She smiled at Mr. Reed. “Thanks. I’m going to miss you too. Your shop reminds me of one of my favorites back home.” Handing him her credit card, she sighed. “Slater keeps telling me I may need to check an extra bag because of all the books I bought, but I think it’s worth it.”
Leaning in he whispered, “There’s no such thing as too many books.” And with a smile, he put her new books in a canvas tote and handed it to her along with her card. “Safe travels, Evie, and I hope you come back and visit.”
“Take care, Mr. Reed.” Walking out of the bookstore, she decided to take an extended lunch and treat herself to some ice cream. The Daily Scoop was located right next door, and ever since Reece had told her about it, she’d treated herself to an ice cream cone several times a week.
“Hey, Evie!” Mrs. Barrett called out. “What’ll it be today?”
The flavors never changed, but there were so many yummy ones that she always took a few minutes to carefully consider them. “Hmm…let's go with the dark chocolate in a wafer cone and add sprinkles.”
“Ooh…we’re going fancy on your last day. I love it!”
It hit Evie how she had come to know so many people here in Harbortown in the short time she’d been here. It wasn’t like that back home. Not really. The few places right around the office that she frequented almost daily knew her, but they were all so busy that it didn’t feel personal. Not like this.
Mrs. Barrett handed her the cone, and when Evie went to pay, she shook her head. “This one’s on the house. Like a little going-away gift.”
“Aww…thank you. You really don’t have to do that.”
“Reece has told us all about you and how hard you work. You deserve a sweet treat.”
She felt herself blush. “Thanks. I’ve been treating myself so much that my skirt feels a little snug. I’ll have to hit the gym hard when I get home.”
“Oh, stop. There’s nothing wrong with you. You’re a beautiful girl.” The older woman smiled at her. “We hope you'll come back and visit sometime.”
I hope so too…
“I’m sure I will,” she said instead. The bell over the door chimed, and Evie took that as her cue to start walking back to the office. She had no idea when Milo would be back, but there were a few things she could do in the meantime.
Stepping back outside, she casually strolled along, smiling at people and admiring window displays. The pace was so much slower in Harbortown and it occurred to her how much better she’d been feeling lately.
Even with the extra ice cream weight.
As much as she wanted to give credit to Slater and the multitude of orgasms he’d given her, she had a sneaky suspicion that the easy pace of small-town life was the real reason. Unfortunately, city life was all that she knew, and up until recently, it was where she thrived. But how could she dispute how she was feeling?
Or am I feeling this because I don’t want to leave?
That was a real possibility.
She’d made peace with leaving and saying goodbye to Slater. Technically. There was still a tiny piece of her heart that was waiting for him to admit he was in love with her and couldn’t live without her before following her back to Seattle, where they’d live happily ever after.
Glaring down at the tote bag full of bags, she murmured, “You’re to blame for all this. All those romances filled with yummy heroes who always came back in the end to claim their heroines.”
By the time she arrived back at the office, her cone was finished and she felt more depressed about leaving. She was putting her purse away when her phone chimed with an incoming text, but when she looked at the screen, she groaned.
Tom: Hey! Mom says you’re flying home tomorrow!
Tom: Text me your flight info and I’ll pick you up and take you to dinner!
Tom: You’re cutting it close to the wedding, so there’s a lot to catch you up on.
Tom: We’re seriously relieved you’re coming back. Morgan and I want to leave a few days early for Costa Rica, and with you here, I know everything will be taken care of.
Tom: We’ll talk about it tomorrow, kiddo! Text me that info! Love ya!
All Evie could do was blink at the screen. This was what she was rushing home for. She could have stayed an extra week and just flown directly to Costa Rica, but no…she was trying to be responsible.
“And what do I have to show for it? Handling someone else’s to-do list.”
But it’s not responsible when they’re telling you what to do and not asking. You’re allowed to let people know when they’re burdening you with stuff. It’s not okay for you to be everyone’s lackey.
