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At hearing that, I laugh. “Evan? Unless he’s changed a lot since high school, I doubt that. He was always a great guy.”
“At the time, they needed help, so I stayed. And I fell in love with him. And this place,” she says dreamily. “Kind of like you staying to help Preston,” she teases.
“No, absolutely not. I won’t be falling in love with Preston,” I say firmly.
Beth shrugs. “You never know.”
I need to deflect from Preston, but I’m also curious about her adventures. It’s not often you meet a fellow van dweller. “When you were living out your nomad era, where was your favorite place?”
She looks thoughtful for a second and says, “Anywhere with mountains, really. I think that’s why I like it here so much. It feels like home. I can’t say I had a favorite place. That was a lonely time of my life. I wrote a lot of books and kept to myself.”
“We have a lot in common,” I offer. “After college, I spent all my time wandering and working. Pancake and Harry were all I really had. I wish I had come back more to visit him, but I stayed busy working toward my dream.”
“Well, I don’t have a cool raccoon like you,” she teases. “Just two ornery black and white dogs that keep us all on our toes.”
“You can borrow Pancake anytime. Do you think Evan will mind that he’s here?” I ask, biting my lip.
“Probably not. He might be concerned with the health department and codes and all that business stuff,” she laughs, squeezing him in a small hug. “But I sure love him.”
“I don’t want to break any rules.”
“We’ll figure it out. He once let a guest bring their pet ferrets. That was an interesting weekend.” She laughs as she stands up. I’m sure there’s more to the story, but she doesn’t want to freak me out by telling it. “All right, I have to go before Evan comes looking for me. He’s doing his nightly rounds. Let us know if you need anything.” She gives me a quick hug and smiles as she heads to the door. “Glad you’re here, Paige.”
“Thanks, Beth, me, too.” I shut the door softly behind her.
“We’re lucky to be here, Pancake. These are good people.” He burrows under the blanket on the bed, clearly ready for me to join him.
Exhausted with all the events of this very long day and the emotional toll it’s all taken on me, I think about Preston and what it will be like to work with him at his law office. I need this job more than anything, but I didn’t want to tell Preston that. I’m not sure I want to share any vulnerabilities with that guy. I have to keep Harry safe at the assisted living facility, which comes with a hefty monthly bill. I can’t let him down. I won’t let him down. I just need to make this work until I can get the bookstore off the ground.
I reach over to the bedside table and take one of Harry’s birds in my hand. I run a finger over its smooth, comforting surface. Whittling seems to have helped with Harry’s dementia over these past years. I treasure each one because I never know when it’s going to be his last.
A tear escapes and runs down my cheek; I swipe it away, my eyes hot and burning. I can’t lose him. Then I will really be all alone.
I drift off to sleep, exhaustion taking over, tears still wet on my face.
* * *
The next morning, I get Pancake situated in his carrier and into the van. I nab a few key lime scones and a thermos of coffee, along with some paper cups with the Golden Gable logo on them.
My plan is to check in with Harry and then head over to Freedom Valley Law. I know Preston said to be there at eight, but he’s just going to have to wait. I’ll talk to him about Harry later.
Plus, I’m so freaking nervous around him. He makes my stomach dip. Not to mention what he does to other parts of my anatomy. Sure, I’ve met some gorgeous guys and even dated a few. It never ends well. I’m the girl they keep secret because they don’t want to be seen with me or they’re ashamed that I’m plus sized. I’ve been down this road before. I have no problem with the way I look or my style, and I feel great in my skin. I feel beautiful and strong.
But Preston? He’s so good-looking that it does things to me. Like make me crazy irritated, hot in my face crazy. It’s so hard to play it cool around him.
I want to find out why he’s so grumpy. Why he’s so stuffy. I want to wrap my fist around his tie and pull him into a kiss that makes his socks fly off. But, no, I am keeping it together.
I head to town, jamming out to my music, humming along as I turn into Freedom Valley Assisted Living. I tuck Pancake into his backpack and head inside. I smile at Janice at the front desk. “Good morning,” I say with a big smile, happy it’s her and not horrible Sheila. It’s either one or the other working at the front desk, and when Janice is there, the tone of the whole facility is different from when Sheila is on shift. But not Janice. Janice, we love.
“Hey there, honey,” Janice says warmly and smiles even bigger when I hand her a key lime scone and take the thermos out of my bag. “You shouldn’t have.” She sees the inn’s logo on the cup, and her eyes widen. “Is this from Sasha?”
“It is indeed. Thank you for taking such good care of Harry. How’s he doing today?”
“He’s having a good morning so far. He and Evelyn are still up to their usual antics back there,” she chuckles. “Those two together are either the worst or best decision ever made.”
“Best,” I say with a grin.
She nods. “Yeah, they’re happy. Two peas in a pod.”
