me far enough out of my comfort-zone to catch the eye of a certain dimpled nice-guy.

   Ethan was like this unrelenting exception I kept trying to ignore, until that one day, when there was no denying… Though, he had been right here in front of me the whole time. When you know, you know. And I don’t know what I would’ve done without him. Probably not much of anything, because I’d be…

Ugh, I hate talking about it! I hate thinking about it—and I don’t—most of the time, if I can help it. But I can’t control my dreams. Nightmares haunt me; and I wonder if this is how Ethan feels, thinking about his dad and knowing there was nothing he could’ve done to stop it. His situation is different than mine; I shouldn’t compare. Besides, we’ve both moved on.

   I’m not the same person, the shy, timid, go-with-the-flow kind-of-girl I used to be. Now I’m the one with the plan and going back to Big Sky. Even after all this time, nothing’s going to change that. No matter what, I’m following my heart, wherever it leads me next.