He drew up and shot me a look. "You're going to quit?"
"I could." It's not like that wasn't what everyone was expecting anyway. I prided myself on making my own hours and having plenty of time to tend to my plants, go to yoga classes at the inn, and relax. This wasn't the lifestyle I'd planned for myself.
He shook his head. "I can't believe this."
I shrugged. "I already messed something up. There's no point in pretending that I'm the best person for this job."
He threw his hand in the air. "And just like that, you quit. When you promised Eve you'd be there for her."
"I'm sure she'll understand," I said, even as my stomach dropped.
"You'd be leaving her in the middle of the season. She’d have to find someone else or do it herself."
I didn't like the idea of that. But what else could I do? "This was obviously a bad idea."
He took a step back. "You're not who I thought you were."
"I'm sorry you feel that way." That stung. I hoped things would be different, but nothing had changed. I was still the same person who couldn't decide on a career, who jumped from one thing to the next. This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.
He glanced at me one more time, as if he was waiting for me to change my mind or say something different. But this was me. The proverbial disappointment. He turned on his heel and walked out.
Thankfully, he refrained from slamming the door. If he was mad at me, it was a default state of being for those who were around me. I shouldn't have tried to be someone else. I was sure it wasn't even possible to change. So why had I tried?
I looked at my desk, the office, where the evidence of my long hours was clear. There were empty coffee cups and take-out bags overflowing the trash can. There were papers strewn over my desk. Why had I thought I could be a town coordinator? It was a ludicrous idea. At the same time, I hated that Cooper was disappointed in me.
Why did it matter what he thought of me? Everyone was disappointed in me at one time or the other. I'd dated enough guys to know that they'd eventually grow tired of my lack of ambition.
Now that I'd decided to quit, there was no point in working late now.
I needed to review the estimates and create a comparison spreadsheet. But that was probably a waste of time. I was sure there was nothing I could offer Eve that would help.
I turned off the light, and closed the door. I'd tell Eve with enough time for her to find someone else. But for now, I wanted to go home and wallow.
I'd been meaning to hang twinkling lights on my deck so that I could sit outside in the evening and enjoy my plants. As soon as I got home, I grabbed the box of lights and a small ladder and started tacking the cord to the overhead beams. Once the strands were secured, I turned them on.
The lights made the space feel magical.
I sat on my rocker and closed my eyes. My room was amazing, and for once, I wasn't working. So why was there a pit in my stomach?
Taking this job was a mistake. I should have known it would be too much for me. And Cooper should already have known that. He shouldn't be surprised that I'd dropped the ball.
The worst part was that I was disappointed in myself. Why did I think I could do this?
Chapter 8
Cooper
"I can't believe she's going to quit." I cradled my bottle of beer at the bar.
Maverick raised his brows. "Is that what she said?"
"Basically. I trusted that this would work, and she let me down."
"How's this going to affect our contracts?" Hudson asked.
"I don't know." The pit in my stomach grew.
Thankfully, Ford couldn't come out tonight. I didn't want to put him in the middle, since he was married to Eve's sister, Natasha.