Nick slipped his arm around Anna’s shoulders. “And now we’re going to enjoy a quiet walk on our favorite beach.”
Anna opened the Little Library. “After I peruse your bookshelves. You were so right about that Jenny Hale novel. Do you have anything else by her?”
“I don’t think so, but there’s a Debbie Macomber novel you might enjoy.”
“Oh, there it is.” She flipped the novel over, then slipped it back inside the box. “This looks great. I’ll pick it up on my way back. Is this your husband? I didn’t realize you were married. What a charming couple you make.”
Sadie’s hands fluttered about. “Oh no, he’s not... I didn’t... we’re not...”
“I’m Sam—Sadie’s co-tenant for the summer.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I’m Anna and this is my boyfriend, Nick. When I’m not taking romantic strolls on the beach, I enjoy putting my foot in my mouth.”
Nick gave her a squeeze. “I can vouch for that.”
“No worries,” Sadie said. “Enjoy your walk. It’s such a beautiful evening.”
“It was nice meeting you, Sam,” Anna said. The two waved and were off on their stroll.
“They seem like a nice couple,” Sam said.
“They’re regulars at the beach.”
“And at your library?”
“Well, she is a voracious reader and I’m happy to introduce readers to new authors. So did your dad have a nice Father’s Day, despite your sister’s mysterious antics?”
He arched a brow at her but otherwise ignored her efforts to pry. “I think so. As long as his family’s there and he’s being well fed, he’s a pretty happy guy. How about your dad? Was he having a good day?”
“I think so. I sent him a new fishing pole—that’s his favorite hobby. Something we used to do together.”
“It’s too bad you can’t be with him today.”
“Yeah, I guess. I don’t think my family is like yours though.”
He pinned her with a look that made her squirm. “In what way?” His voice was low and sincere, his gaze fixed and warm.
“I don’t know. We’re not especially close. I live so far away—but that’s my fault. When I graduated from college, I took a job that put me in New York where Caroline lived.”
“Do you miss living near your folks?”
She wavered. “Yes and no. They have kind of a complicated relationship, so let’s just say I don’t mind the distance.”
“Sorry to hear that.”
“They’re terrific people, don’t get me wrong. They love me and made sure I knew it. But their own relationship is inconsistent. I thought that was normal until I started staying over at friends’ houses in junior high and got to know other families. I was surprised to find my friends’ parents had never been separated or divorced.”
His brows winged upward. “Yours have?”
“They were divorced once when I was really young. And separated three times that I can remember. Each time when they got back together, I thought,Okay, everything will change now.But no, the cycle would just start all over again. They never seem to learn from their mistakes. It’s as if they can’t be together but they can’t be apart either.” She gave her head a sharp shake. “Anyway... sorry. I didn’t mean to unload on you. They’re having a good spell right now, so hopefully that’ll last awhile.”
“But that must leave you waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
Her gaze shifted to him, zeroing in on his tender expression. He seemed to get it somehow, and that made her feel inordinately understood. The thought put a pinch in her chest. “That’s it exactly. It’s hard to enjoy the good times because I know what’s coming.”
“That must’ve been unsettling for you as a child.”
She forced a smile. “Well, at least their feelings for me never wavered. They always made sure I knew their problems weren’t my fault. That they loved me. But going away to college taught me that it’s better to love them from a distance. I hope that doesn’t make me sound like a selfish brat.”
