Page 8 of Always and Forever
I smile sadly. “I would love to, but I’m going to be way too busy with the resort.” I shift in my seat, wanting to move the conversation away from me and all of my problems. “It’s okay, really. I’ll figure something out. Enough about my stuff. Mila, you have to tell me how you managed to open a bakery! I thought you were going to open an animal shelter. What happened to that dream?”
Mila bursts out laughing. “Oh God, that’s right. I forgot I wanted to do that when I was a kid. Let’s just say a few shifts volunteering at the shelter over in Westport was enough to turn me off. All that noise, all that poop, no thanks. I still want to have a bunch of animals some day, just not that many.”
We all laugh at that, and the next hour is filled with casual conversation. For a moment I let myself pretend as if I never left Dogwood Cove. As if I have always been friends with these ladies, instead of being the newcomer trying to fit in.
Eventually, Mila’s staff arrive and it’s time for her to open the bakery. She heads off to get her apron on and start serving customers while the rest of us are putting on our coats.
“I’m going home for a nap before my tot dance class, but it was really great to meet you.” Serena pulls me in for a hug.
“You, too. Sorry to make you get up early,” I say. She shakes her head and shoots another mock glare at Mila, who’s behind the counter assisting a customer.
“Nah, don’t apologize. It wasn’t you; Mila just lives to drive me nuts. It’s probably still payback for the one time,one time, I flirted with Ethan when we were all drunk last summer.” Serena shrugs, oblivious to the massive weight she has dumped on my shoulders. “She’s a little protective of him ever since Aubrey. But seriously, I’m not interested in him, it was the tequila talking.”
At my confused expression, Serena gives me a guilty smile. “Oh, right. You have no clue what I’m talking about. Umm, it’s not really my business, but the short version is, Ethan got his heart broken by this chick, Aubrey. She came to town a few years ago to teach at the elementary school. Everyone thought they would end up married, but then one day she just up and left. I have no idea why, though. Mila and Ethan don’t talk about her anymore. Anyway, I’m outta here. See you around, Summer!”
I watch Serena leave, frozen in place by everything she just revealed. Ethan had his heart broken and Mila doesn’t like her friends flirting with him. Now Ireallydon’t want to let on that I’m attracted to him.
“Come on, let’s get you the book and discussion questions for book club so you’re prepared.”
Paige’s voice penetrates my wandering thoughts, bringing me back to the present.
We put on our coats, wave to Mila, and then leave together. Next door to the café, she unlocks a purple door that saysPageson it, withBibliophiles Welcomein smaller script underneath. The name makes me snort quietly; trust Paige to name a store after herself. She strikes me as the subtly funny type.
The interior is dim without the lights on, but clean. I can see rows and rows of bookshelves, but it doesn’t feel crowded. Quirky décor and comfy furniture dot the area, giving the whole store a cozy, welcoming atmosphere. Paige makes a beeline straight for one shelf and pulls a book down immediately. Then she marches over to a curtained-off area markedOfficeand comes back a moment later to hand me the book that is in her hands.
“Here’s the book, the questions are inside the front cover. We’re meeting next week at my house.” she says, very matter-of-fact. I like that about her, she’s very concise with her words.
“Thanks, Paige,” I say, and I mean it. The way these women have welcomed me so quickly is baffling to someone who has struggled to make meaningful friendships her entire adult life.
“Hey shorty, hey Paige.” Ethan strolls up to us, his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. He’s wearing another plaid shirt, this one blue and grey, unbuttoned over a white T-shirt, and I can see the outline of his pecs underneath. He’s not wearing a hat today, and the thick waves of his brown hair are screaming at me to run my fingers through them, to try and tame the messy, tousled look he’s got going on. The look that makes me imagine him first thing in the morning, lying in bed.
“Hi Ethan, can I help you find a book today?” Paige asks. Apparently, she can’t sense that I’m spinning off into fantasyland just from being this close to him, smelling him, seeing him. It’s more than a little awkward feeling this way about the guy I used to play tag with as a kid.
“No thanks, Paige. I was actually here for Summer.” Ethan turns to me, and his megawatt smile blinds me. “Mila mentioned she told you about the apartment, so I wondered if you wanted to go on a little walk around town to reacquaint you with the place.”
“Oh that’s…you don’t…” I huff out a breath, hating how I’m fumbling my words. Ethan stands there, smiling, while Paige is looking at me as if I’ve sprouted a second head.
“Just say, thanks, Ethan that would be great,” he teases.
“Thanks, Ethan that would be great,” I mumble back.
His answering laugh sends a thrill right through me, but when he puts his hand on my lower back to escort me out of the store, I feel his touch like a brand on my soul. I had another dream last night of my dad and the man holding my hand. This time, even though I couldn’t see the man’s face, my subconscious mind somehow decided that man was Ethan. Which makes this even more awkward because suddenly I’m envisioning holding Ethan’s hand in real life.
I am in so much trouble.
4
Ethan
I try not to smile too widely at how adorably nervous Summer seems, but it does make me stand up a little taller to see that she seems just as flustered by me as I am by her. I caught her staring when I walked into the bookstore, and it took all my strength not to stare right back. She’s so fucking beautiful, I froze for a second when I first saw her through the window.
We walk out of Paige’s store, and when I have to drop my hand from her back, I swear I see her shoulders drop. But seeing as she’s still my little sister’s friend, and I have no idea how long she plans on being in town, it’s probably for the best that I try and maintain a little distance.
“Not much has changed since you were here, honestly,” I start conversationally as we cross the street to the park that’s in the center of town. We climb up the steps of the gazebo, and I see that it’ll need a fresh coat of paint this summer. That will be the perfect project for some high school kids looking for extra credit, and I make a mental note to send an email to the principal later.
I walk over to one side and lean against the railing, putting a little distance between Summer and I. Honestly, I don’t trust my body’s reaction if I’m close to her.
“Mr. Reynolds sold the Grab N’ Go several years ago, but the couple that runs it now kept it mostly the same,” I say, gesturing to the grocery store that takes up one large building. “The elementary school got some much needed upgrades, but the older kids still have to bus out of town to Westport.”
