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I chuckled. “It was meant to be. Mimi broke a hip so you could make your coffeehouse even better.”
My sisters laughed as we stepped inside.
“Do you think you’re going to reach Monday’s deadline?” I asked.
“We already have the permit to open. It’s just about making all the things perfect,” she explained. “But I’ve already ordered the food for the grand opening, so yeah. It’s happening on Monday, broken hip be damned.”
“I’m so excited for you.” I hugged Mae as Amelia ordered Mom’s drink and one of her own. I scanned the sandwiches and pastries and ordered an assortment to take back upstairs. I’d be surprised if Grandpa had eaten much at all, either.
As we waited for the drinks, I caught Amelia’s gaze. “So, spill the beans. What do you know that I don’t know?”
“Nothing.” She shook her head. “I just thought today was a special day because of the signing and dinner. That’s all.”
“Well, I think it would have gone a different direction had he not run into someone from high school. Actually, I don’t think it was her that bothered him because I think that’s how he got the tickets, but she’d brought up some girl from high school named Clara, and I swear to you, the color drained out of Lucas’s face.” I shrugged as the drinks were called. “And then he seemedto recover, but where we went for dinner also happened to be the place that the old high school bunch met up for drinks. And who was there? Clara.”
“And he wanted to stay back with them while you came here to visit your grandma?” Amelia looked perturbed.
We all wandered over to pick up the two trays of drinks and food to take upstairs. “No. He didn’t want to stay at all, but I kind of forced him to. Mom and Mae were already picking me up, and our dinner hadn’t even been served yet, and the Clara lady looked extremely happy to see him. It just made sense.”
“Did he seem happy to see her?” Amelia asked.
I shook my head. “No, I’d say he was just indifferent. Anyway, I don’t know how tonight would have ended had his high school years not come back to haunt him.” I chuckled. “Who knows? Maybe I would have confessed my love for him.”
Mae and Amelia exchanged looks.
“Guys, I’m kidding.” I pushed the elevator button with my pinky as I balanced the tray of drinks.
“You do like him, though, right?” Mae asked.
I nodded. “He’s the best friend I could have ever asked for, and a complete surprise at that.” I didn’t want to tell them that every time I was around him, my stomach dropped, I felt dizzy, and my toes curled just from feeling his breath on my cheek.
Mae frowned. “Come on. Don’t you think he’s cute?”
My heart fluttered just thinking about him. “I have never hidden my thoughts on the matter. Lucas is a gorgeous guy with a heart of gold. He’s just not… boyfriend material. He’s told me so, and he’s shown me so by going out on dates all the time. Do you realize that on most Friday and Saturday nights, he hasa date? The only time he doesn’t is when he’s babysitting little Henry with me. That does not scream ‘settling-down type’.”
We walked onto the elevator, and I turned to my sisters as Amelia pushed the button. “I don’t want to lose an amazing friendship because I didn’t notice the red flags. And you know me. I fall way too hard. I can’t risk it. Lucas is a great friend but a lousy boyfriend, from the looks of it.”
I felt kind of bad for not telling my sisters about the poetry residency since I wouldn’t be able to help at the store for three months. But I also knew it would be like winning the lottery if it actually happened.
Amelia smiled and shook her head. “I just don’t want you to miss out on something that could be spectacular because you’re worried about getting hurt.”
Kind of like my poetry. My heart screamed at me to fill out the forms and send my samples.
“What I have with him is already spectacular,” I murmured, swallowing down the thoughts from earlier. When Clara’s gaze landed on Lucas, it was like her incomplete puzzle had found its missing piece. I knew that all it would take was even a minor hint of interest from Lucas, and she’d be all over him.
And I didn’t like that feeling one bit, but I had no control over any of it.
Maybe that was why I wanted to leave so quickly. I didn’t want to see what could happen tonight between them.
I pushed down the nagging sensation that maybe this woman was different. Maybe the other girls didn’t matter, but what if Clara did?
No.
I’d made a conscious effort to shut off thoughts of him with other women. With Lucas, I compartmentalized each aspect of our relationship so that I didn’t tumble down a hazardous hill of regret and worry.
I would do that with Clara.
But an ache weighed heavily in my chest.
