“Certainly,” Robbie replied courteously. “I’ll let you two get on with your day.”
Finley hugged her uncle. After exchanging good-byes, Luke held the door for Finley as they exited. On this late-January day, the bare branches of the trees stretched through thin sunlight toward bands of clouds in a light blue sky.
Their steps turned toward the visitors bureau.
“What did you think of Uncle Robbie?” Finley asked.
“He seems like a good guy.”
“He is,” Finley said, pulling on her coat. Her clogs thumped, but his boots hardly made a sound as they passed brick buildings almost two hundred years old. Some housed companies. Others held trendy distilleries, restaurants, shops.
Finley’s hair swayed against her back as they walked. He watched the strands slide against the fabric, overwhelmed by how much he wanted to pull her into one of these recessed doorways and push his hands into that hair—
He wrenched his gaze away.
She was in front of him five days a week, yet as unavailable as if the walls of a jail separated the two of them. With his current issues and past mistakes, he wasn’t even close to being worthy of her. And she was still in love with the person whohadbeen worthy of her.
Her dead fiancé.
Misty River’s visitors bureau was enjoying a bustling day. Of the four employees behind the granite counter, only a curvy blonde in her late thirties was currently unencumbered with tourists.
“Hi, Melanie,” Finley said to her as they neared.
Because Melanie worked for the town of Misty River and Finley kept in close communication with town government on behalf of the county’s animals, they often attended the same events.
“Finley!” Melanie brightened. “So nice to see you. And who’s with you today?”
“This is Luke Dempsey.”
If Melanie’s eyes could have bounced out of her head like a cartoon character, they would have. A sighting of Luke was more prized than a Bigfoot sighting. “I’m delighted to meet you, Mr. Dempsey. I’m Melanie Carlson.”
“Hi,” Luke said.
If he could be counted on for anything, it was monosyllabic responses.This is good conditioning for him, Finley reminded herself gamely. Step four of his program!
“What can I do to help the two of you?” Melanie’s focus remained firmly on Luke.
“A friend was telling me about a train depot she visited many years ago,” Finley said. “She thinks that it might have been gray in color and historic. Somewhere here in North Georgia. She’d like to go back, but she can’t remember the name of the town where it’s located. So I told her I’d drop by and ask.”
“I’m so glad you returned to Misty River, Luke,” Melanie said. “I think I speak for the whole town when I say that we’ve missed you.”
It was as if Melanie had not registered Finley’s words.
“Have things changed a lot since you were here last?” Melanie asked him.
“Yes.”
Melanie laughed, even though he’d said nothing funny. “I can only imagine. I’d be happy to catch you up on the developments of the last several years.”
I bet you would, Finley thought darkly. She’d liked Melanie just fine in the past. But didn’t at the moment.
“I’m only here to find a train depot for Finley’s friend,” Luke told her.
“Certainly!” Melanie whipped out a map of North Georgia historic sites and uncapped a green highlighter. “Many historic train depots are still in existence. You said your friend thought the depot was gray?”
“She wasn’t sure,” Finley answered. “But yes. She thinks so.”
Melanie scrutinized the map. “How long ago did she visit?”
