Chapter 34
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Eloise
It’s been more than a week since I saw Gaines at Astrid and Berk’s.
I’ve spent that time immersed in school and work.
Half of my work time has been devoted to Penny’s dress.
The other available hours I’ve had, I’ve split between pulling two shifts at Vinyl Crush and working on a sweater for a longtime client.
I’m finishing that up now so I can ship it to her first thing tomorrow.
A knock at my apartment door startles me enough that I drop my knitting needles in my lap.
I laugh because when I first learned how to knit in fourth grade, I would openly curse whenever I dropped a needle or a stitch. My mom remedied that quickly by taking my knitting supplies away for a week.
At that time, it felt like a punishment worse than death.
I realized it wasn’t when my grandpa passed away during summer break a few months later. I knit a blue carnation for my mom to pin on his suit jacket so it would be buried with him.
The carnation was lopsided and had been soaked with tears on more than one occasion before it reached the hands of the funeral director, but it was a gift to the man who had let me sit on his shoulders whenever I wanted to see above the tall tree in our front yard.
He always told me my future was beyond that tree, and I’d know it when I found it.
Some days, I still believe his words. On other days, I’m not sure if he believed them himself.
“Eloise!” Stevie calls from the other side of the door. “Let us in. We have hot dogs and curly fries!”
I set my knitting on the coffee table and uncurl from the couch.
I changed into red sweatpants and a matching T-shirt after school. My hair is braided to the side, and my face hasn’t seen a stitch of makeup all day. I blame that on my almost all-night knitting session.
“I’m coming!” I yell back.
“We didn’t bring any of those green beans mom makes.”
By the time I swing open the door, I’m laughing. Astrid and Stevie are, too.
They look adorable in matching outfits of jeans and white sweaters that I knit for both of them.
“It was match your best friend day at school today,” Stevie says as she hops into my apartment carrying a takeout bag. “So, Mom and I made it match your best friend at home today day, too.”
She laughs at her own words. “Did that make sense?”
“It made perfect sense.” I motion for both of them to enter.
I’ve always felt a twinge of awkwardness when I open the door to find my cousin on the other side since she owns the apartment.
Astrid shoves a tray holding three cups with paper straws in my direction. “Strawberry milkshakes for the win.”
“For the women,” Stevie says. “It’s hot dog, milkshake, and dress measurement day. That’s why we didn’t invite Gaines to come.”
I drop my gaze to her face. “Gaines?”
“My dad’s cousin,” she explains. “You met him at our house, remember? He’s the tall doctor guy.”
Tugging the bag from Stevie’s grip, Astrid chuckles. “Eloise knows who Gaines is. I think she was asking why we’d invite him in the first place.”
“Ohhh,” Stevie draws the single word out. “We wouldn’t, but we saw him in Vinyl Crush just now.”
I turn toward the table to hide the shock I feel. Gaines was in the record store?
I expected to hear from him sometime during the last week, even if it was via text, but I didn’t. I attributed that to his work schedule. I can’t even imagine dealing with the pressure he’s under.
“We saw him walking right toward us,” Astrid goes on to explain, “we laughed when we reached the door to the building at the same time.”
He was on his way to see me.
“Apparently, he’s browsing for an album for a friend.” Astrid shrugs. “I’m sure Castle will be able to recommend something perfect.”
“Right.” I take a deep breath to slow my racing heart.
“Maybe his friend is a lady doctor.” Stevie whistles. “Sometimes doctors marry doctors.”
I don’t want that doctor to marry another doctor.
“Gaines may never get married, Stevie,” Astrid tells her daughter. “His job is very important to him.”
I spin to face them again, wanting desperately to change the subject to anything but who Gaines Morgan may marry one day since I can’t see any path that would lead me down the aisle in a wedding dress toward him.
The man made it clear that he doesn’t want anyone to know about us.
“I’m going to get married when I’m thirty,” Stevie reminds us. “Eloise will knit me a dress.”
I can’t help but smile broadly at the prospect of that. “That would be the greatest honor of my life.”
Stevie closes the distance between us to hug me tightly. “You’re one of my best friends, too.”
I tear up as I hold her close. “You’re one of mine, too, Stevie. I hope that never changes.”
The words Gaines said about not wanting to break Stevie’s heart echo inside me. If we took things too far and it fell apart, it would impact almost everyone we both love, and we can’t risk that. We can never risk that.