“Hey!” she responded. “How are you guys doing this morning?” She looked down at Eloise, who was peering up at her curiously. “I’m Winnie,” she said, offering the little girl her hand to shake like she might offer an adult.
Shane bit back a smile, but Eloise looked delighted.
“I’m Eloise Whitaker,” she said somberly. “I’m ten years old. This is my dad, and this is my dad’s girlfriend, Diana. She’s awesome.”
“Thanks,” Diana said, clearly chuffed.
Winnie, by contrast, looked faintly overwhelmed.
“It’s… very nice to meet you,” she said politely. “I actually know Diana, and I’ve met your dad too. You are right that she is awesome.”
The words were kind, and Shane suspected the intention was too, but Winnie’s tone was stiff. A little awkward.
“Grabbing breakfast?” Diana asked. She too, seemed a tiny bit stiffer than she had when she’d been speaking to Shane moments before.
“Yes,” Winnie said andoofthis was painful. “I have work today, but I wanted something to eat first.”
“Well, they have great pastries here,” Diana said.
“They sure do.” Winnie paused. She smiled at Shane, and there was a tiny bit more warmth to it. He gave her an encouraging smile back. “Okay. See you later!”
Quickly, Winnie slipped away toward the counter, casting him one last look over her shoulder as she went.
When he turned back to Anthony and Diana, Shane found the couple giving one another uncertain looks.
“Sorry,” Diana said, a touch sheepishly. “You met Winnie the other night at the book club, right?”
Shane nodded.
“She’s the newest member,” Diana explained. “And she’s really nice. Sometimes I’m just worried that she doesn’t really want to be there? But I don’t want to ask and make her feel like she’s not welcome…” She sighed, tucking a long strand of dark hair behind one ear. “Sorry again. This is all probably super boring for you.”
It wasn’t, but Shane worried that he would be breaking Winnie’s confidence if he repeated anything she’d said about her uncertainties the other night. It sounded like a classic case of miscommunication to him, but he wasn’t going to stick his nose where it didn’t belong, especially since he didn’t want to make any trouble for Eleanor with her friends.
“She does seem nice,” he said instead, trying to sound noncommittal. “A little shy, maybe.”
There. That was a hint that didn’t reveal anything it shouldn’t.
“Yeah,” Diana said, nibbling at her lip while Anthony squeezed her hand. Eloise had pulled some sort of tactile toy out of her back pocket, and she was now occupied in making surethat all the little bumps were squished. It clearly took her some effort, but Diana shook off her worry.
“Anyway,” she said, “we should find a time to go to Riverstone Kitchen. It’s relatively new, but the chef, Jared Novak, used to work in thesereallyfancy kitchens. I think he was in both New York and Boston, so I’m talking likefancyfancy. And his food is to die for.”
“That sounds really great,” Shane said, his eyes darting to Winnie, who had reached the front of the line, where she was ordering a coffee and a bear claw. He bit back a grin as he watched her be presented with a pastry that was basically the same size as her head.
“Yay,” Diana said warmly. She dug in her purse for a moment and pulled out her phone, apparently searching for her calendar app. “Okay, so this Saturday I have plans with Cadence and June,” she said absently. “But the following one is free.”
Shane winced when Diana said this just as Winnie walked nearby to wait for her coffee order. He could tell that she’d heard Diana’s plans. He hoped she didn’t take the news that there was a girls’ night happening without her as further confirmation that she wasn’t wanted.
“I have no plans for basically the entire time I’m in town,” he said. “So whatever you guys want to do is good with me.”
“Super,” Diana said. “We’ll coordinate with Eleanor and talk to Miriam about hanging out with Eloise for the evening and get back to you, if that’s okay?”
“Of course,” he reassured her.
Eloise was tugging on her father’s sleeve with rapidly diminishing patience at this point, so Shane bade the three of them farewell. Once Diana, Eloise, and Anthony had gotten their food and drink and left, Shane looked back toward Winnie.
She was engrossed in something in her computer, scarcely glancing up even for sips of coffee or bites of the enormouspastry, which she was well on her way to demolishing. He considered leaving her be, since she was clearly occupied, but then he thought about her admission of doubt about her friendships, and decided that erring on the side of encouragement was better.
He scooped up his cup of coffee and headed in her direction.
