Page 59 of Library or Lattes?

Then we worked quietly side by side, on our own work. Every so often I’d steal glances at him, watch him push up his glasses or frown at a page. And during one of those glances he caught my eye.

“What are you working on?” he asked.

I looked at my screen, then angled it so he could see.

“I’ve been reading all these travel essays, and you know what I noticed?”

“What?” His eyes were intense. Interested.

“The good ones are never really about the place.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean … like all of them describe what it’s like in Paris or Tokyo or Timbuktu, but the best ones are the ones that get across how the writer felt in these places. Who they became there.”

I clicked to a different tab. “In this one, the writer is in Barcelona, and all the descriptions are so detailed, but the part that kept me interested was when she got lost and had to talk to locals even though she was scared to do it. And it ended up being the best part of her trip.” I glanced up at Theo. There was that look again. The one that made me feel seen.

“And I guess that’s kind of what you’re saying about the alcoves? It’s not really about the space, it’s about what happens there?”

“You got it, Doc.”

“Yeah, I think I do.” I smiled at him, but the smile was really for myself. It was like the point of my essay had just been revealed to me.

“Are you hungry?” Theo asked, breaking the spell. “Want to grab some pizza at that place in the square?”

Pizza in the square? Where everyone would see us? My heart raced, but my mind went back to what Avery had said … If I was going out with a hot guy in his twenties I’d be shouting it from the rooftops …

I mean I definitely wasn’t going to be running around shouting, but maybe it didn’t have to be quite so private. Maybe people would just be … happy for me?

“Pepe’s?” I asked, surprising myself with how steady my voice sounded. “Pizza sounds good.”

“Is that the one that’s half a pizza place and half Chinese food?” Theo made a face.

“Well, what’s the point of having two separate restaurants when you can just gather them all together under one small-town roof?” I teased. “And yes, I do want pizza. And some fortune cookies.”

We packed up our things and headed into the square. It felt different, walking into town with Theo on a Monday afternoon.

“Are you okay? Are you nervous, Doc? Do I make you nervous?” Theo squeezed my hand.

My heart was racing. My hand was clammy in his, and he must have felt it. On the other side of the street, Mrs. Porter did a double take.

My instinct was to drop his hand, to walk farther apart. But I took a deep breath and held on tighter instead. This was fine. It was good. I liked Theo and didn’t need to hide it. The fact that I hadn’t told Pop about it was at the back of my mind, but I would deal with that later.

“No. I mean, it’s just a little weird since I know everyone around here. For instance, Mrs. Henderson will be delighted that there’s some new town gossip.” I nodded toward the General Store as we walked past. As if on cue, Mrs. Henderson walked out the door and onto the sidewalk in front of us.

“Well, if it isn’t Willa Taylor. And who’s this fine young man you’re with?” Mrs. Henderson asked. She glanced toward our hands, and I slid mine free.

“Oh, hi there, Mrs. H, this is Theo, Alfie Carmichael’s brother.”

“Enchanted.” Theo smiled and held out his hand.

Mrs. Henderson took it. “Of course—my memory isn’t what it used to be. I’ve heard all about you, honey. Fixed up that window in the library real well, Jo said.”

“I wish we could stay and chat, but we’ve been working so hard that we forgot to eat and pizza is all we can think about.”

Mrs. Henderson waved us off. “Well, you two enjoy your meal now.”

When we were a few feet down the street, Theo took my hand again. “See, that wasn’t so bad.”