A pang of sadness pulls at my chest, but I ignore it. Like I always do. Sinclair’s don’t do emotions.
“I got used to it after a while.” I shrug. “I didn’t know any different. I traveled a lot. I had nannies. But mainly, I had books for company. I read everything I could get my hands on.”
Sounding genuinely interested, Hale leans forward. “What do you do for fun?”
I blink at him. “Fun?”
“Yeah, you know, something to make you smile and blow off steam.” His tone tells me he’s teasing. “Riven has his stars. Calder has the paper. Ezra has plants. I like coming home and spending time on the farm. What do you do?”
I don’t have any real hobbies per se. “I write a lot of complaint letters.”
“Complaint letters?” His dark eyebrows jump toward his hairline. “That’s your idea of fun?”
“Well, they’re more than complaint letters, really.” I drag my fork through the syrup. “If I notice something is wrong orneeds improving, then I’ll lobby for the changes. To make things better.”
“That sounds like something you do for other people.” He has a point. “What do you do foryou?”
I purse my lips, thinking hard. “Me and the Stellas have pamper evenings. I like to read, although I don’t often do it for fun anymore. I like going out with my friends, even if they have to drag me out of my room to Club Knotty sometimes.”
“To me, it sounds like you haven’t had enough fun in your life for too long.”
I gaze out the window. “Maybe not.”
Hale goes on to tell me about some of the fun trips he and the guys have been on. My clothes feel like they’re straining because of the sheer volume of food I’ve eaten while listening to his funny stories.
“Ready to go?” Hale asks when I push my plate away from me.
“I’ll pay.” I grab my purse so I can get my wallet. “You have already been generous enough.”
He waves me off in refusal and slaps down cash on the counter, leaving a very generous tip.
“Come on.” He stands, offering me his hand. “It’s time I show you what fun there is to have around here.”
I laugh nervously. His warm hand clutches mine as we bid goodbye to Pearl and head out, my belly absolutely stuffed full.
“There’s just one place we have to stop first.” He steers me into the shoe store next door. It’s chaotic inside with boxes stacked up the walls. There are all sorts of styles on display, including some of the ugliest shoes I’ve ever seen.
I eye a pair of sneakers covered in pom-poms that I have a sneaking suspicion Delilah would like. “I don’t really need any new shoes.”
“Trust me.” He eyes my designer ballet flats. “You’re going to need something more substantial than those for where we’re going.” He leads me over to a stand of rain boots. “These will be better.”
“I’m not really the outdoorsy type.”
“I promised you fun, remember?” He thrusts a pair of black boots that are conveniently in my size into my arms. “Try these.”
After persuading me that the boots are essential and insisting on buying me a pair, we get back into Janice. Hale texts Calder, telling him to pick up Larry from the vet later. I can’t believe how seamlessly they’ve all taken my feral ginger beast under their wings.
As we drive through town, Hale points out a statue where he fell over as a kid and broke his arm, what he deems the town’s best coffee shop, and where he went to high school.
It strikes me that I don’t have a place like this, a place filled with memories. My life was lived out of a suitcase, moving from one place to another, never staying somewhere long enough to put down real roots. I ping-ponged between schools, summer camps, and random apartments in whatever big city Dad worked in at the time. What would it feel like to have a place to call home?
“Here we are.” Hale hooks a left, passing a rustic, wooden sign that reads “Appleby Farm” before continuing up the gravel road.
“My parents’ farmhouse is up ahead.” He takes a right, pulling to a stop in front of a group of apple trees. “I thought we could take a walk.”
Eyeing the sweeping fields surrounding us, I’m grateful Hale insisted we buy me new boots.
His green eyes twinkle. “Ready to get outside and leave the library behind?”
