“That’s the key to the cottage in Lucky Bay,” she says.
I look at her. “You mean…”
“I mean that I want to give the cottage to you if you’d like it.”
I stare at her. “I couldn’t possibly. This is yours. It was yours and Uncle Tony’s. “
“And when was the last time I went there for a stay?” she asks me. “I’ve gone once a year to check in on it. I stay a few days, and I’m ready to leave. The memories are too strong, too painful for me. My home is here now. That was my home with my husband, but I don’t want to go back in time.”
“I understand, but you could sell it and use the money to buy something out here for yourself. A cabin in the forest or by the lake.”
“I could, but I can do that without selling it. I was lucky. My parents were well-off enough that they left me a nest egg. I’ve thought of giving the cottage to you before, but you were always so career-driven that I didn’t want you to feel torn. So when you told me you left your job, I wondered if now might be the perfect time.”
“What an incredible gift,” Michael says quietly.
I whip my face over to look at him.
He locks eyes with me. “Lucky Bay is a great seaside town to spend summers in if you could swing that somehow.”
Yes, I would definitely like to swing that. The air in the room thickens as Michael and I continue to stare at each other.
We could be neighbors and lovers, and…
“I have an idea.” Lynn claps her hands, and I come out of my fantasy and drag my gaze back to her.
“I do insist you fly out there first, Mimi—before you accept or decline. I want you to stay in it for a weekend and see how it feels. I don’t want you to take on the responsibility of a property thousands of miles away if it doesn’t feel like the right decision for you.”
“Okay,” I agree. “That makes sense, of course.”
“I can go with you,” Michael says instantly.
I freeze. “What?! No, you shouldn’t.”
“Why not? I know the town. I can show you around.”
Lynn beams at him. “You can be Mimi’s Lucky Bay tour guide.”
“But you’re here on vacation, and you’ll be returning to Lucky Bay permanently anyway,” I say to Michael. “Why would you want to go there just for a weekend?”
“We can leave this week,” Michael says. “As long as we can get a flight.”
“I think that would be perfect,” Lynn says with a casualwave of her hand like none of this is a big deal and she isn’t trying to play matchmaker.
But I know the truth.
Thisisa big deal. Michael and I had promised to end things when we left the ranch, and now we’re breaking all the rules and heading to Maine together.
“Emery?” Michael’s voice is low like he’s trying to reach only me and not my meddling aunt, who’s now leaning in close to try to hear every word.
“Yeah?” I look at him, wondering if my face looks as pale as I feel.
“You okay?”
“Yes.”
And I am.
I’m not upset.
