“Jesus, Brad, you scared me to death!”
“I didn’t mean to.” He rubbed his eyes and looked at his watch. “I must have fallen back to sleep.”
“Did you sleep here all night?” Leah lowered herself into the chair opposite Brad, studying him. He looked terrible, his eyes lined by dark circles. His seersucker shirt, which she realized he must’ve worn for his goodbye dinner with Ethan, was badly creased.
Brad looked down at his hands. “My grandmother kicked me out.”
“Oh, Brad.”
She made coffee. Since there would be none of Maria’s pastries, she rummaged through the fridge and found a sleeve of bagels. She toasted one, slathering it with extra cream cheese, and brought all of it out to the storefront on a little tray.
“Eat,” she ordered. For once Brad did not complain about the carbs.
When he’d devoured the bagel and finished the coffee, he was ready to talk.
“How did she find out?” Leah asked softly.
“Ethan and I went out to dinner last night, before he left.” He smiled sadly. “It was so nice. We went to STARS at Chatham Bars. Everything was perfect.”
She waited for him to go on.
“The thing is, I never expected an Ethan in my life. My goal for this summer was to earn some money for grad school and see my grandma. I wasn’t even looking for someone new.”
“They say that’s when it happens.”
“Last night at dinner, we talked. About making this work long term.” Brad’s eyes shone. “We’re both so surprised to have stumbled into each other, and we don’t want to let go.”
“That’s beautiful, Brad. It’s what you deserve.”
“I was so happy on the drive home. I wasn’t even sad Ethan was leaving. We made a commitment. In a few short months, I’d be back in the city with him. I was just so…”
“Happy?” Leah could feel it emanating from him just in the telling. But then his face fell.
“When I got home, it was late. My grandmother always goes to bed early, but there was a light on in the parlor. She had waited up for me.” Brad let out a long breath. “Right away, I knew why.”
“What did she say?”
“She was worked up. The second I opened the door she hopped up out of her chair. I could see her cheeks were flushed, like she’d been pacing. Straightaway she asked me if I had been out with Ethan.”
“She knew.”
Brad nodded. “When I told her yes, she told me that she did not like me hanging out with him. That he was a sinner.”
“Oh, Brad. What did you say?”
“I told her I guess that made me one, too.” He put his head in his hands. “She told me to get out. That she never wanted to see me again.” His voice broke. “That I was dead to her.”
Leah rose and wrapped her arms around Brad. Here was one of the kindest, funniest, most generous hearts she’d known, and his own grandmother had turned him away. When she let go, she looked him in the eye. “You’re going through a lot, but you can’t stay here,” she told him.
“I know.” Brad stood up, gathering his blanket and pillow. “I’ll find a place, don’t worry.”
“No, that’s not what I meant,” Leah said. “I meant, you can’t stay here at the shop. I want you to stay with me. At my house.”
She could see him beginning to object. “I mean it. I could use the company.”
He was so worn out, Brad did not argue “Thank you, Leah.”
“Where’s your stuff?”
