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An awkward silence fell, and I wasn’t sure what to do. Should I kiss him good-bye, hug him, shake his hand, or just wave? Did I make the first move, or should I let him? “It was good to see you,” I said at last. “I really missed you.” I figured that counted as a verbal first move. Whatever happened next was up to him.
“Yeah,” he said, looking down at the ground and turning red. “It hasn’t been the same without you.”
I could come back! I wanted to scream, but I wasn’t going to beg, not even for him.
He came around the car and opened the driver’s-side door, then paused as he stood inside the open door, leaning against the top of it. “Thanks for your help, as usual.”
“Say hi to everyone for me.”
“I will.” There was another long, uncomfortable silence. I wasn’t sure what was going through his head, but I was imagining throwing myself at him and giving him a kiss that would have drawn every naiad in a three-county area. His cheeks turned even redder, which made me really wonder what he was thinking. After a pause he said hoarsely, “I’m sorry you had to go because I screwed up.”
“It wasn’t because—”
He smiled ruefully and shook his head. “I know you didn’t blame me, but let’s face it, that’s the reason, because I have this bad tendency to lose perspective when it comes to you. But, you know, I have those same perspective problems whether you’re near or far, and it’s a whole lot easier and a lot less distracting for me to drop everything when you need help if you’re near than if you’re far away. I can’t seem to get you out of my head wherever you are.”
I was stunned silent—something I hadn’t been sure was possible. With Owen, you often had to read between the lines. Had he just said what I thought he’d said? “So, you weren’t mad at me for leaving?” I asked at last.
“I was mad at me for getting us into a situation where you felt you had to leave. And I guess I thought you were disappointed in me, like everyone else was.”
“I was worried about you. I didn’t want you to have to go through anything like that again, to have to make that choice again. And that didn’t go so well, did it?”
“All’s well that ends well. Whenever you’re ready, I’d like to have you back.” Before I could respond, he got into the car and shut the door. I stood in the driveway until his car was out of sight.
When I couldn’t even imagine a trace of him anymore, I went to my truck and drove to the store.
“Did Owen get away on time?” Dad asked when I got there.
“Yeah, his flight isn’t until this evening, so he should have plenty of time, even with any security holdups.”
“Good, good. Now, when will you be going back to New York?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“That’s where you want to be, isn’t it?”
“Well, yeah, but…”
“And could you work out something with your job?”
“I’m sure I could, but…”
“Then you need to be there. That’s a good man you’ve got, and you’ll get nowhere with each other at a distance like this. You’re not afraid of something, are you?”
I’d been afraid he didn’t really want me there, but that had gone out the window with what he’d just said. “No, I guess not.” I realized then that I was afraid of more than that. I’d never let myself believe Owen could want me. This distance had become an excuse. I could play noble and stay down in Texas, with no danger of the relationship moving in either direction—getting closer together or breaking apart—and not take any chances. Or I could face things head-on, win or lose. “You know, I think he might be worth taking a chance on. I guess I’ll see when I can book a plane ticket to go back.”
Dad reached into his pocket and brought out an envelope. “You’ve been working hard all spring, which is one of our busy times, and you’ve got us back on track with all your systems. I haven’t paid you nearly enough, so here’s what I owe you. Buy yourself a plane ticket and go back tomorrow, if you want to.”
I gulped and blinked away tears, then threw my arms around him. “Thanks, Dad. Now I guess I’d better see if I can get a seat.”
I logged on to the airline website using the frequent flier number I’d signed up for in optimism before my first trip to New York, back when I’d imagined myself becoming a real jet-setter. I was surprised to find that there was already a ticket reserved for me, going to LaGuardia the next afternoon. I wasn’t sure if it was Merlin or Owen, since both of them had those uncanny precognitive abilities, but either way, it was a pretty strong message.
I grabbed my things from the office and ran out into the store. “I’ve got a flight for tomorrow. I’d better get home and pack,” I called out as I left.
Back at home, I ran up the stairs to my room, then stopped short in the doorway. Sitting on my bed was a single red stiletto pump. I’d had a pair of those shoes, once upon a time. I’d lost one of them during a particularly disastrous New Year’s Eve party. This had to be that shoe, and Owen had been the one who had it all this time. I still had the other one in my closet as a reminder of the little bit of glamour I’d enjoyed in my New York life. I went straight to the closet to get it, but it wasn’t there.
Then I took another look at the shoe on my bed. It was the right shoe, the one I’d had all along. Still, the fact that the shoe was out there had to be a sign.
After I had everything packed, including the shoe, I got into my truck to make one last round around town. I dropped in on Nita at the motel. “Please slap me the next time I say I want excitement,” she said. “I’m still recovering from this crazy week.” I noticed that the rock-and-roll decor was gone and the old chamber of commerce calendar prints were back.
