Chapter 15 #3
I’m so deep in my thoughts on the walk to Cheri’s that the world disappears around me. One second, I’m standing in front of Pages and the next, I nearly collide into Mindy, who’s exiting the bakery, her arms loaded down with bags and a full to-go tray of coffees.
“Mindy! Shit I’m sorry! I didn’t see you,” I say, catching her coffee tray before it spills to the floor. Mindy’s wearing workout pants and a Bad Bitches Who Read shirt. She has a healthy, slightly sweaty glow about her.
“No harm no foul. I just did a hot yoga class, so I’m a bit wobbly still.” She readjusts the bags in her arms.
“You’re overloaded today. Can I help you take this to your car? It’s the least I can do since I nearly toppled you.”
“That would be very sweet. The kids are in town this weekend. There’s only two of them, but you’d think there were six by how much they eat.
” Mindy’s twin nineteen-year-old sons take after their gargantuan father in sweetness and size.
“I parked by the yoga studio though. You have time to walk another couple blocks?”
“I have about two and a half hours of free time, so I’d be happy to walk you all the way home.”
“I was wondering what brought you into town so early. Doesn’t Pages open at ten today?”
“I haven’t been sleeping well.” I say simply. “Figured I might as well get an early start to my day since I was up.” After unburdening myself to my mom, I’m afraid I’ll spill again if I elaborate any further. Mindy hands me a couple of her bags and then considers me for a long moment.
“Anything you want to talk about?” We start walking in the direction of the yoga studio.
“Let’s just say I have a heavy mental load at the moment.
” Mindy offers me an understanding smile, and I’m grateful when she doesn’t ask for any other details.
We exchange small talk for a few minutes until we reach her car.
I help load the bags into her passenger seat.
Once our arms are free, Mindy pulls me in for a brief but enveloping hug.
“You’re a good kid, you know that?” She pulls back and squeezes my arms.
“I wish I was still a kid.”
“Oh, you’ll always be a kid to me. I knew back when you were a little bitty high schooler that you were a kindred spirit. I could see it in your eyes.”
“See what?”
“Your strength. Not many people could have survived your wackadoo childhood and come out so whole. Remember, I grew up with Nola. I know what you were up against.” We share an eyeroll at Nola’s expense.
“Would you like to come over for dinner tonight? I know the boys would be thrilled to see you. I’m making turkey chili.”
“I wish I could Mindy, but Jo and I have a date tonight.” I feel my pulse quicken. God, I wish I could fast forward today and get tonight over with.
Mindy, being far too observant, clocks my sudden unease.
“You know, I was so happy when you and Jo started getting close. She needed someone like you, someone who truly saw her and supported her. Not having her mom around was tough. Eli did his best, of course, but that man was basically half horse and not the easiest guy to talk to, let me tell you. When you moved here, Jo blossomed. You two have a remarkable relationship, Paige. I see how the two of you care for each other, and it gives me hope. It really does. If love like that can still flourish, then this world of ours isn’t all bad. ”
Mindy’s words have rocked me to my core, and I’m speechless. It’s like she plucked exactly what I needed to hear out of thin air. I’ve been so consumed with figuring out Shayne that I’ve lost sight of the fact that protecting Jo is the most important thing.
“There’s something I’ve been keeping from Jo, and I need to tell her, but I’m petrified she’ll never forgive me for hiding it in the first place. This tangled web I’ve gotten myself into is massive, and I don’t know where to start unraveling.”
“You start at the beginning. Jo’s not dumb.
She’ll know why you hid what you did, it just might take her some time to get there.
The best thing you can do is honor her with the truth and then give her the space she needs to process it.
” Mindy rubs my arm again and then opens her car door.
“I have to get these pastries home before my family goes cannibalistic. Loved running into you sweetheart.”
“Thank you, Mindy. I’m not sure how you knew exactly what I needed to hear, but you did.”
“Life is a puzzle. I never would have made it back to my car alone with all this crap, so the universe sent you to knock me over and then help me out,” she says, laughing.
“And I’d just spent ninety minutes in a yoga class tapping into my third eye, so I needed an outlet for all that introspection.
Good luck talking to Jo. I’m here if you need anything. ”
I watch her drive off and then turn back towards Cheri’s. This has been such a bizarre day already, and I don’t think I can handle any more heavy conversations for a while—like a decade. I need a ham and cheese croissant, a latte, and at least three days of sleep.
Thankfully Cheri’s delivers on two of my three requirements. I eat my croissant on the way back to the bookstore, so immersed in my thoughts that I don’t notice Shayne walking towards me until he’s basically on top of me.
“Good morning, Banshee. Sleep well?” he asks, his lips curved into another devastating smile, and for the first time since we’ve met, my heart sinks at the sight of him.
He’s holding two steaming cups of coffee and looks even more delectable than the croissant I just devoured—even though he’s dressed head to toe in work wear: cowboy hat, dusty jeans, long sleeve denim shirt, and a red zip-up vest that has more pockets than any vest should.
I can’t keep my focus around Shayne, and focus is what I desperately need right now.
“Hey Shayne. What are you doing here?” I ask with a sigh. I unlock the store and motion for him to follow me inside, then re-lock the door behind us.
“Nice to see you, too, Paige. I take it you did not sleep well.”
“You’d be correct in that assumption.”
“You, ah, you mentioned last night that you wanted to talk over everything, so I came to town hoping to catch you before you opened,” he says, somewhat awkwardly, making me wonder if he’s nervous.
“I brought you a latte…but it looks like you’ve already scratched that itch.
” He indicates the to-go cup in my hand.