Page 42 of Harmony Island Gazette
Asher was a good friend. Why couldn’t I be the same?
“Well, just remember that you agreed to carry everything you buy,” I said as I pointed my forefinger toward his chest.
He held up his hands. “I promise.”
I narrowed my eyes one more time before I turned and started walking toward the town square, where farmers and vendors had set up. Asher fell into step with me. We walked in silence. I kept peeking over at him, wondering if I should say something and hating that I felt so awkward.
This wasn’t how I was supposed to feel around him. He was my best friend. I was supposed to be relaxed and open with him. I feared that I was never going to feel the same again. Had I fundamentally changed our relationship?
“Have you had a good week?” Asher’s voice broke through my thoughts. I turned to see him glancing down at me. He was asking me about my week? Had our relationship really dissolved to this level? Was he feeling it too?
I nodded. “It’s been busy. I’m glad to have the morning off.” I scoffed. “As long as Gloria doesn’t call me in a panic ’cause we have to rewrite an entire story.
He laughed. “I wouldn’t put it past her.”
“Truth.”
Silence. Again. This was its own level of hell. And I hated it.
“How about you? Did you close on any more properties?”
He shook his head. “It’s been pretty quiet after my work with Mr. Proctor…” His voice trailed off as if he suddenly realized what he’d just said.
The silence turned awkward, and I was desperate to dispel it. “I’m sure that’ll turn around. Lots of people are moving to Harmony.”
He nodded. “Yeah. I have an open house later today. Hoping to get some bites.”
“That’s nice.” I peeked over at him to see that he’d drawn his lips together as he stared at the ground. “Isn’t it?” I asked, wondering if he was having an issue with that listing.
He glanced over at me and nodded. “Oh, it’s nice. I can’t imagine the house will stay on the market long.”
“That’s good.”
Ugh.That’s good. That’s nice. Was this what our relationship had come to? I felt like I was walking on eggshells around him. He had to be feeling the same, ’cause I could feel the difference in our conversation.
We were standing in the middle of the square now, with booths all around us. Asher kept shifting his weight as he focused on everything but me, and I was doing the same.
“I should get some tomatoes,” I said when I spied a table with an assortment of vegetables.
“Oh, okay.” Asher hesitated and then followed after me as I started walking.
I chatted with the owner of the vegetable stand while I picked out small baskets of tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and summer squash. He tallied up my total, and I handed him cash. While I waited for my change, I dumped each basket into my reusable bag and then handed the baskets back to him.
With my cash in hand, I turned to Asher, who gave me a soft smile before following me to the next booth.
I ended the trip with a bag full of vegetables and containers of local honey and homemade strawberry-rhubarb jam tucked between my arm and chest.
“You really didn’t want anything,” I said as I stared pointedly at his empty arms.
He shrugged. “Naw. I’m good.”
“So, you came all the way to town just to watch me buy things,” I said as I spotted my car and made my way toward it.
“Pretty much.” He shrugged. “I didn’t want you to be alone.”
I glanced over my shoulder at him. Even if he felt like our relationship was strained, he was still determined to see me. Asher really was a good friend.Iwas the issue.
“Thanks,” I whispered, hating the fact that I was never going to be as loyal to Asher as he was to me.
