“Because my family gives me a hard enough time about all the reading I do.They mean well.They give everyone a hard time about this or that.I just don’t…” His voice trailed away.
“You don’t want them to discourage you.I can understand that.”
He shrugged as he slowed the pickup at a four-way stop.“It’s probably never going to amount to anything.”
“Why would you say that?”
He accelerated through the intersection.“It doesn’t matter.It’s not important.”
She could tell it mattered a lot, and it was very important to him.She didn’t think he understood what a special gift he had.It wasn’t something to be squandered.
“Once upon a time, I tried to write a book,” she said.
He glanced over at her.“You did?”
She nodded.“I did.”
“What happened?”
“I wrote myself into a corner.For me, it’s a lot easier to point out the errors in someone else’s work than for me to put the words on a blank page.”
He shook his head.“I’m sure if you gave it another chance that you’d be great at it.You were always good at whatever you set your mind to.”
“If only that was the case…”Oops!She hadn’t meant to admit that much.
He arched a brow.“What?You have one failed manuscript.That’s not a big deal.I have a few hidden on my computer.”
It was good to be able to talk to him this way.The conversation flowed effortlessly.Each time they spoke, it was like they were tearing down the wall that once stood between them.
How did she do that?
As Justin pulled into the parking lot of the storage unit, he couldn’t believe that Felicity not only learned his secret, but she was also going to read his manuscript.That last bit had his stomach tied up in a great big knot.
And here he’d been promising himself that he was going to keep her at arm’s length.So far, he was failing miserably.
But at the same time, it felt good to have his old friend back in his life.He hadn’t realized until now just how much he’d missed her prodding, teasing, and laughter.What was he going to do when she went back to the city?
As soon as he pulled the pickup to a stop, Felicity jumped out.He followed her inside the storage unit and knew exactly where the boxes were she wanted.In the end, he carried four red plastic storage bins out to his pickup.
As quickly as that, they were on the road again.He liked riding around with her.It made him think about the fun they had in the past.Every time she smiled, he was reminded of the girl he’d once loved—and if truth be told, maybe he was falling for her just a little all over again.
But she was no longer the girl with big dreams in her eyes.Now she was a woman with thoughts and opinions of her own.And he longed to know more about the person she’d become.
When they returned to the Evergreen Apartments, Felicity was more than happy to take Sunny outside.There was a shoveled dog area off to the side of the building.While he carried the boxes up to her mother’s apartment, a little voice in his mind told him that spending a little more time with her wouldn’t hurt things.
Once the dog had been sufficiently walked and the boxes were stacked in the corner of the apartment, he turned to Felicity.“I think you’re missing something.”
She glanced over at the boxes before her gaze met his.“No.I think I got everything.”
“What about the tree?”
“Oh yeah.It’s next on my list of things to do.”
“There’s no time like the present.”
She opened her mouth to argue with him, but when he sent her a big, warm smile, she wordlessly closed her mouth.
“Come on.”He waved for her to follow him.
