Page 45 of Summer Holiday Lifeline

“So he has time to swing by for you.”

“He does.”

“Well, then, have a great time.”

“You sure you don’t mind?”

“Positive.”

“Really?”

“I promise, Steph. Go. Have fun. You deserve this.”

“He wants to go to the Hen and Hog to eat after, so you’ll be on your own for supper. Again.”

Even as she said it, there was a knock on the front door of the shop, and she lost her fight to hold back a radiant smile.

“I’ll be fine,” he said again, getting up to follow her to the door.

It wasn’t Bob standing on the porch, however, when Stephanie swung the heavy oak door open.

It was Myles.

“Oh! Hey!” If anything, the grin in her voice was even broader. “Come in.”

“Hi. Sorry.” Myles did step onto the welcome mat, but no farther. His shoulders lifted, and he stuffed his hands into his pockets. “I don’t mean to intrude. I know you’re closed. I just wanted to pay for an LP Jet and I took home the other day.” He held out a hand with some twenties. “I can come back if⁠—”

“No, no.” Stephanie grabbed his arm and yanked him into the room. “This is great. I was just going out, so now I don’t have to worry about leaving Stevie here doing inventory all on his own.” She began to peel Myles’s hoodie off his shoulders.

“Steph!” Steven eased her back, but the coat, firmly in her grasp now, came too.

Myles had the grace to let her take it without comment.

Outside, Bob’s car rumbled up to the curb.

“There’s my ride!” Tossing Myles’s sweater at Steven, she nabbed her own from the coat tree in the corner of the foyer and pushed her feet into her docks.

Bob had made it halfway up the walk when she stepped out. “Hi.”

Ever the gentleman, he took her cardigan from her and held it so she could push her arms into it.

“Didn’t want to make you wait.” She aimed a devastating smile at him. “Have fun, boys!” The wave she tossed at them was much less accurately aimed; then she was gone, chatting to Bob as they headed back towards his car.

“I am so sorry about that,” Steven said, attempting to hand Myles’s hoodie back to him. “You didn’t have to make a special trip.”

“To be honest, those four walls were beginning to close on me. Jet and Shelly are watching Avatar for about the millionth time. Good as the movie is, I just couldn’t do it again. I might have snuck away.”

“In that case, welcome to my refuge,” Steven said, ushering him deeper into the house while ignoring the twist of unease at Myles implying he wasn’t a fan of being stuck indoors. Maybe a change of scenery would be enough to let him stay for a bit.

“Steph said you were in the middle of something.”

“Inventorying new books for the shelves.” He poked at the dust-covered boxes on the coffee table.

“New.” Myles looked skeptical.

“Well. New to the store. Sort of. We’re slowly pulling my dad’s… overly enthusiastic collection out of storage to put them out. They won’t sell from the Labyrinth.”

Both of Myles’s eyebrows went up. “The Labyrinth?”