Page 96 of Everything Has Changed
That damn word again. Making my heart skip a beat way too early in whatever this is blooming between us. While I don’t want to jinx it, I have to admit it feels right seeing them together, with wide smiles being shared.
“Good,” Ophelia pats his hand then pushes off the couch. I stay where I am while Logan reaches out to place a guiding hand on her elbow. It crushed me to see my grandmother so weak, and I know she can read it on my face when she steps up to me. Her arms wrapped me in a tight hug. “I’m okay, sweetie. Just a little tired from the long day. I’m going to go take some medicine before your brother gets back. Rowan no doubt got him to read her a bedtime story, so he will be gone for a bit.”
“I can stay a little longer while you get ready for bed.”
Ophelia shakes her head. “Your brother is staying the night. He has a late start at the clinic tomorrow. You have to go get some sleep so you can open the cafe.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I agree.
“Oh, and please tell Piper I appreciate her working tonight with Stacy.” With one more squeeze and a kiss to my cheek, she lets me go. “I love you, my sweet Gwendolyn.”
“I love you, too.”
I shuffle my feet over to the front door while she says goodbye to Logan, making him promise to get me home safe. The reality of how tired I am settles into my bones as I feel myself grow heavier. Logan must catch my sudden shift in mood because he grabs my hand and guides me out the front door. He opens the passenger door of his SUV, settling me in and gently locking my seatbelt.
I roll my head over on the headrest to watch him take his seat behind the wheel. Pressing the ignition, he takes a look at me.
“Let’s go home, baby.”
Butterflies release in my stomach at the name. One he has been using since last night, and I hope he never stops.
“Stay with me tonight.” The words are soft from my lips as I stare at Logan’s face, illuminated by the streetlights, as we drive toward Main Street.
The sides of his lips tip up. “Anything for you.” But then I see his grin falter slightly, his eyes shifting over to me quickly before returning to the street ahead. “Can we talk about something when we get in, though?”
Worry blasts through me. “Is everything okay?” I don’t think I could take any more bad news. Not tonight. I was done with this day. And something in his tone didn’t sound good.
Oh God, he was probably going to let me down. One night and he was done already.
Why would he say he would stay the night then, you idiot?My inner voice isn’t playing into my dramatics. Especially when he reaches over to take my hand, bringing it to his lips and dropping a kiss to my knuckles.
“It’s nothing bad. I just need to run something by you.”
“Can we talk about it tomorrow? I don’t think I can take much more of anything but a shower and my bed tonight.”
“Okay, we can talk tomorrow.”
34
Gwendolyn
“Where do you want this one, Gwen?”
I glance down at the notebook in my hand as if I had not already memorized the layout after looking it over three hundred times the last couple of weeks. Now that it was final and actively being put into place, suddenly I forgot everything and questioned my instincts.
I twist the page to match the layout of the town square in front of me.
“Over there. Mary specifically requests the far corner.” I point in the direction of the back of the vendor alley we created. “Just make sure you face hers so the opening is toward the people so they can enter.”
The volunteers nod their heads in agreement and begin their perfected dance of using a forklift to move everything around. Though I feel sick to my stomach when I hear a faint creak in the wood of the frame.
“Be careful, please!” I call out, cringing when it happens again. My shoulders slump when I remember it wouldn’t matter either way now. “We can’t afford to make another one this late,” I sigh, flipping through the layout again.
“Looking mighty fine, Gwendolyn.”
I nearly jump out of my skin at the booming voice suddenly coming from beside me. Hand to my chest, I heave a breath as I take in who it is.
“Mr. Mayor, you know you can call me Gwen.”
