He smiles. “That’s one of the best things about you.”
“That opinion puts you in a very small pool of people, so thank you.” Fiona looks past him at the big clock on the wall behind the register. “I hate to say it, but our train leaves in just over an hour. I should probably round up Amelia Mae and head back to the bed-and-breakfast.”
“Do you need a ride to the train station?”
She shakes her head. “The owner offers a shuttle.” She hesitates, then leans in and hugs him. “It’s been wonderful spending this time with you.”
“I’m glad you came,” he says gruffly. In a lighter tone, he adds, “I hope the next visit doesn’t involve your daughter getting on public transportation alone.”
“Does that mean we can come back sometime soon?” says Amelia Mae, who’s just popped up between them.
“I’d like to.” Fiona looks at Miguel. “If you’re okay with it, that is.”
“Absolutely,” he says.
He sounds like he means it—and I’m sure part of him does. But having spent nearly my entire existence with the man, I don’t need to speak human to know what he’s not saying: He’s afraid of betraying the one person he will always love more than life itself.
The question is, is that enough to keep him from loving Fiona, too?
Twenty-Five
For reasons I cannot explain, I slink off to the stockroom before Amelia Mae and Fiona leave the bookstore. Of course, Amelia Mae has already hugged me a whole bunch of times and vowed to return before I even realize she’s gone. I still can’t help but feel…well, a bit abandoned. Sure, there’s a lake between us, and that’s a reason to not be together.
But it doesn’t seem like reason enough.
Eventually I venture back out to the main floor. Riley’s making adjustments to the new Romance section, Dane’s behind the register, and Miguel’s at the end of the counter. His bent neck and tight expression tell me there’s nothing good about the goodbye he just said to Fiona. I expect him to go take my place in the stockroom or announce that it’s time to go home. Instead, he lifts his head and regards Dane, who’s just finished ringing up a customer. “So, where are you drifting to next?” he asks.
“Whaddaya mean?”
“You said you don’t like to stay put for too long,” says Miguel. “So, where’s the next adventure?”
Dane, who seems genuinely surprised by his question, considers it for a moment. “Well, at some point I want to hit up Morocco, and Guatemala’s for sure on my list. But you know Michigan’s the best place to be in the summer. If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, at least—otherwise it’s New Zealand. I’m thinking I’ll explore more of the east side of the state sometime soon, since I still haven’t been to Lake Erie. Wait a minute—is this your sneaky way of letting me know you’re getting rid of me?”
“No, Dane. Well, I might have to get rid of everyone if we can’t keep the store open. But in this case, I was just thinking about what you said about being restless.”
I expect Dane to crack a joke, but he leans forward and says quietly, “I’m good for now. How areyoufeeling, chief? Guessing having them in town felt like a lot, even if you liked it?”
“Who says I liked it?”
“Your face.”
“Okay, okay. It was…nice.”
“Yeah. I know we got off to a rocky start there in Chicago, but Fiona seems cool. The kid’s not half-bad, either.”
Miguel nods.
“You think you’ll see her again?” Dane asks. “Like, in a romantic way?”
He looks across the room for a moment before turning his attention back to Dane. “I don’t know. It feels early. It feels weird.”
Dane twists up his lips on one side of his mouth. Then he sighs loudly through his nose, like I sometimes do. “Yeah, I get that. Reminds me of after my parents split.”
“You didn’t mention your parents were divorced.”
“Happened right after they shipped me off to school.”
“Guessing that sucked.”
