Page 50 of Another June with You

She pushed her chair out and stood. “I have to … I’m sorry … excuse me.” Her dark, silky hair swished back and forth as she walked swiftly away from their table.

“Oh, no, did I say something wrong?” Autumn asked.

Micah looked over at Jamie, who was seated to Shannon’s other side. “Is she okay?”

Jamie shook her head. “The studio fell through today. Owner sold the building right out from under us.”

“No.”

“Yes. The jerk.”

Micah turned to Autumn. “I’ll be right back.”

Autumn smiled knowingly.

He moved as quickly as he could into the lobby of the restaurant. Shannon stood by the window, staring out at the street, wiping at her cheeks. Instinct told him to take her in his arms, but he wasn’t sure he should do that right now.

“Hey.” He walked slowly toward her.

She wiped faster at her cheeks, as if that would hide her tears.

“Jamie told me about the studio. I’m so sorry, Shannon.”

She took a deep breath, but hiccuped instead.

Micah stepped closer, leaving his arms at his sides, palms open toward her to make it known that he was there if she needed a hug.

She took advantage of the invitation and stepped into him, resting her head against his chest, gripping the lapels of his suit jacket.

He slid his hands up her arms and rested them around her upper back, holding her to him, and it felt so right.

“Why do all these bad things keep happening to me?” she whimpered. “I thought this was it. At least one of my dreams was going to come true.”

He wondered what bad things she meant. “One of your dreams?”

She didn’t respond to that. “We were so close. I could picture our logos in that front window. I imagined all the people we would meet because of that space. It’s in such a great location. It was perfect. Why didn’t it happen, Micah? Why does nothing ever work out how I think it’s going to?”

“I don’t know.” He wrapped his arms tighter around her and held her while she let out all her tears. “But most of the time when things don’t work out, it’s because something better is about to come along.”

She was quiet for a minute. “You mean like you and Autumn?”

“Me and Autumn?” he asked.

She nodded against his chest. “Yeah, like how you thought Jacqueline was the one for you and that didn’t work out, but then you found Autumn.”

Micah didn’t know what to say to that. He hadn’t been thinking of Jacquie or Autumn at all.

“She’s lovely, Micah.” She sniffled as she looked up at him. “I mean it. You couldn’t have found a better girl.”

“You barely know her. She could be a stalker like Jacquie.” He winked at her.

“She’s special. I can tell.” She lifted her hands from his chest, and he reluctantly let go.

Looking down into her eyes, he wiped away a streak of tears from her cheek. “So are you.”

She turned her gaze to the window again.

“Why were you late tonight? I thought I saw Duncan.”

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