Page 40 of Apple of My Eye
‘Are you guys seeing each other?’
‘Me and Nick? Um .?.?.’Technically, we’re not, but .?.?.When I glance back at Amie she’s staring at me. ‘No. We’re not,’ I say. The last thing I want to do is tell everyone in the town my business and Amie is a huge gossip. No one faults her for it. Everyone knows her checkout line is the best place to hear about the goings-on in town. Even Hal admits it helps with business.
‘Oh really?’ Amie leans forward slightly. ‘OK, well do you think he would say yes if I asked him out?’
It is all I can do to keep my face from falling. ‘Um,’ I say through my strained smile.Amie wants to ask him out?I do my best to keep my voice even. ‘I don’t really know.’
Her face falls. ‘Oh really? Why?’
‘Um .?.?.’ I trail off, panicked. ‘I mean, I guess he might? You might as well shoot your shot,’ I offer as casually as I can manage.
Amie beams. ‘OK. Cool. I’m glad I asked you. From the way he talks about you I totally thought you might be a thing! But he’s so cute I feel like I might as well see if he’d go to dinner. We never get new people in town and .?.?.’
I can’t focus on what she’s saying.From the way he talks about you I totally thought you might be a thing?What does that mean?Nick is talking aboutme?
‘Lou?’ Amie interrupts my train of thought, holding out the receipt for me to take.
‘Sorry.’ I take the receipt, forcing myself to smile again.
‘I’ll let you know how it goes!’ she calls after me as I leave.
My heart sinks. Amie is cute. She’s bubbly and fun and the picture-perfect farm girl. Her red hair is almost always in twin braids that somehow don’t make her look childish. Her legs are impossibly long and tan. If she worked behind a bank counter, she’d be Jolene.
I shake my head. I can’t keep thinking about Amie. Or Nick. I need to focus. I have basically one month to convince my parents not to sell. I should be using my brain space to figure out how we can start to host weddings. Thank God Evan is coming. He has the most distracting personality in the absolute best way. He’ll set me back on track.
Evan: T-minus five hours until I am living the American Dream!!! Getting in the car now.
Evan: Shari, we will miss you!
Shari: I’m in Rome living the Hilary Duff Dream.
Shari: Sorry, I’m clearly bitter. Have fun, you guys. Miss you more.
Eloise: Thank God for you, Evan. Mom has made twelve pies. A dozen. Literally. Bring your appetite.
Evan: I bet Rome doesn’t have good pies *Sent with invisible ink*
Shari: Shut. Up.
Evan gasps so loud when he gets out of the car that he startles a nearby barn swallow that’s been nesting in one of the maple trees in our front yard.
‘I love it here,’ he gushes immediately, gulping in a deep breath of air. ‘Ohmygod, it’s like I canfeelmy lungs relaxing.’ He takes another deep lungful. ‘Wow.’ He pauses to look me over. ‘Look at your tanned legs. You look good,’ he says, wrapping his arms around me in a tight hug. ‘Healthy. Strong.’
I smile in his embrace, our cheeks pressing together. ‘I feel healthy and strong,’ I admit, hugging him tighter. ‘I missed you.’
He pulls away to survey the barn. ‘I’m so happy I’m here,’ he says.
‘I’m so happy you’re here,’ I say at the exact same time. We both laugh. Excitedly, he gestures towards the front door. ‘Hazel and Cal home?’ Evan and my parents love each other.
‘I’ll get your bags,’ I tell him, nudging him inside.
In the five minutes it takes me to bring his bag to the guest room, Mom has called Dad in from wherever he was and the three of them are laughing at the kitchen table. Dad and Evan are both sipping an Old Fashioned and Mom has a hefty glass of red wine in front of her. She pours me one too and we all cheers.
‘To the Fall Festival!’ Evan announces excitedly. We clink glasses.
‘Evan,’ Mom says as we lower our glasses, ‘when will Eloise introduce you to our new neighbor?’
‘He’s not exactly a neighbor,’ I grumble.
