“But?” Cadence prodded.
June’s eyes slid over toward her son, not because she was worried that he was listening in, but because he was the center of her world and never far from her mind.
“But,” June admitted, “I’m not certain that this thing between us is destined for anything more than a few fun nights out, a few good conversations over dinner. I mean, he said himself that his career isn’t over.”
Cadence nodded, thoughtful and understanding.
“I get that, and music is one of those careers that means a lot of travel. But that doesn’t mean that Magnolia Shore can’t be his home base… that you can’t be part of that home base.”
“Maybe,” June allowed. “But he doesn’t know that yet, and that’s not the kind of decision I can make for him. It might not be the kind of decision I can even help him make. I don’t think it’s my place. And…”
She trailed off.
“And?” Cadence encouraged.
June popped a slice of salami into her mouth to give herself a moment to think through what she wanted to say.
“I guess I’m worried that, after his grand, exciting life, a small town like this one might prove to be a disappointment,” she said, feeling out the words as she said them and deciding that they were right.
“I get why you might feel that way,” Cadence said, “but I think you’re approaching that from the wrong perspective.”
“How so?”
“Well.” Cadence stacked a slice of cheese and salami on a cracker, but paused before eating it. “I think you’re thinking of it as someone who has always lived here. You might love our town, but it’s also all you’ve ever known. So, to you, the city is this big, exciting place that only exists in your imagination.”
“I’ve been to cities,” June protested.
“No, I know,” Cadence said reassuringly. “But you and I, we’ve experienced the city as tourists. We visit, we have some good meals, we see some sights. We don’t have to do the annoying stuff like lugging our laundry to the laundromat or sitting in traffic every time we need to run an errand.”
“So, what you’re saying is that, to Levi, the city probably doesn’t seem so mysterious. And to him, small town stuff might seem kind of amazing. The things we take for granted, the community, the fact that you can walk basically anywhere you need to go. They might be exactly what Levi is looking for, given what you said about him being in the public eye so much.”
June blew out a breath. This all made a great deal of sense, but just because it was possible didn’t mean it was what Levi was actually feeling.
“I guess that’s possible,” she said. “But there’s just no knowing, not until he decides for himself. And his career is still a factor.”
“It is.” Cadence popped her snack into her mouth. When she was done chewing, she grimaced. “Waiting stinks. Not being in control stinks!”
“Here’s to that,” June said, and they toasted again.
“Speaking of Levi’s career, though,” Cadence said after a few moments of contemplative silence, in which the two women picked at the charcuterie board sitting between them. “Have you ever heard any of his music?”
June scrunched up her nose. “No. I considered looking some up after our date, but I couldn’t decide if that was weird or not. Is it weird?”
Cadence reached out and smacked her arm. “No way! He’s a public figure. He put his music out in the world specifically so that people could listen to it. It’s not, like, spying.”
“I didn’t think it was spying until you said that!” June exclaimed.
“Oh my gosh.” Cadence scrambled over June, who laughingly protested, but ultimately let her friend grab for the television remote. “Give me that.”
“You don’t know how to work that,” June accused. “Nobody knows how to work that around here except Benjamin.”
“Benjamin!” Cadence called at once, causing June to roll her eyes at her obvious mistake. “Can you come pull up YouTube?”
“Sure!” The little boy hopped up away from his game cheerfully and pressed some complex series of buttons until the app’s logo appeared. He paused, looking at June. “Mommy, am I allowed to open the grown-up side?” He looked sagely at Cadence. “I’m only allowed to do the kid side by myself andonlywhen Mommy says it’s okay to have screen time.”
“That’s a great rule,” Cadence said, matching the little boy’s seriousness.
“Daddy and I sometimes watch building shows,” Izzy contributed, not to be left out. “They’re a little boring sometimes, but then Daddy tells me if he’s done the stuff they’re doing, and then it’s cool again.”
