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“No, he doesn’t like me. Not one bit. Let’s just skip him and not tell him.”
“Oh, absolutely not. Preston would be sad if we left him out,” Mellie says. “It’ll be okay. Did I ever tell you what Preston did for me?”
“No...” I hedge.
“When I was trying to get a divorce and find safety from my ex-husband, he helped me. I think if you just got to know him better, you’d see for yourself.”
“When I was going through my own custody battle with Caleb’s dad, Preston won my custody case,” Allie adds. “And when Hamilton McGraw was trying to take the inn last year, Preston fought him and helped Beth get it back in order for Evan when he was doing his kidney transplant with Caleb.”
“Wow, he did all of that?” I ask in disbelief.
“Yeah,” Beth says. “Sometimes I feel like Preston is so busy saving everyone else, he forgets he needs saving, too.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, my mind wandering.
“I’m just saying that he needs someone in his corner sometimes, too.” Beth shrugs.
“But in the meantime, please keep up this enemies-to-lovers situation you have going on. It’s incredibly entertaining.” Mellie wiggles her eyebrows and laughs.
I can’t even hold back my smile. “It has been fun giving him hell. And he gives it right back.”
“Of course he does. He had a crappy home life,” Beth explains. “His parents are shit, and his brother is even shittier. It’s not my place to say more, but he needs us.”
“We’re his family now. He’d do anything for us, just like we would for him,” Allie says.
“I didn’t know any of this,” I said, thinking about how Preston is an ever-changing mystery. He is not at all how I thought he would be.
Now I feel bad. Maybe I’ve been hard on Preston. Just then, my phone buzzes, and it’shim. Warmth fills me, and my cheeks feel hot. They quickly cool when I read his text. I press my lips together. He’s just telling me to be on time tomorrow. And he’s full of sarcasm. Nice.
“Preston is making up reasons to text me,” I say with a laugh.
“All right, ladies. Time to strategize more pranks to play on Preston,” Allie says.
I love it here. I beam and realize I haven’t been this happy in a long time. I want what Preston has with them. Close friends that are like family. People I can count on, and people who can count on me. I need people like this.
* * *
Later that night, after so many laughs and so much pizza, I head back to my garden shed loft with Pancake. I haven’t felt so secure and happy since my mom was alive. She was always the life of the party. My mom and Harry did their best with me, and we had a lot of fun, but when I turned eighteen, I went off like my mom and I used to. I thought that if I went on the road again, I’d feel closer to her. It didn’t work. I just felt even more lonely, and I missed Harry.
I kick off my shoes and set Pancake loose. I slide into my bed and pull out my binder. I open it to one of my favorite letters from my mom that I read when I’m missing her badly.
Dearest Bug,
Happy 16thbirthday! When you are older and working, do what makes you happy and something that sets your soul on fire. Maybe it will be something with books. You always have your nose in a book, Bug, and they seem to make you happy. Don’t do what you think you should do. Do what you want to do. I never quite figured out what made me happy, and that’s why we moved around a lot. Why I was always searching. I wish I had been able to give you a stable place to grow up. I always wanted to. We ran out of time. Make sure you do everything that lights you up so that one day, when your time is up, you have no regrets.
See you in the sunsets,
Mom
My mom is right. The bookstore does make me happy. I’ve spent years reading, recommending books to others, and sharing books as a passion. To be able to make it into a thriving business is a complete dream. I can’t let anything get in the way.
9. preston
Man of the World
I freezein the doorway of my office, keys dangling from my fingers. There’s a sign on the door:At lunch. Back in an hour.
The door is locked, so I assume she’s gone out. But no. When Theo and I step inside, there she is, wearing hot pink curve-hugging leggings and a fitted bright purple tank top. And she’s balancing on a rainbow-patterned yoga mat with her butt in the air. She’s doing yoga in the middle of my reception area, with hot pink polish on her toes. I freeze because she’s gorgeous, and I can’t take my eyes off her.
