Page 98 of Here & There

“I—”

“Did she ask to move back to the inn?”

I think about that. “I guess... No. I offered.”

Dad stands up. “Well, I expect you better hurry.”

“What?”

“You’ll want to catch her before she gets settled and decides to tell you to get lost.”

“But Dad, I told you it’s not going to work out—even if she does want to stay with us, I?—”

“Son,” Dad says, propping his hands on his hips. “No one’s suggesting you pop the question. I’m just saying why are you looking for reasons to keep her out of your life while she’s here?”

I don’t have an answer for that.

Dad’s already at the door, holding it open.

I look at him one more time, asking him for permission to stay back and hide. But he starts closing the damn door, his hand shoving me out. “Bring that boy with you next time. And tell me how it goes.”

I scowl at him, but this time he opens his arms and gives me a thump on the back. “Scram,” he says, practically slamming the door behind me.

I guess he’s not always the sunshiny one.

Chapter 23

Shelby

When I got to the inn yesterday, Diane was so happy she threw herself at me like a sweet little ball of sweetness. It was nice. She went on and on about how sorry she was about the ATV guys and how if they came back for Oysterfest, she’d only let the nicest ones stay at the inn. I almost laughed at that but managed to express my gratitude for thinking of me.

That night still sucked.

This morning, after walking to town to pick up a handful of groceries and walking out again just as quickly in case I saw someone I knew, I hunkered down in the armchair by the window in my room, and I haven’t left. I know I should get back into finding my grandmother. I got distracted with Mac and Nate and my work at the Dinghy, and I desperately want to pick up that thread again.

Except not right now. Right now, all I want to do is curl up and hide.

Instead, I text Deanie.

SHELBY: Hey, I was just checking in to see how things are going. I miss the sound of the scanner.

DEANIE: Are you okay?

SHELBY: Not really

DEANIE: Are you in immediate harm? Or dying?

SHELBY: No

DEANIE: Then I’ll call you tonight, okay? Sorry, things are an absolute shit show here as usual.

SHELBY: Okay. Everything’s fine here. Totally fine.

Did I think maybe I could secretly sneak back to Vancouver and forget this whole little episode ever happened? Maybe. Did I really want to leave Redbeard?

Absolutely not.

I toss my phone onto the bed across from where I’m sitting, maybe a little too hard. I’ve spent the past hour staring at the rain pelting the glass instead of at my book, which Lana says involves a duke doing a striptease on the back of a horse. It’s calledThe Duke and his Darling, but Lana says it should really be calledThe Duke and his Dickbecause it makes an appearance so frequently. I really want to read that, but I can’t focus at all.

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