I press my lips together, trying to contain my smile as I mumble, “You’re welcome. Now get going before the other boys eat all of that yummy brioche. I’ll see you next week.”
“Yes. Saturday. Call you Monday?” Beck asks, needing to confirm with me the same way he always does before saying goodbye.
I take a quick fortifying breath and, hoping it doesn’t sound too forward, say, “Whenever you want.”
Beck rubs at the scales on his neck. “I don’t think I can call you on my way back.”
“What?”
He shrugs. “I like talking to you. So if I was allowed to call you whenever I want, we’d be on the phone all day. Including while I’m on the boat on the way back to Starry Hill. The guys said I should give you a little space, but also not too much. That’s why I thought Monday might be okay.”
Don’t read too much into it, Eleanor. He’s just being thoughtful.“You could call me on Sundays, too?” I suggest cautiously. “I go grocery shopping in the morning and do some chores around the house in the afternoon. Nothing too exciting. In the evenings I just read. You can call then?”
The biggest, most radiant grin I’ve seen to date spreads across Beck’s face. “Okay. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow,” I confirm, my heart feeling lighter than a feather being swept on the wings of the wind.
Life is looking good lately. Really good.
