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Fifteen
Keelyn and I finished lunch with a flurry of conversation ranging from books to gardening tips back to books and of course eventually landing on guys.
“Have you seen Thomas lately?” Keelyn asked with a raised brow. “I may be quite a few years older than him, but I’m not dead. He’s looking pretty good.” She laughed.
I blushed and shook my head, trying my best to ignore the book still resting on the table.
Thomas Kendrix was another boy who grew up here and was now ready to make his way in the world as a man at the ripe age of twenty-six. He was gorgeous, and I had definitely noticed on my last trip to his parents’ bakery, but that didn’t matter now.
“Yes, he certainly is. But I think he and Rachel are a thing.”
“Really?” She gasped.
“Last time I went in, the two of them were huddled in the corner while his mom took my order.”
“All right. Well, good for them!” Keelyn grinned and raised her cup, toasting the new couple that would no doubt be the talk of the town by the end of the day. “Speaking of… do you have your eye on anyone yet?”
I tilted my head, Roarke’s face filling my mind’s eye. “No.” I lied. “You know me… I’m good on my own. How about you?” If she was going to pry, then so would I. Friends were allowed to do that, right?
“Nah. After my divorce, I found that friends, family, and the occasional fling were enough for me.” She raised her glass of water again. “Cheers to being an independent woman.”
I lifted mine as well, Roarke’s words floating through my mind.
Deep down, I think you are lonely.
Theimage of his broad shoulders hovering over me formed in my mind’s eye, and a smile burst onto my face.
Not anymore, I thought.
“What are you grinning at?” Keelyn teased.
“Nothing. I’m just… happy, I guess.”
Her brows rose into her hairline. “Milly Atwood, happy? Wow. I never thought I’d see the day,” she teased.
“What? Are you saying I’m some miserable teenage girl who only mopes around the library when she wants to talk to her only friend?” I made fun of myself, knowing that was exactly what I was.
I preferred my solitude, and if that meant projecting a certain vibe, I was happy to do it. It kept me safe, and now that I had Roarke, I’d be spending even less time in town. So all in all, I thought my ruse was working pretty well. No one needed to know how satisfied I was, living my magical life alone in the woods.
Memories of running through the forest with Mama slammed into me. The joy and freedom we’d cultivated here pulsed deep within our land, and I couldn’t be prouder. Even if no one else ever understood.
“Well, it’s true. Do you mind if I cancel on book club tonight? Because nothing would make me happier than sitting by this fire, reading the book you found for me.” I stood and retrieved it from the kitchen table. “Honestly, I can’t thank you enough.”
Keelyn hugged me goodbye, smiling wide. “I figured as much. And you’re completely welcome. I hope it helps you find what you’re looking for.”
Me too, I thought as I showed her to the door.
I looked at the clock, noting I only had a few hours left before nightfall. I needed to read as much of this book as I could because if it revealed even the smallest detail or any new information about the Weaver and his magic, I wanted to know it before I returned to the dreamscape tonight.
Leaving the book on the cushions, I stoked the fire and refilled my cup, then planted myself back on the couch with my feet tucked beneath Jenks’s warm fur.
“Okay, buddy, here we go.”
Cracking the spine, I skipped the introduction and flipped straight to chapter one.
Our whole lives, we’ve been led to believe our dreams are the work of our subconscious. But I’m here to tell you that is not entirely true.
From the first sentence, I was hooked. Now four hours later and after reading a quarter of the book, I was happy to find out the Weaver was telling the truth. He was the manipulator of a special kind of magic and responsible for influencing the dreams of us all.
