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“It’s fun. I like meeting the customers. Sometimes the little kids have such a hard time deciding what they want. It’s like the most important decision they’re making that day.”

“You’re doing a good job,” he said.

“Thank you.”

“I’m getting feedback from different people. They like how you handle yourself.”

The unexpected compliment pleased her. “Thank you. That’s nice to hear.”

Toby studied her. “Adien is going to be heading out on maternity leave in a few weeks, and she’s told me she won’t be coming back to work. Not with three little ones at home. I’m going to have to replace her. I know you said you’re only in town for the month, but if you were going to stay, I’d like to offer you a job here. You’d get a substantial pay raise, and the job would be full-time, with benefits.”

The offer stunned her. “I don’t know what to say,” she admitted, suddenly feeling a little tightness in her chest. “I appreciate you thinking of me.”

“You’re good at what you do. It’s a summer job for a few hours a day. A lot of people would simply go through the motions and not put any effort into it. You chose to get involved and work the program. I respect that.”

“Thank you.”

“What are your plans, Shaye? I don’t mean leaving or not leaving, but what do you want to do with your life?”

The question surprised her. Almost no one had asked about her thoughts on the future—at least not since her parents had passed away. “I want to get a degree in marketing. I have about a year and a half of college. I want to finish that, then find a job in my chosen field.”

“So not retail.”

She smiled. “Not permanently.”

He nodded. “Stick with your goals. Don’t get distracted by life. My advice is worth what you paid for it, by the way. Think about the job offer. Adien’s here through the month, so I’m not going to start looking for a replacement until after Christmas in July.” The smile returned. “North Cascades College isn’t that far from here. You might want to look at their curriculum.”

“There’s a college nearby?”

“A good one. You’d probably want to establish residency so you don’t have to pay out-of-state tuition.”

“Yes, I’ve already thought about that. It takes a year.”

“The year is going to pass regardless of what you do. I’ll keep the job offer open until the end of the month. If you want to talk about it in more detail, feel free. I promise not to mistake interest for a firm yes.”

“Thank you. You’ve given me a lot to think about.”

“That was the goal.”

He nodded at her, then left. Shaye stood in the back room of Judy’s Hand Pies, her head spinning.

The job offer was unexpected, to say the least. As was the information on the nearby college. She’d never considered staying in Wishing Tree—her plan had always been to move on to Seattle. Only that was slightly less appealing than it had been. She didn’t know anyone in Seattle. She didn’t have a job lined up or a place to stay. She would be completely starting over.

Not that she was ready to commit to staying here, either. The town was great, and she was making friends, but it was still too soon to know where she belonged. She wanted to make a smart decision, a logical one, rather than choose something because she’d met a cute guy who made her heart beat faster and her knees weak.

“I have time,” she whispered. Toby had said he wouldn’t start looking for a replacement until after Christmas in July. So she could consider her options and think everything through. She knew whatever decision she made, it had to be based on what was right for her and not contingent on any man in her life. She’d learned that lesson already, and she wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice.

Chapter Six

Lawson told himself that despite how it felt, his plan wasn’t going to kill him. He knew going slow, getting to know Shaye and letting her get to know him, made the most sense. Yes, every time they hung out, he was more and more attracted to her, but he wasn’t interested in a superficial fling. He wanted the real thing, and he was hoping she did, too.

So he hung on to his self-control and stayed firmly in the friend zone. He joked with her, spoke freely about himself when asked and brought up what he hoped were unexpected and interesting topics for them to discuss while they worked on the Mustang.

“Of course I believe in God,” she said one evening as they worked to reinstall the valves into the head using new valve seals. “And an afterlife.”

“Is it Heaven?” he asked.

She smiled at him. “I’m going to shock you and say no.”