Somehow Rob ended up alone in the store when it was time for Hannah’s guest to go. He’d been hoping to be anywhere else, even scrubbing bathhouse toilets if he had to, because he was still nursing the bad mood he’d fallen into after mulling over what was said after their ride yesterday.
Summer fling.
Those were the words Erika had used, which meant that was probably how Hannah had defined their relationship to her. A summer fling—hot, fun and very temporary. Knowing it was possible and having to be reminded it was actually probable were two different things.
But Danny was writing, and Brian and Joey were changing the oil in the UTV. He would have done that, but it was a beautiful day and neither of them wanted to be stuck in the store. As usual, Rob got the job nobody else wanted.
When the two women walked into the store and his gaze fell on Hannah, he felt better. Her face lit up when she saw him, as it always did, and he realized it didn’t matter what anybody called what they had together. They had what they had, and it made him happy.
“It’s time for me to head out,” Erika said, and she almost managed to look sad about it. “But I’m going to get snacks for the drive, and for the flight.”
“Feel free to look around and see what we have. I wouldn’t recommend ice cream, though.”
She laughed, but then she froze for a second before unzipping and rummaging through her tote. “Oh crap, I forgot my phone charger. It’s plugged in by the sink.”
“I’ll run and get it while you pick out your snacks,” Hannah said. “Is that the only thing you forgot?”
“It’s the only thing I remember that I forgot,” Erika said, and Rob chuckled softly.
“I’ll do a final sweep.”
“I had so much fun yesterday,” Erika said as soon as the door closed behind Hannah. “You have a really great job.”
He nodded. “It is a pretty great job, though we don’t get too much riding in. Not as much as you’d think, anyway. I’m glad you had fun, and I apologize for the dirty laundry.”
“Oh, we washed it last night. If I’d checked a bag, I might have thrown the muddy clothes in a plastic bag, but I flew carry-on only.”
“It’s great that you got to visit. I know Hannah’s missed you.”
She gave a wistful sigh. “I can’t wait until she comes home. Three months isforever, and this place is great, but she needs to get her butt back to California.”
Rob nodded, but he couldn’t fake even a sorry excuse for a smile. He wanted Hannah’s butt to stay right there in New Hampshire, thank you very much. But he knew that wasn’t the plan, and her best friend certainly wasn’t going to agree with him, so he kept his mouth shut.
When Hannah returned, she was slightly out of breath and looking slightly annoyed. She gave Erika a handful of things, only one of which was a phone charger. “I also grabbed your brush, your earplugs and those disgusting mints you like.”
“They’regreatmints. You just have no taste.”
“Mints should be minty,” Hannah argued. “Cinnamon that sears your taste buds and makes your eyes water is not minty.”
After tucking the items in her bag, Erika selected her snacks and paid for them at the counter. Then, after thanking him again for taking them out in the side-by-side, they left. Hannah looked over her shoulder and gave him a little wave before she walked out the door, and he waved back.
When the rental car pulled out and headed south a little while later, Rob waited expectantly, but Hannah didn’t come back into the store. He’d been hoping she would, because he always wanted to see her, but it wasn’t a big camper and Erika had a big personality. Maybe she needed some alone time.
When the doordidopen, Danny walked in. He was scruffy and looked tired, but at least he was clean. When he was deep in writing mode, he sometimes didn’t bother taking the time to shave, but healmostalways showered.
“How’s it going?” he asked when Danny sank into one of the chairs with a sigh.
“That kitchen table is not ergonomically awesome,” his brother answered, wincing slightly as he shifted his position. “And neither is the chair or the couch, but I keep bouncing around, writing until I can’t sit there anymore, and then I move to the next. Worst musical chairs ever.”
“You have a nice desk at home. And a chair that cost more than my first car. Why come up here and wreck your back?”
“Because I get in my head and sometimes it takes a change of scenery to get out of it.”
Rob snorted. “And because you can go to the Kitchen for breakfast and see Kenzie.”
Danny’s head was leaned against the back of the chair, but he swiveled it to face him. “She says she has no interest in writing anything, but she has an amazing grasp of story elements.”
“Maybe she could be an editor, like Aunt Keri.” When she’d given up her job to marry their uncle Joe, she’d become an editor and, though she refused to edithisbooks, she liked it and was well respected.
