Page 90 of Love Expert

I startle and glance up at Billy’s approach, my breath catching in my throat as I follow the long line of his legs, from scuffed boots to trim hips. I attempt to prepare myself, to be ready for the moment our eyes meet, so I keep my examination slow. I take my time and work on calming my pounding heart.

But it’s all for naught, because I pass over his broad chest and the stubble he keeps permanently on his chin, until finally, I stop on his hard stare and wish for privacy.

To weep. To grieve. To pray to the universe for this man’s healing, because he deserves so much more than the agony he brings upon himself every single day.

He draws a breath and drops his gaze to his son. “Could you go inside for a minute, buddy?”

“But Dad?—”

“I want to talk to Maggie.” He licks his lips, tipping his head toward the house. “Please.”

“No, Dad. Maggie and I are?—”

“Now.” He scoops his son straight out of my arms and sets him on his feet. For a single beat, they stare into each other’s eyes, Jeremy’s furious glare, and Billy’sdo as you’re toldcounter. But while they do that, I simply sit, cold from my loss, and aching because I didn’t even get to prepare.

We were still talking.

Huffing, Jeremy digs his hands into his pockets, his shoulders coming up, then he stomps across the icy grass and up his porch steps. His anger grows with each passing moment, a grumble that may or may not contain something unkind about his father floating on the wind. Then he snatches up the container of cookies and jerks the front door open.

“He’s gonna make you pay for that.” I twitch when Jeremy slams his front door shut again. “We weren’t done hanging out.”

Billy drags his hand over his mouth, scratching his stubble, and nodding in response to whatever thoughts pass through his mind. But he doesn’t speak. Not for a full minute. Not for an excruciatingly long sixty seconds.

Maybe he has nothing to say.

Maybe he has nothing to sayto me, which is actually somewhat preferable, since I don’t know what the hell I could say back that won’t lead to more pain. More grief. More hurt.

“Listen, Magnolia. I?—”

“I’ve scheduled you for a date this Friday night.” I push off my chair and circle the frame, forcing something between us. “Seven o’clock. I still need to reserve a table, but everything else is ready to go.”

“You…” He stares into my eyes, frowning and furious while he works through my words. “What?”

“A date.”

His brows furrow heavily over bright green eyes. “With you?”

“Ah… nope.” I choke out a nervous laugh and begin folding my chair. “Do you remember Luciana Reeves? From school.”

“Lucia—” He shakes his head. “What?”

“Turns out she lives in Barlespy now.” Fake, fake, fake, Magnolia. Smile and get through it.You’re good at pretending the entire act of existing doesn’t sting. “I ran into her through work, actually.” But, like, the serving food portion of my work. Not the dog walking version. Or the grocery delivery version. Or the virtual assistant version… but then again, I don’t do that one anymore, because having an assistant is a luxury, and luxuries are the first to go when things get tough. “Luciana is thirty-two. Never married, no divorces. No children…” I push the chair back together and avoid looking into his eyes. “She doesn’t want children of her own.”

“Magnolia—”

“In fact—and she gave me permission to share this with you—the reason she moved away when she did was because her mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. They moved to where her dad’s family lived so they could have the extra support during a tough time. She lived.” I bring my gaze up and stop on his. “For another ten years, she lived. Which was a miracle in their eyes. Luciana had a bunch of testing done in her early twenties, to see if she was at risk of developing the same cancer, so when things came back the way they did, she and her medical team decided they would clear some of those organs out to mitigate the risk.” I carefully lay the first chair on the ground by my feet, then I move to Jeremy’s and do the same for his. “She can’t have children. It’s literally impossible.”

“Please stop, Magnolia?—”

“I only mention it because I know pregnancy is a huge fear of yours. I never would’ve brought it up, though, if she didn’t want me to. I told her about Jeremy, which she responded positively to.” Finally, I allow a soft smile to curve my lips. “I told her a lot about him, actually. About how he’s just like you. She admitted I wasn’t the only second grader with a crush.”

Billy takes a step my way, his hand extended forward. So I take a step back and fuss with the chair.

“She was intrigued by my job,” I exhale something akin to a laugh. An exhale. A sigh. “I explained my objective as a Love Expert, and described some of the dates I’ve already set you up on. So when I floated the idea of you and her meeting up again, she agreed.”

“I don’t want to date her,” he grits out, his voice thick and gruff. “I keep telling you.”

“I’m actually starting to feel like a giant fraud,” I joke.Har-har-freakin’-har.“We’ve been at this a while now, and I haven’t found your match yet.”