Page 84 of Fake It Till We Fall
I held open the passenger door as she settled into the seat.
“Such a gentleman,” Willa said with a grin.
I certainly didn’t feel like a gentleman as I closed the door gently and moved around to the driver’s seat.
“Your vehicle is always so clean,” Willa commented as soon as I pulled out of the parking spot. “You know, I’d say that you really are Trickle Creek’s best Uber driver, Grayson.”
Despite myself, I smiled and shook my head. “I’m pretty sure Uber drivers get paid, Willa.”
We both knew I wasn’t about to accept any payment from her, or anyone else. Of course, if the new owners of the hardware store brought in their own management, I’d be without a job, and maybe driving the elderly around town would soon become more than just a volunteer activity.
“No need to frown, Grayson,” Willa said, easily detecting the shift in my mood. “I’ll be sure to give you a generous tip or recommend another thank-you gift from the festival committee.”
The playful tone in her voice caught me by surprise. I whipped my head around and narrowed my eyes in question. “What are you talking about? Did you have something to do with the gift certificate for the lodge, Willa?”
She shrugged innocently, but there was nothing innocent about the sly little smile on her lips.
“Willa.”
“Grayson.” She pressed her lips together and spoke firmly. “There’s nothing wrong with giving a valuable volunteer a generous thank-you gift,” she said. “Besides, I thought maybe the two of you could use a little alone time during such a busy season.”
My heart squeezed and immediately steeled. “You didn’t have to do that, Willa,” I said through gritted teeth.
“I know.” She turned to face out the windshield again. “You know, you’ve always been the dependable one, Grayson. Always the first to show up. To fix things. To volunteer whenever anyone needed a helping hand.”
I shrugged, my hands tightening on the wheel. “Someone has to.”
“Sure.” Her voice was warmer now, but sharper too. “But when does somebody show up for you?”
The shift in conversation took me off guard. I glanced over at her. “Pardon me?”
“I mean it,” Willa continued, as if I hadn’t questioned her. “When do you get to let yourself want something?”
My chest clenched. I didn’t have an answer, not one I could share with her, anyway. I couldn’t tell Harper’s grandmother that Ihadallowed myself to want something. Someone.And it had just left me with a broken heart. So what was the point?
But I couldn’t say any of that, especially considering she must know that Harper and I hadbroken upor had a fight or whatever it was we were supposed to call it.
Instead, I said nothing, staring at the road, gripping the wheel harder as I navigated the streets through town.
The silence stretched between us until I pulled up at the front of the library. Willa gathered her purse, but hesitated before she opened the door. I was about to hop out and open the door for her, but she stopped me with a gentle touch on my arm.
“You know, Grayson, you deserve more than just being the man who makes everyone else’s life easier,” she said softly. “I hope you realize that before it’s too late.”
And then she was gone, walking carefully toward the entrance, leaving me alone with my thoughts while she browsed the shelves.
I leaned back against the seat, staring through the windshield without really seeing the snowy street in front of me.
She wasn’t wrong. Not entirely. But she wasn’t right either.
Ihadlet myself want for something.
Harper.
It was always Harper. It had always been Harper I wanted. But where had that gotten me?
It always ended the same way. With her walking away and leaving me alone, wanting.
And the store. I’d wanted that, too.
