Chapter 39
Aunt Maddie drove Hannah to the airport and Hannah gave her a big hug and thanked her for everything.
“We’re family, honey. I told you, you’re always welcome in my house. I’m glad it was a good summer. Uncle Richie and I are looking forward to seeing you in the city.” Hannah was excited for her aunt and her new promotion. It would be nice to see them there.
Hannah gave her a final wave goodbye as she wheeled her suitcase inside.
Both flights were packed but ran on schedule and a little over three hours later, she jumped into an Uber at JFK airport and was home twenty minutes later.
Her apartment felt so empty and still when she stepped inside. It was also very hot and stuffy. She turned her air-conditioning on, dropped her suitcase in her bedroom, grabbed a cold bottled water from the refrigerator, and took it onto the balcony. She sat at her little bistro table, sipped her water, and listened to the sounds of the city around her. It was much quieter in Chatham. Brooklyn was loud and full of energy and she heard voices of people talking all around her as they walked by on the street below or in apartments that had their windows open. It was a holiday and there were still people celebrating.
As soon as her apartment cooled off, Hannah went back inside, unpacked, and collapsed on her living room sofa. It was good to be home and she was exhausted. It had been a long, emotional weekend and she looked forward to getting a good night’s sleep in her own bed.
She woke early the next day and was disoriented at first, expecting to hear the sound of the ocean and instead heard the blare of a car honking outside. It was the Tuesday after Labor Day and everyone was back to work. After a shower and breakfast, Hannah joined them. She took her laptop to her favorite coffee shop, ordered a latte, and settled in the corner. She didn’t recognize the barista behind the counter, or anyone actually. She knew turnover was high in places like this. She missed Caitlin’s smile and their daily chitchat as she took Hannah’s order.
Her writing went slowly as she was working on a new story and wasn’t in her usual Chatham surroundings. She figured it would take a few days to adjust, so she wasn’t concerned. She had plans to see Lucy later that night for dinner and was looking forward to catching up.
Lucy came over a little before six and suggested going somewhere new.
“I’m sick of all our usual spots around here. Someone at work mentioned a place in the East Village that they loved. Want to check it out?”
Hannah was up for it, so they ordered an Uber and arrived at the recommended restaurant in the East Village twenty minutes later.
It was a trendy spot and Lucy said people had been raving about it all over TikTok.
“They have some really unique cocktails, no food, though, so we should eat dinner elsewhere. It’s more of a vibe type of place and there have been some celebrity sightings recently.”
“Really? Like who?”
“Leonardo DiCaprio was there a week or two ago, and I forget who else.”
Because it was a Tuesday night, they didn’t have to wait for a table and were seated right away. Lucy was right, the cocktails were fantastic. They each ordered a specialty drink that their server recommended called the Handsome Devil, made with silver tequila, fresh lime, and lavender honey. It was smooth and different, and it was fun to sip.
Over dinner, Hannah filled Lucy in on her last weekend and the kiss.
“So interesting! I thought I picked up on a vibe. You guys looked good together. Will you do anything about it?”
Hannah shook her head. “It doesn’t really change anything. I told you before, there’s no point to it.”
Lucy sipped her drink in silence for a long moment.
“Look, I love having you back here, I do. But what if Spencer is ‘the one’? How did you feel when he kissed you?”
“It was good.”
“Okay good or tingling-toes-and-butterflies-taking-flight good?”
“Hmm. Very good.” There were definitely tingles and a few flutters.
“Better than Jeremy?”
Hannah laughed. “No comparison.”
“Well, then. The answer seems obvious to me.”
“You think I should uproot my life and move home to Chatham?”
Lucy shrugged. “Up to you. But why not take a chance? If it doesn’t work out, Brooklyn will still be here.”
“Hannah, is that you?” Hannah turned and saw Niall walking toward her with a much younger and very beautiful woman by his side. She looked vaguely familiar, too.
“Niall, good to see you.”
He gave her a hug. “Are you home for good now?” Was she?
She nodded. “I just got back yesterday.”
“I came back a week ago. Great summer.” Hannah introduced Lucy, and Niall introduced his companion. She was a famous Victoria’s Secret swimsuit model. As soon as he said her name, Hannah recognized it.
“Well, we won’t keep you,” Niall said smoothly. “Enjoy your evening.” They wandered off and Hannah smiled.
“He seems nice enough,” Lucy said.
“Oh, he is. I wonder if he’ll ever settle down?”
“He doesn’t really need to, I suppose. Men like him, good-looking, with insane wealth, will always be in demand,” Lucy said. “There’s always someone new coming along.”
“Maybe. He is a nice guy though. I hope he’s happy.” Hannah was feeling contemplative after Lucy’s earlier comments.
“He looked happy to me. I’m starving, let’s go eat.”
The next week Hannah went to all her favorite local spots, found a new coffee shop, and got some writing done. But the nights that she didn’t go out, when she stayed in, her apartment seemed so empty. It was fun seeing Lucy and her other friends again, but she couldn’t stop thinking about Spencer. And she hadn’t heard from him. She hadn’t expected that she would, though, this soon.
She and Sara talked almost every day now. Usually in the morning before Sara headed into the bookshop. She was still loving it there and things were going well with Tom. Cody’s thirteenth birthday was coming up in a few weeks and they’d decided he would be old enough to babysit the others. Cody was all for the idea, once they told him they’d pay him the going rate for babysitting.
“Tom didn’t think we needed to pay him anything. That he should want to keep an eye on his siblings. But I’ll feel better if we do—he’ll have more of an incentive to pay attention to them. And it’s good for him to start earning a little money,” Sara had said.
The following Sunday, Hannah slept in, made herself a mug of black coffee, and opened her laptop to read the news. She made room on her small table first, moving a stack of mail out of the way. On top of the pile was her new lease, still unsigned. She needed to get that back to the landlord, but hadn’t gotten around to doing it yet.
She sipped her coffee and scanned the local news, then pulled up the Chatham news. There was a new movie at the Orpheum that she wanted to see, a romantic comedy. She’d have to check with Lucy and see if it was playing anywhere near them.
She accidentally clicked a pop-up ad and landed on a real estate rental page. She was about to click off the page when a familiar house caught her eye. It was a cute A-frame style that was on the way to Spencer’s house. And it was on the same lake. It felt like a sign of some sort. She clicked on the listing to take a closer look.
It was adorable inside. The description said it was newly painted, the walls were a pretty soft blue with white trim. The kitchen was small but had everything she needed. It was a two-bedroom and there was a gas fireplace in the living room and a deck that overlooked the lake. It was much smaller than Spencer’s place, but twice the size of Hannah’s apartment and half the rent.
But she was being silly. She clicked out of the listing, and decided to go for a long walk, hoping to clear her mind. Hannah walked for over an hour, all over Brooklyn, and she did clear her mind. She came home and before she could change her mind, she pulled the ad up again, and called the number listed. She expected to leave a message since it was a Sunday, but someone answered on the first ring.
“Chatham Realty, this is Susie. How can I help?”
“Oh, I wasn’t sure you were open,” Hannah stammered. “I’m interested in a rental.” She told the woman the address and she looked it up.
“That’s available, would you like to make an appointment to see it?”
Hannah had looked at the pictures again and knew the area. She didn’t need to make an appointment.
“I’d like to rent it, please.”