“I—yes.”
There’s more to that story.
You can hear it in the hitch in her voice.
Wonder if it had to do with Chandler.
After a minute, she takes a big breath and lays her head against my shoulder again. “Laney, Emma, and I used to walk through this part of the park after school as often as we could once we discovered an old treehouse right on the edge of Grandma and Grandpa’s property.”
I start to smile. “You had a clubhouse.”
“We had aclub. We were the ugly heiress society.”
I clamp my mouth shut so fast, my jaw audibly pops.
“It was Theo,” she says. “Emma’s brother.”
“The porn guy.”
“Naked inspirational knitter, but yes. Laney and I met him in kindergarten, and when we were all in third grade, Emma leveled up and joined us. She’s a year younger but super smart. She’d get straight A’s—or whatever it was they gave us in third grade—and he’d get parent-teacher conferences. He and Laneyhatedeach other, and I know it rubbed him wrong that his baby sister was outshining him at school, and we were all kind ofheiresses. Me to Bean & Nugget, Laney to Kingston Photo Gifts, and Emma to their dad’s taxidermy business, not that she wanted it. Anyway, that’s what he called us. And it made Laney so mad that she told us we were going to own it and make him rue the day he made us tighter.”
“She actually saidrue the dayin third grade?”
“You haven’t had a chance to talk to her much yet, have you?”
“I have not.”
“She’s mellowed since third grade.”
“Haven’t we all.”
She sighs and tightens her grip on me. “I miss those days,” she adds quietly.
I can’t imagine missing being younger.
But I would’ve if I’d grown up the way she did.
“You talk to Emma yet since she got home?” I ask.
“Oh, good, the parking lot.” She squirms. “I think you can let me down now. The path should be solid enough for Jitter and me to get to the car. Thank you for the lift.”
We can barely see where the cars are parked from here, but I squat and let her down anyway.
I know when I’ve pushed too far.
Maybe.
“You have dinner plans?” I ask. “Zen and I have this fridge full of every kind of food you can imagine.”
“I do. But if you’re looking for someone to share with, the senior center would probably take you up on the offer. Hope you didn’t get too cold. See you at work tomorrow.”
“Sabrina—”
“You are entirely too attractive for my own good. Thank you for the help. Thank you for being kind to my dog. Thank you for considering leaving Bean & Nugget as it is. But I have to go before I do something stupid.”
“Maybe it’s not—”
“Oh, yes, it is. Just trust me. Itverymuch is.”
