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“I can follow behind at a safe distance if you’d prefer it, but I’m walking you to your car.”
I feel my shoulders drop. “Okay.”
“Okay.”
Outside, it’s starting to smell like autumn. Not the start of autumn, but the whole of the season. Crunchy leaves and mountain air. My favorite season. I take a moment and draw in a chilly breath. It fills me up and when I exhale, there’s a cloud from my warm exhale mixing with the cool air.
As we start back in the direction of the shop, he says, “So, holding out for another hopeless romantic, huh?”
I wrap my coat around me a little tighter. “Mack thinks I’m being ridiculous.” I look at him. “Oh, and in case you didn’t notice, Jace is totally into her.”
“Wait. Jace? Should I go back in there or. . .” He stops and looks back at the restaurant.
I laugh and give his arm a tug. “She can handle herself.”
He must decide I’m right because he starts walking again. “Do you think it’s ridiculous?”
“To want someone to sweep me off my feet?” I ask. “Probably.” A pause. “But I still want it.” I smile at him.
He shoves his hands in his pockets.
“What about you?”
He shrugs.
This is typical of Owen, shutting down and not saying what he’s thinking. Sometimes, though, when I just wait a few moments. . .
“I’m not really the, uh, romance type. Had kind of a bad experience, so. . .”
I can tell he’s trying to cover his true feelings, but I don’t say anything.
“At any rate, I’m more of a practical guy. Not the ‘rent a billboard to profess my love’ kind. Three-Date Owen, remember?”
I squint over at him. “Yeah, I remember, but I don’t know if I buy it.”
“Why not?”
I shrug. “You have too much to offer to withhold yourself forever. And even in high school, that wasn’t who you were.”
He scoffs. “People change, Emmy.” We’re almost back at the bookshop, and I find myself wishing I could slow down without him noticing. “I can live without romance. Give me practical every day of the week.”
“Practical, huh?” I study him. Is Owen one of the guys at the station who’s obsessed with the podcast? I really can’t see him tuning in. He’d think it was all nonsense.
“Yeah, like, taking out the garbage, or filling her car up with gas, or staying up late so she can unload about a bad day.”
Huh. So maybe he does listen. I narrow my eyes. “Or organizing a team of people to clean someone’s house after a fire?”
He looks caught for a moment. I shouldn’t have said that.
“I mean. . .yeah. Nice things. People should do nice things for. . .friends and people they care about.”
Friends. Sigh.
“And you think that’s better than romance.”
“It doesn’t matter because I took myself off the market a long time ago.” He stops walking. I’ve never been more unhappy to see my car in my life.
“There. Got you back safe,” he says.
