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He doubled back almost instantly before I could even protest. I stood on the other side of the street while he quickly unlocked the door and reached behind the seat, pulling out a zip-up hoodie.
“The wind can get pretty brutal this time of year,” he said, handing it to me.
“Thank you,” I said, slipping it on.
A slight grin tugged at the corner of his lips as he watched it swallow me, the hem nearly reaching my knees. “Come on.”
We walked side by side onto the patio, where a few people were braving the wind. Billy was nowhere to be seen, so Macon suggested I head inside.
“You don’t want to come?” I asked.
He shook his head. “You go ahead,” he said. “I need to check on a few things for work.” He held up his phone, but I wondered if he was just using it as an excuse to give me some privacy.
“What about your order?” I asked.
“Just tell him I’ll have the usual. He’ll know what you mean.”
I nodded my head, and we parted ways. He walked over to one of the tables to sit, and I went into the small dining room.
In comparison to the outdoor patio, the inside of Billy’s was minimal. Most people only came inside when it was too cold or raining.
And today must have been one of those days.
A few locals sat at the tables near the windows, soaking up the sea view while eating French fries and fried fish.
I searched the place until my eyes fell on a familiar face.
“Billy,” I said, smiling.
“I was wondering when you were gonna pay me a visit,” he said. He set down a big tub of dishes and wiped his hands, walking the short distance to pull me into a tight bear hug. “I thought about stopping by, but I didn’t want to overwhelm you. You’ve been missed.”
“I don’t think that’s true,” I said.
“It’s absolutely true. You’re an O’cocker now,” he boasted with a wink. “You can’t leave.”
I winced. “That’s what I’m here to do actually.”
He looked wounded. “You’re selling? But we just became neighbors.”
“I don’t know. Maybe,” I answered quietly. I didn’t need to be part of the gossip train. “I haven’t quite decided yet.”
“What’s the holdup?” he asked before adding, “Not that it’s any of my business.”
“I’m surprised he didn’t tell you,” I said, motioning over my shoulder.
“Macon?” He snorted his name, shaking his head. “Why?”
“Well, I know he told you about theother thing,” I said, putting a hushed emphasis on the last two words.
He lowered his voice. “All he said to me was, ‘If you hear anything, it’s not true.’ Macon is a man of few words. But he also doesn’t like to share other people’s business.”
That was…pleasantly surprising.
“I’m not sure what the holdup is exactly,” I said with a shrug. “I guess the logical thing would be to sell the house and move on.”
“But?”
“But I’ve never been much of a logical person,” I admitted. “It was my dream to live here. It’s hard to let go of it. Even without Daniel.”
