My mother had never given any sign of caring—or even noticing—if I had friends. But Daanis and I had grown up together. Mom could hardly ignore her. Or fail to recognize that our relationship had changed since I’d come back.
“She’s busy. She’s having a baby in six weeks.”
Also, the last time I saw her, I’d accused her of giving up her dreams. I was pretty sure I was forgiven. Daanis never could hold a grudge. But the memory of her face, the echo of her words, still made me cringe. “I think you’re still hurt because I didn’t do whatyouwanted.”
“Why don’t you invite someone?” I asked Hailey.
Hailey’s face lit up and then shut down. “I don’t think so.”
My teacher instincts tingled to life.
“Talk to her,” Joe had said.
Classes were small on Mackinac, and students generally got along. But any falling-out could be disastrous, like a rift in a family.
“Why not?” I asked. “It could be fun.”
“You’ll certainly have enough food,” my mother said.
“It’ll be too crowded,” Hailey said.
“Could you talk to Mrs.P.?” I asked Zoe. “If we did it at the library…On the porch! It would be gorgeous. Or I can call her.”
“Don’t be silly,” Zoe said warmly. “I’ll ask her at dinner.”
The bells over the front door jangled and Joe walked in, wearing a pair of beat-up jeans and a long-sleeved Henley with the sleeves pushed up his tanned, muscular forearms. My heart, which had been behaving quite normally until that point, jerked in my chest.
“Hi,” I breathed.
The creases beside his eyes deepened. “Hey.”
My insides melted like warm fudge. “I missed you this morning.”
Not only this morning. I’d seen him every day when he walked Hailey to work, but we’d barely exchanged two words all week.
“I had to meet Miguel on a job,” he said.
I poured his coffee.
“Black, one sugar,” my mother said. As if I didn’t know. “How are you, Joe?”
“Good.” He blew on his coffee. “Thanks,” he said. To which one of us, I wasn’t sure.
I swallowed. I wanted to say something to capture his attention. To keep him here. But there were tourists in the shop,and my mother was watching, and for once my mind was blank.
“See you around,” Joe said.
“Yeah. Absolutely. Here every morning. Same time, same place!” I chirped.
His lips quirked. He nodded to Zoe and my mother, tugged lightly on his sister’s braid, and was gone.
“Can I have a taste of the chocolate pecan?” asked the next person in line.
I snapped to attention. “Good choice,” I assured him. “The earthiness of the nuts really balances out the sweetness of the chocolate. And you’ll love the coconut in this one. Like German chocolate cake!”
“What was all that about?” Zoe asked after she’d rung up the purchase.
I flushed. “I’m selling fudge.”
