Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5
LAUREL
I glanced at my watch, my mind racing. I tried to remember what else I had to tell Grace before I left. “We’re only going to be open for limited hours. Make sure the customers know that, okay? Don’t let anyone convince you to stay open for longer.”
The teenager nodded, making a note of what I’d just said on her phone before she glanced at me. “Not to worry. I’ve got this, Laurel. Go. You’re going to miss your flight.”
“Okay.” I put my hands up, taking one last look around the store to make sure I hadn’t forgotten anything. “Okay. I’m going. You’re sure you’re going to be okay here by yourself while I’m gone, right? Remember, Mrs. Horowitz is right next door if you need anything.”
The elderly woman who ran the little bakery next to my bookstore had volunteered to watch over Grace for me. The teenager shook her head. Reaching across the counter between us, she gave my forearm a squeeze and then waved me off.
“I won’t need anything. Neither will Doodle. She and I are going to be just fine. Now go before you miss your flight.”
I backed away from the counter, nodding repeatedly, then finally left the store. Everything was wrapped up in a neat bow there. Grace had all her instructions—last minute and otherwise —and Doodle was at her house already, getting settled in for a weekend with her best friend.
All I had to do now was get my butt to the airport and try to surrender control of everything in Franklin to an eighteen-year-old. I drew in a deep breath, reminding myself that Grace wasn’t an average eighteen-year-old kid.
She was responsible and reliable, and she’d been working for me for a few months. This wasn’t even the first time she was taking care of the store or my dog. She’d done it when I’d gone to my reunion and when the girls and I had been in Maine.
Everything is going to be fine. Just relax.
I tried to do just that, forcing myself to keep inhaling through my nostrils and exhaling through my mouth. It was always like this when I had to leave, and yet, once I was gone, the panic inevitably receded. So far, the bookstore hadn’t collapsed in my absence.
Climbing into my car, I buckled up and headed to the airport, deciding to check in with Mariam on the way. She was also going back home for a few days and I knew she was getting in today as well. Maybe talking to her would help ease my mind.
To my surprise, she picked up my call before the first ring was even done. “Were your ears burning? I was just about to text you to find out if you’re on your way yet.”
I chuckled. “I just got in my car a few minutes ago. You?”
“I’m leaving the resort as we speak,” she said, sounding a bit breathless. “Is your mom picking you up, or Gemma, or Leif?”
“My mom,” I replied. “I just saw her in May, but she’s acting like I’ve been gone for years.”
Mariam laughed. “Don’t worry. My mom is the same. When is Leif getting in? I kind of thought you might be getting a ride with him.”
“No.” Heat crept to my cheeks. “Why would I? We just said we’d meet up while we were both there. It’s not like we’re dating or anything.”
“Not yet,” she teased. “It’s you two, though.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“That it’s only a matter of time,” she joked. “You’re really going to kiss him this weekend?”
“I am.” My grip on the steering wheel tightened as my heart fluttered in my chest. “How about you? Task number one ticked off yet?”
“No. Do you think we can talk to Gemma about the list this weekend? I got the one-night stand, but there’s no way I can do that. I just got to Sun Valley and the people are so nice, but they’re also so rich and, honestly, so old. So far, I haven’t seen a single viable option to complete my task with.”
I laughed. “Get an older rich man. I’ve heard they’re called sugar daddies.”
“I might have to.” Mariam giggled after a brief pause. “Urg, I’m just not sure I’m ready for this, but I guess I have to be. I’ll see you at home?”
“See you at home,” I replied. “We’re still planning on getting together as much as possible, right?”
“For sure. I’ve got a few things going on with my family today once I get there, but I’ll text you as soon as we’re done.”
“Perfect. Safe flight!”
“Yeah, you too.” She dropped the call and I smiled, excited to hear about her one-night stand once she found a viable candidate.
I’d also remembered putting “wrap someone’s house in toilet paper” on the list back in high school. What a bunch of goofs we were.
Secretly, though, I was hoping that whoever had gotten that one had it ready for Thanksgiving. I would love to do it all together.
A strange thrill shot through me just at the thought of it. I’d never TPed a house before, and while I knew it was such a waste and such a mess, it was definitely on my bucket list. Heaven only knows why.
Giggling as I imagined doing it, I spent the rest of my drive to the airport as well as the entire flight to Texas wondering what else was going to come out of this list. So far, I’d learned that being semi-obliged to reach out to Leif had opened up long-lost channels of communication between us.
We weren’t talking every day or anything quite so drastic as that, but we’d texted back and forth a few times and I was really enjoying seeing his name pop up on my screen again. I’d also learned that knowing I had to find a way to kiss him this weekend was exhilarating.
There was no if, but, or maybe about it. I was going to kiss Leif McIntosh at some point during the next few days, and it gave me butterflies just thinking about it.
The knowledge that there were more challenges coming my way made me feel more alive than I’d felt for ages. I could hardly wait to get my next task—and to complete the one at hand.
Once I hit baggage claim and saw my mom waiting for me, my thoughts of the list dissipated. I grinned, breaking into a full run and throwing myself into her arms.
“Hey, Mom,” I murmured into her hair, holding her for a long time and breathing in the familiar, lavender scent of her favorite body lotion.
As an only child, she and I had always been super close. For the longest time, she’d been my best friend, and if I was being honest, she still was. After my dad’s death, she’d never remarried. As far as I knew, she had never even dated.
It had only been her and me from that day forward, and when she’d thrown herself into her writing to help process her grief, I’d done the same thing. Although she was a legitimately world-famous author, I still liked to think I’d gotten my writing skills from her. I’d definitely gotten my love for it that way.
She hugged me tightly, sighing into my hair. The moment stretched between us. Finally, when we were both ready, she pulled away.
“Hello, my baby girl. How was your flight?” Her deep brown eyes were identical to my own and her hair, though shot through with silver these days, matched my own mahogany waves. I’d also inherited my round curves from her, and I had to admit that if I ended up aging as beautifully and as gracefully as she had, I would be forever grateful.
I grinned. “It was great, but only because it brought me home. How are you?”
She tilted her head as if she had to think about how to answer that question, but then she chuckled and slid her arm around mine. “I’m doing well, baby. Really well. The book tour was a success and readers are loving Marigold, so I’ll be getting to dive into her world again soon, but enough about me. How are you? How is Doodle? And Grace? And the store?”
“Doodle and Grace are both fine. As is the store. At least, I hope it’s fine. I haven’t really heard from Grace since I left, so who knows?”
Mom gave me a Mom-ish, have-patience smile. “You’ve only been gone a few hours, Laurel. I’m sure she’s got everything well in hand.”
“Yeah, I know, but that place is like my baby and Doodle is my baby. She should be closing the store soon, though. I’ll check in with her when we get home.”
We left the airport side by side, dragging my suitcase behind us and her arm wrapped tightly around mine. When we got to her car, we quickly loaded my stuff and buckled up, working together seamlessly and getting underway to her house only a few moments later.
Once we were out of the parking lot, Mom glanced at me, a slight smile appearing on her lips. “How’s the list going? Have you found out your second task yet?”
“Nope. I need to complete the first one before I’ll find out what’s next,” I said. “I knew readers would love Marigold, by the way. She kicks ass.”
Mom had always been fearless with her writing, and she’d proven it again recently when she’d bucked the trend of making the female main character in an epic, urban fantasy series a teenager. Marigold, Mom’s latest heroine, was a single mother in her forties.
“She does kick ass,” Mom said, grinning. She shot me a glance as she slowed at a traffic light. “You have a lot in common with her when it comes to that, but back to the list. So you need to complete your first task before you get the second, and your first task is kissing Leif?”
“Yep.” My heart gave a little jolt, reacting like it always did when I talked or thought about what I had to do. “Do you think I’m crazy? Maybe I should just leave well enough alone. With all the history between us, I’m not sure he’s even going to want to go down that road again.”
“This isn’t about him, honey. It’s about you. Besides, you already kissed him at the reunion. If he wasn’t opposed to going down that road then, he’s not going to be opposed to doing it now.”
My ears and my cheeks caught fire. Mom knew Leif and I had hooked up at the reunion, but she didn’t know quite how far it had gone. I cleared my throat, swallowing down my discomfort of speaking to her things that were sex adjacent.
In a lot of ways, she was like my sister rather than my mother, but I wouldn’t have been comfortable talking to my sister about this either. “Well, I guess we’ll find out soon enough. The trouble is that he’s the only old flame I have. Thank God he’s not married, but if I can’t kiss him, I’m stuck.”
Mom chuckled. “That’s not completely true. You went on a date with Bruce Meyers when you were twelve.”
“We had an ice cream together in the park. You and his mother were there too. I don’t think that counts as an old flame, Mom.”
She shrugged. “It was a date. A cute one, but a date nonetheless. You also went to a dance with that neighbor boy when you were thirteen. What was his name again?”
“Jordan, but I only went because his date bailed on him at the last moment. I spent the whole night talking to Leif and poor Jordan was so heartbroken about his date that he didn’t talk to anyone at all.”
Mom winced. “Right, well, then maybe Jordan isn’t an old flame. I suppose Leif or Bruce, it shall be.”
I groaned. “Let’s talk about something else. What are our plans for Thanksgiving? We’ve only got two days to make it happen, so if you’ve got any grand ideas, we’ll need to get started right away.”
“We start cooking tomorrow,” she said, smiling as she glanced at me. “I’m hosting the whole thing this year, and it’s going to be a good crowd. The McIntoshes are coming, and so are Mariam, Gemma, and their families. We thought it might be fun for you guys if we were all together.”
I froze, my eyes widening as a storm of emotions started raging deep within me. There was excitement, sure. That really was a good crowd and I was thrilled I would get to see everyone, but that also meant that Mariam, Gemma, and Leif would be in a house together all day long.
What if one of them tells him that I’m going to kiss him? What if he doesn’t want to? What if he’s pissed off about it?
“Breathe, Laurel,” Mom said as she pulled up outside my childhood home. “It’s going to be fine. I, uh, Doug will be joining us as well.”
“Doug?” I frowned. “The chief at the fire house? That Doug?”
Mom’s cheeks flushed as she nodded. The storm inside me quieted as a slow smile spread on my face. “Are you dating him? Oh, my gosh. Doug? When did that happen?”
She hit the button to open the garage doors, her eyes intently watching it rise as a rosy hue took over her entire face. “Am I dating him? I don’t know. Maybe. Let’s not make a big deal about it. Would you mind, though? If I was, I mean.”
“Of course not. I’m happy for you, Mom. Really. I’m just surprised. Since when? Has he let you slide down the fireman’s pole yet?”
Mom scoffed as she parked in the garage. “Stop that.”
I grinned at her and held up my hands innocently. “I meant at the fire station. What were you thinking about?”
“Alright, young lady. That’s enough with the questions for now. Let’s go get you settled and snug in your old room. Then I’ll make us a cup of tea and you can tell me more about your plans for Leif.”
I felt my own cheeks heating again and laughed. We climbed out of the car with matching, glowing faces.
“You know, maybe we should just not talk about boys today,” I said.
She smiled. “Deal.”