Page 30 of The Dangers of Daydreaming

As I walked away, I heard Lucy ask Gram if she was really okay with how chatty Lucy was being. By the sound of their continued conversation, Gram was.

I steppedout into the hall, headed for the elevators and registration desk. Either I would run into someone on the way, or else I’d ask the receptionist if she could help me. The smell of disinfectant was too strong, and the oversized pictures of happy patients on the walls weren’t providing the calming vibe they may have been going for.

Away from Lucy’s distractions, all the worry was slipping in.

Maybe I should have stayed. What was Gram going to do? Try to push me into asking out Lucy Sinclair? I wasn’t against the idea.

My feet stopped, and the soft buzz of the fluorescent lights above me filled the space where my footsteps had been. I was about to backtrack when a scrub-clad man turned the corner ahead of me. He nodded my way but paused when I opened my mouth.

“Do you need something?” he asked.

“My grandpa is in surgery. I was just looking to see if I could get an update.”

The guy nodded. He was maybe five to ten years older than I, with a wide nose and a receding hairline. “What’s your grandpa’s name?”

“James Harrison.”

“I’ll see if I can get you some info.”

“Thanks, man.”

With a smile, he kept going down the hall. My mission complete, I turned around. No matter how meddling Gram decided to be, it would be better than being stuck in this sterile hall with my thoughts.

Chapter 9

Lucy Joins the FBI

Lucy

Ihitsendonthe second to last email I needed to complete today at the exact moment Finn walked into the waiting room. The surgery had gone longer than expected—a little over three hours, but once done, the doctors said everything went perfectly. I had excused myself so Finn and Gram could visit with Finn’s grandpa.

But something about how Finn was walking now made me worry that maybe it hadn’t gone as well as the doctors had said. I stood, tucking away my phone and slinging my purse over my shoulder.

“Is he okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, he’s… he’s doing fine.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. Did that mean he didn’t want to talk about it? Or was it just a sign that he wasn’t feeling completely settled after such a big surgery?

Or maybe he was just putting his hands in his pockets. Why did I need to read so much into it?

“Good, I’m glad to hear it. Are… you okay?” I asked.

“Yeah.” It didn’t sound too convincing. “You ready to go?”

I nodded. I was tired. Not anywhere near as tired as Finn and his grandma must be, but I had tried my best to keep their minds distracted during the surgery, and now that he was in the clear, my relief for their family was tangible and left exhaustion in its wake. I felt a little like I’d been doing mental gymnastics for the last several hours. I had enjoyed myself too. Finn had clearly gotten his teasing from his grandma, andshe was a hoot to be around, even with the heaviness of the situation. But still… tired.

I followed him to the front doors and out into the parking lot. The sky was full of colors, indicating sunset was close. There was a hint of salt to the air, in the way there was a hint of moisture before rain. It made things feel so much fresher, and after only a few days of being here, it was hard to imagine going back to the world that wasn’t only ever an hour or two from the coast.

Finn was quiet. And though I wouldn’t pretend to know him extremely well, it didn’t sit right.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked, glancing at him.

He paused, lifting his hand a little to stop me as a car passed in front of us. When we started walking again, he said, “I guess I’m just still a little worried. Maybe it’s residual and will go away… like the air pressure light in a car. Sometimes it takes a minute to turn off after you fix the tires.”

That made me smile. We were comparing feelings to tires? “So, you just need a minute?”

The van’s taillights flashed as he pressed the key fob, unlocking the doors. I rounded the back and was surprised when Finn followed me, opening my door. There was a little humor in his eyes, as if he were remembering our conversation about chivalry. I was happy to see it. Maybe his tire light was turning off already.

He didn’t close the door right away when I got in, his eyes growing distant.

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