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“Nick?” I say, finally.
She nods. Once. “Nick Landry.”
“You—ah-hem… sorry.” I slap my chest. “Something in my throat, there.Whew. You want me to set you up with Nick?”
“We’re a good pair,” she says smoothly, now with a smug grin. “And if you two are just friends, that really shouldn’t be a problem. Besides, you’re only in town temporarily. You’re life’s out in California.”
“It’s not—not a problem at all.”
“Good. Because this is an exchange, Maddison. I’ll only do my part if you do yours. I know Nick and I make a good pair, and I trust you’ll facilitate our coming together.” Her eyes get this dreamy look. “I’ve actually had my eye on him for years now. We both have established lives here in Stillwell. We’re quiet professionals, family-minded. I’ve enjoyed hearing about that house of his, over on State. A man doesn’t buy a house like that unless he wants to fill it with a family, and that’s what I want, too.”
For a second I picture Nick-and-Hana baby, swaddled and in a stroller.
And then I feel physically nauseated.
I should be fine with this.
Why am I not fine with this?
Something’s wrong with me.
I lift my chin and try my best to look like I’m calm and composed. “I worked my magic with Bart and Sue, and I’m going to do my best to do that for you, too, Hana.”
“Thank you, Maddison. But thanks to my career, I don’t often take people on their word. I’ll look for evidence that you’re fulfilling your side of the bargain. And as I said, I’ll do my part if I see you’re doing yours.” With that, she shows me to the door.
Outside, I take in a big gulp of clean, June air.
What have I gotten myself into?
Chapter 8
Nick
The paper bag stuffed with Munchies Ramen tilts to the side.
I reach out and straighten it, then grab a package off the top. The packaging crinkles under my fingertips. “Wow, Maddie, when you promise to pick up some ramen, you don’t mess around.”
“I bought every one they had.”
She sounds distracted. I turn and see that she’s facing the bookshelf, trailing her fingertips along the spines of the hardcovers.
“What do you think? Do I get the Maddison seal of approval on my kitchen library?” I grab a pot from the cupboard and fill it with water.
“All these anatomy textbooks. Is the human body really that interesting? I mean, can facts about it fill this many pages?”
“I find it endlessly fascinating.”
She walks to where I’m standing, near the stove, and leans against the counter. “You’re not even joking. That’s the wild thing about you. You actually think that the difference betweenmeiosis and mitosis is interesting. I got to that part in high school biology, and you know what I did?”
“What?”
“I closed the textbook. Tossed it over my shoulder. And I proclaimed to my bedroom: ‘Maddison… out!’ And I never looked back. Me and science broke up for good.”
“Meiosis and mitosis are two very different processes. One is when the cell?—”
“No!Nope. I don’t want to hear it.” She covers her ears.
I chuckle as I pull open two ramen packets and fish out the silver flavor envelopes in each.
