Page 59 of A Fall to Remember

She laughed at herself as she checked in on the store and her staff. Things were running smoothly, and items were continuing to fly off the shelves. That was a good thing. There was still no sign of Pete, and Elise was off enjoying the carnival with friends.

Miranda spent about an hour in the shop, chatting with customers and placing new orders for restocking. They would close early for the bonfire, so they should be in good shape for the next couple of hours.

She decided to head home for a late afternoon tea and to change. The bonfire wasn’t a fancy affair. She would need to layer to stave off the cold breeze that was sure to roll in later. The minute she opened her front door, she was greeted by the heady aroma of Jim’s flowers. She still couldn’t get over how wonderful he was. She was yet to find a single flaw. He was funny, smart, slightly irreverent, up to date on pop culture, easy to be around, kind, and so very handsome.

At least a half dozen times, she’d almost kissed him again but had held back.

She was fairly sure he reciprocated her feelings, but where was this going to go? They were worlds apart. She loved Half Moon Bay and the Green Grocer. She couldn’t picture herself in Seattle. For visits, of course. But a permanent move, never. Was there any point in telling him how she felt if this relationship was doomed from the start? Maybe they could consider trying long distance, but that always sounded good on paper and terrible in reality.

They had just started to get to know each other. Miranda couldn’t quite picture herself on Zoom or FaceTime “dates,” if you could call them that. She knew plenty of people made it work, but she didn’t think that was for her, and it didn’t seem like Jim’s style either.

No, it was probably best to let it go. To bury any thoughts of a future with Jim.

It wasn’t in the cards.

This had been a fun, flirty weekend. A little break from her daily routine. But tomorrow he would be back in Seattle, and she would resume the life she loved here.

The sound of Pete’s voice pulled her back into the present. “Mom, hey, Mom, are you home?”

“In here, honey,” Miranda called from the living room. This was a good sign. He came into the room, looking out of sorts. His hair was windblown. There was a faint lipstick mark on his cheek, and his jeans were sandy. “I haven’t seen you all day. How’s it been going?”

“Okay.” He stood in the arched doorway between the entry and the living room.

“You want to sit?” Miranda didn’t typically need to invite him in.

Pete hesitated, glancing at his jeans. “I’m covered in sand.”

“I see that.” Miranda hid a smile, not mentioning the lipstick mark. “Did you bury yourself? Remember when you and Elise used to take turns burying each other?”

“I wish.” He scratched his head. “No, Shelby had Lacy and me posing, and somehow she decided it would be funny if we got into a sand fight.”

“A sand fight.” She raised her eyebrow.

“Don’t ask. She had us both grab handfuls of sand and toss them at each other. Well, not exactly toss. Not like throwing sand in our eyes, but more like let the sand rain down. She thought it made for a sexy shot.”

“How is it going with Lacy?”

“Fine. I don’t want to get into it,” Pete said, sounding almost resigned. “I have to get through tonight, and then it’s done.”

“That sounds ominous.” Miranda propped a pillow over her lap and hugged it close to her body. “Are you sure everything’s okay?”

“Don’t tell Shelby because I’m doing this for her, but I’m not cut out for social media dating. I can’t fake it. It doesn’t feel right.”

Miranda felt a slight wave of relief wash over her. Is that why he was upset last night? Did he think she was faking being interested in Jim? If that were the case, she could set the record straight now.

“What do you mean, you’re doing it for Shelby?”

“It’s complicated.” Pete sighed. “I made a promise to Shelby not to say anything. You don’t need to worry. I’ve got it handled.”

“I’m sure you do. I trust you.” Miranda held his gaze, seeing a flash of something—worry? Guilt?—briefly in his expression, and wondering if he was going to broach the subject of the kiss first. She glanced around the living room at the dozens of framed photos of them on so many different adventures—s’mores on the beach, story hour at the library, Pete’s high school and college graduations, him at the Green Grocer over the years. She used to take his photo on the first day of school in front of the store to mark his growth and changes. Where did the years go? Sometimes she couldn’t believe the handsome, wise, young man standing in the doorframe was her little guy.

“Mom, look, I need to talk to you about something.” Pete clasped and unclasped his hands.

Miranda recognized his tell. He was nervous. She would put him out of his misery. “Honey, I know. I’m sorry about the kiss. It wasn’t planned. It was completely spontaneous. I’m sorry if it made you uncomfortable, but let me assure you I have very real feelings for Jim. The kiss wasn’t fake or scripted.”

“The kiss? What kiss?” Pete pulled his head back and scrunched his forehead. “You kissed Jim?”

Miranda breathed in slowly. He didn’t know about the kiss? Then why had he been so upset last night? And why had he avoided her this morning?