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Crouching low, he opened a drawer of the desk, rooted around inside, and pulled out a small plastic box.
His leg brushed against mine as he stood up again and sorted the supplies. “Now, tell me about Dez. Was the fight about the coffee shop?”
I nodded. “It’s a long story, but the fight ended with him basically asking why I hadn’t offered to buy Magpie’s if I was so afraid of him selling it. But why would I do that if I didn’t think he’d been serious about selling? It’s illogical thinking.”
Illogicalseemed a good word to sum him up lately.Infuriatingworked as well.
Donovan lifted my arm, blew across my skin, chasing away the sting of the burn. It probably wasn’t the most sanitary thing to do, but the whisper of his breath on my arm had released all kinds of tension so I wasn’t about to complain.
“Is Dez serious about the sale, after all?” he asked.
I thought about the folder in Carmella’s hands. “I think he is. So I guess I’m buying a coffee shop.”
It was the first time I’d allowed myself to think the words, let alone speak them. But as soon as I said them, I knew it was the right thing to do. I just had to figure outhow. It wasn’t as though I had a nest egg big enough to buy it outright. My nest egg would belong to a hummingbird.
In the past if I’d needed a loan, I’d always gone to my father. But that was out of the question now. I’d look into getting a commercial mortgage. If that didn’t work, then I wasn’t sure what I’d do. But I’d find a way. For my mama, I’d find a way.
He pulled out a tube of antibiotic ointment and squeezed a blob onto a square of cotton gauze. “Let me know if I can help at all.”
“I will. Thanks.”
He wrapped my wound, taped it off. His hands lingered, his fingertips brushing against the delicate skin on the underside of my arm. “Better?”
I didn’t trust my voice. “Mm-hmm.”
I’d missed his touch. Honestly, I’d missed him. I’d been missing him for twenty years now.
“You know I aim to please.”
My heart started thumping—in a good way for a change. I pulled in a breath, gathering up all the courage I could muster. “I came by because I was wondering if your offer to go to the antique mall tomorrow is still open?”
His fingers stilled, and his gaze searched mine. I wasn’t surewhat he was looking for, but there was warmth in his blue-green eyes, shimmering like the gulf water on a hot summer’s day. “Of course it’s still open. But why’d you change your mind?”
My voice was raw when I said, “I’ve been hearing a lot lately about letting go. And I’m not saying that’s necessarily a bad thing. But maybe, sometimes, when something feels good, feels right, it’s best to hold on.”
As I said the words, I let go of some of my fears, watching them drift away like a toy boat caught on a wave.
Speaking of…
“I do have one condition to our date, however.”
“What’s that?”
“I won’t go unless you promise you’ll buy yourself a boat. Maybe not today. Or tomorrow. But one day. I refuse to be the reason you give up something you love. You’re not the only one who learned a painful lesson from our history.”
“Maggie, I told you—”
“It’s a deal-breaker, Donovan.”
He looked deep into my eyes and must have seen my resolve, because he said, “All right, Maggie. I promise.” He abandoned the bandages and cradled my face in his large palms. “Listen, now that we have that out of the way, can we get back to talking about you wanting to hold on to me? I really liked that part.” His eyes flashed. Heat lightning.
As I sat there, basking in his attention, my fears poked me, prodded, but I did my best to ignore them, letting my heart lead the way. Because Estrelle had told me that I’d never have the future I yearned for otherwise.
And the future I wanted—the future I’dalwayswanted—was with Donovan.
As I left the bakery, there was a skip in my step, hope in my heart.
Donovan and I had a date tomorrow. A full day with him, of not holding back, of not keeping it all in. It was all I could do not to dance my way back to the shop.
