Cary was leaving on Friday. There was no point driving him to the airport—he had to return the rental car.
They had dinner with Mike and Janine the night before.
Mikey was smug about their engagement. About Cary moving back to Omaha. Shiloh and Cary were Mikey’s supporting characters, and he was pleased to have them where he wanted them. Or moving that way.
Cary went home with Shiloh after dinner. He brought his luggage. He kept her awake, making plans.
When it was time for him to leave the next morning, they kissed goodbye on her porch.
Seventy-Nine
The ocean was big and blue and looked exactly like the pictures.
Cary told her she was under-romanticizing it.
Shiloh told him she wanted to try In-N-Out.
First Shiloh told Junie that Cary was her boyfriend.
Junie didn’t like it. She’d run away rather than say hi to Cary over Skype. And the first time he came back to Omaha, Junie ran upstairs and slammed the door to her room.
It rattled Cary.
Shiloh was shrewd about it: the only way past this was through.
She made Junie’s favorite dessert that night—strawberry shortcake—and eventually she came down to eat some.
Cary still seemed hesitant with the kids—the engagement hadn’t changed that. Shiloh appreciated it. He didn’t need to seduce her by seducing them first.
He eventually won Gus over by playing trucks with him for hours on the couch. Cary confessed to Shiloh that he was thinking about something else the whole time, and she immediately absolved him. “What were you supposed to be thinking about?Trucks?”
Lois’s house sold, and Cary was so happy, he sent both Shiloh and Lois flowers.
Shiloh’s mom wasn’t happy about Shiloh’s plans to move. Cary said they could find a house with a mother-in-law apartment, and her mom said she refused to be carted around like furniture.
The three of them argued about it one night over Skype.
“Mom...” Shiloh tried to be the voice of reason. “You know Junie and Gus can’t share a room forever.”
“We were going to finish the basement and put a room down there for Gus,” her mom said.
“You’re not putting Gus in the basement,” Cary objected onscreen.
“I wasn’t talking to you, Cary!”
“Mom, he’s right. It was never a great solution.”
“Gloria, we can get you a place with your own kitchen.”
Her mom closed the laptop. “I don’t have to take orders from that man. I’m not marrying him, and I never joined the Navy.”
Shiloh laughed. “So, what do you want to do?”
“I want to stay here.”
“I can’t stay here, Mom.”
She sighed. “I know.”
