I huff at myself as I mix an iced coffee order. I’m not avoiding him, he’s avoiding me. And thank goodness. Because I’m same old Harper, falling for a classic love-bomber with one foot out the door.
When will I learn? I am cute and different. I am novel and fun for a while. Then I am boring. Small. Easy to leave behind.
“I actually don’t know if he will,” Shelly says when she appears in our conversation out of nowhere. “I mean, it’s been days since he’s been in the store. The mornings have been SO boring.”
“Has he been going to Comet like we thought, did you figure that out?” Madison asks her.
“Nope, Steven heard he went to the city for a couple days. Went to Starbucks up the highway one morning. Now he’s using some kajillion-dollar home espresso machine and grumbling about ordering ever type of chestnut, chestnut cream, chestnut syrup. That’s the report from Steven’s friends at the job site, anyway. Here you go!” She hands someone a napkin as if she works for me. Then she shifts to look me in the eye, “But we all know it’s not as good.”
I shrug and roll my eyes. It might be as good. Who knows? Who cares? Not me.
“You do care, Harper Brown, and you know it! You watch the front door like a hawk, same way you’re watching the lines around these booths right now.”
I shake my head, “Don’t you have a race to watch?”
“More than one! Gary and Steven will be busy on that megaphone all day, and people keep paying to enter more! Say whatyou want about your man Vandy, but one, he’s fine, and two, he was right again. Once the people get here, they do not notice up charges and do not care about a few additional bucks here and there.”
“Notmy man,” I say as I hand her one of her favorite quiches and a small coffee, which is why she’s over here, I’m betting.
“Is he still supplying you with meals from the city?” I don’t answer Shelly out loud but my guilty, blushing face says that yes, yes, he is. “And still walking your dog during the afternoons so he’s tired at night for ya?” Yup, that too.
“And did you notice the ramps?” Madison asks Shelly.
She gets excited, “Ramps, what ramps?”
Madison looks at me expectantly.
“Betty set Dad up on a scooter so he’d get out more. I didn’t even tell anyone, then boom, ramps on our porch, ramps out back, ramps at the store too,” I explain quickly. Shelly’s mouth drops open. “Stop! We’ve all been over this. Sure, it’s nice now but this has all happened before, remember? I have a giant dog to show it for!…Show for it!”
The sweet pharmacist deflates, “Okay, Sweetie. Okay. I just hate that you’re right.”
I deflate too.
But I am right.
Shelly is also right. I can’t stop looking for Aiden everywhere, all the time. I check my phone for texts. I keep waiting for Stuart to escape so I can go track him down, hopefully next door. Possibly during a sweaty workout of some sort.
Then I kick myself about all of the above. It’s Memorial Day weekend, meaning there’s only just over a month left. After we fail and the town realizes this was all for nothing, when we stop trying, he’ll be gone.
And I’ll still be here.
But Dad lit up at the store this morning! He was so happy! Happy Roots! Happy Thoughts!
I try to stay positive the rest of the morning. The sales help. The massive early turnout helps, too. But my eyes search and search and never find Aiden.
Then, just in time for one of the big races…they land on Lewis.
CHAPTER 25
Harper
I keep myself busy, eyes down, hard as it is, for about a half hour. Lewis doesn’t come by the booth and I don’t go out of my way to greet him. I don’t miss him or want him or any of that. It’s just awkward. So I keep to myself at my booth. Until my phone buzzes in my pocket.
Steven: You need to see this, get down to the shore ASAP
Harper: I know he’s here
Steven: Did you know he was bringing Stuart?
