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There’s a hitch in my breath. That thing he does, where he says, “two things” is an Oliver thing. He’s been doing it since he was sixteen years old, and I find it adorable. It usually means something funny and ridiculous. But this time, I’m wrong, because he goes all serious on me, like he’s about to recite Tolstoy’sWar and Peace.
“One, who are we running from? And two, about closing night—”
I can’t talk about it because then he’ll think I care, and I don’t. So, I go for the slightly lesser of two evils.
“I don’t know exactly why he wants to talk to me, but I strongly suspect it has something to do with Longdale Days, as in he’s going to ask me to run it.” I shunt out a breath. “I can’t. I won’t do it.”
“Wow. Run Longdale Days? Like, be in charge of the whole thing? That’s huge, Soph.”
My stomach tingles. He called me Soph. Not many people do that anymore. I should tell him not to.
“You’re saying it like it’s a good thing.”
He uses his blinker to turn left and I’m glad to know he hasn’t abandoned all safe driving practices.
“I’m impressed,” he says. “You get to wear a hat and ride a classic car in the parade.”
“No, because I’m not going to say yes.” Although the thought of having everyone see me as chairperson of Longdale Days gives me a brief flash of triumph. Like,Look at little Sophie Lawson now, ya geeks!
I continue. “I’ve been saying yes for years to everything the county council has been asking me to do because I’m petitioning for a new, brick and mortar location for the library. So there’s been thisquid pro quoidea out there—I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine. I’ll volunteer, I’ll head committees, I’ll do whatever they need so they’ll support the petition. But this?” I shake my head. “It’s too much. I’m not going to do it.”
Oliver gives a hearty nod. “Good. If people have been taking advantage of your skills and not giving you the support you need, then I’m one hundred percent in favor of you not doing it.” He steals another glance at me. “But why didn’t you just tell the guy that? What’s his name again?”
I never said his name. It’s complicated and messy and I especially don’t want Oliver to know about any of that.
“He’s just on the county council.” I wave it away. “And I’m going to tell him no. I’ve already told Sue Leavitt I’m not interested, and she was supposed to tell the council. I don’t know why he’d track me down at the mobile library.”
I give a little laugh, and I’m pretty sure Oliver knows it’s laced with nerves. Because I totally know why that man showed up today, and I can’t bring myself to talk about it.
“My offer still stands. I’ll talk to him for you. Tell him to leave you alone and that you’re not going to be chairing anything, especially Longdale Days.” His brow scrunches down. “Isn’t that coming up in like a month, anyway?”
I nod. “Five weeks. Yes. And Sue Leavitt stepped down. She’s been in charge of it for as long as I can remember, but she had back surgery and said that was her ticket out.” I shake my head. “And her eyes sparkled like she was thinking, ‘Finally, my pretty.” I bring my hands together to rub them sneakily. “Someone to unwittingly take over the worst, most thankless job in the county.’”
Oliver laughs. I’ve missed the way I can make him laugh. And I wasn’t going to. I knew he was back in town, so I’ve been practicing putting up my wall. The wall that helped me survive every summer in high school with him.
Because the truth is, he’s a Tate boy. And for reasons I can’t begin to understand, there’s just something about them Tate boys.
Well, Icanunderstand it because they’re all handsome and exciting. All six of them. And though they always had plenty of money, it’s been within the last ten years that the oldest, Sebastian, who is two years older than Oliver and me, struck it rich in the resort industry.
Important sidenote: I have not crushed on all six Tate men. I’m not that kind of woman. I only ever had feelings for three of them, okay? And it’s three too many.
Also important to note? I have cared for other men besides the Tates.
“You keep avoiding the subject,” Oliver says.
“What subject?”
He pauses and sighs. “When I didn’t come last year. I’m sorry about that.”
I give my robotic giggle again. “Do you think I’m upset with you or something? Oliver, no. It’s nothing. I’d basically forgotten too, until that night and I was like, ‘oh yeah, it’s the Oliver thing.’”
I rotate my body to better face him. The more I talk, the more I’m convincing myself. “So really, it’s no big deal. It’s way past time we stopped that. I mean, someday, maybe even soon, we’ll marry and have kids and it wouldn’t be practical to meet up for a milkshake from Shake, Shake, Shake.”
I laugh, hopefully more convincingly this time. And I will myself to discard the thought that when I said “we’ll marry and have kids,” an image of Oliver and I having a family together pressed on my brain.
He lets out a long breath. “Good. I’m glad you aren’t upset about that. I’ve been feeling bad, you know? And especially about not letting you know beforehand or following up.”
Yep. That’s the real kicker for me. That’s what hurt the most. He owes me an explanation.
