Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
After leaving Morgan happily sitting on the sidewalk, beside yellow and orange potted mums, I pull the door open to Maggie’s.
I hear the familiar jingle of the bell at the same time as the aroma of fresh baking hits me.
God, I have missed this place. When I was growing up, my mom brought me here every Saturday morning to pick out a treat after soccer.
As I got older, and had my own money, I became a regular.
I even had a job washing dishes here when I was in my early teens.
“Logan,” Maggie calls out a greeting, “a little bird told me you were home. It’s so nice to see you.”
Laughing, I ask, “Oh yeah? Who’s your little bird? Have you been listening to town gossip, Maggie?”
“No, silly boy,” she laughs, “my niece Beck told me yesterday when she came to pick up supplies to take to Hannah’s cabin.”
Hannah’s cabin? Riot never mentioned that Hannah lives at the lake now. I’m happy for her, she loves it there.
The longer I’m back in town, the more I realize that Riot has kept a details from me. I’m not mad, I put him in a difficult position. He is Hannah’s friend too, and he has kept my confidence for years. She deserves privacy, but I still have questions.
Wait. Beck is Maggie’s niece? I didn’t even know Maggie had a niece. As I mull over this new information, I hear Maggie greeting a new customer.
“Good morning, sweetie. Are you on your way into work?”
I turn to see who she is talking to, and I feel my breath hitch. I didn’t expect to see Hannah again so quickly, but I’m glad I am here.
She’s wearing a simple blue wrap dress that stretches over all the right places. She has on black strappy sandals, and her toes are painted the same colour as her dress. Her curls are down, but the elastic band around her wrist tells me they won’t be for long. It’s all I can do not to stare.
“Good morning, Maggie. Umm yeah. I’m running behind.” She pauses, purposely not making eye contact with me. “Book Club ran late last night.”
Maggie giggles, actually giggles. “Ohhhh, are you reading something good?”
“Nah, I don’t recommend it at all.” She scowls, shaking her head. “Worst book I have ever read.”
“So, it’s not a love story. Will there be a happily ever after?”
“What? No. Absolutely not.” Her eyes widen as she shakes her head. “More like a mystery? Maybe a horror story?”
How does she not know what kind of book they are reading I wonder.
“Interesting. You will have to fill me in later,” she says with a wink.
Maggie turns back to me. “What can I get you, Logan?”
“Large coffee double, double, chocolate milk, and a chocolate chip muffin to go please.”
Hannah snorts. It’s the only acknowledgement that I’m standing here that she’s given since she arrived.
“What?” I raise my eyebrow and ask, happy to have her attention.
Any attention is better than no attention, am I right?
“You have been ordering the same thing for 20 years.” She scoffs, not meeting my eyes.
“So? I like what I like. Plus, I wasn’t ordering coffee when I was ten.”
“Hannah, correct me if I’m wrong, but do you not have that exact order at least weekly?” Maggie interjects as she straightens the already organized counter.
“I do not!” Hannah blushes wide eyed looking from me to Maggie and back again.
“Oh, I must be thinking of someone else. What can I get you, sweetie?”
“I’ll take a large, steeped tea with milk and a coffee cake muffin please.”
“No donut today?” I ask. The Hannah I remember would choose a donut over a muffin every single time.
“I don’t eat donuts every day,” she blusters.
Maggie rolls her eyes and chuckles before busying herself preparing our orders. I turn to Hannah and try to engage her in conversation.
“We didn’t get a chance to talk yesterday. I was wondering if I could take you out for dinner sometime this week so I—” She holds up her hand and cuts me off before I can finish my sentence.
“No, I’m not interested in having dinner with you,” she says looking around the bakery to see who may be listening.
“Lunch? Breakfast?” I try.
“Not happening. I don’t want to eat with you, Logan.” She closes her eyes, trying to find her patience.
“I would really like to talk,” I say, moving closer to her. If only I could get her to listen to me, maybe she would understand why I did what I did.
“I can’t.”
“Or you won’t?”
“Same thing.”
Maggie brings over our orders. We both reach for our wallets the same time. “I’ll get it, Maggie,” I say, holding up my card.
“I can pay for myself, Logan,” she says, looking at my outstretched hand as I tap. Her wide, green eyes dart up to meet my own for the first time. She starts to reach out and touch the natural stone beads and string leather circling my wrist, then quickly pulls back like she has been burned.
“Is that the necklace I made you,” she pauses, her voice thick with emotion, “in high school?” she finishes quickly.
“Yeah. I outgrew it,” I reply, touching my neck, “so I wear it as a bracelet now.”
“Why?” She looks baffled.
“Why?” I echo. “Because you made it for me. Of course I wear it,” I reply, turning the bracelet on my wrist.
The truth is I use it to ground me, and I would feel naked without it.
“Do you still have yours?” I hope she kept the one that matches mine.
“Nope,” she answers quickly.
“I’ve got to go. Thanks, Maggie.” Hannah turns and rushes towards the door.
“Hannah, wait.” I turn to go after her. Maggie touches my hand to stop me.
“Give her time, Logan. She needs to get used to you living here again, and she doesn’t need you running after her.”
“I don’t want to give her more time. I just want to talk to her.”
“She needs time,” Maggie says more firmly.
“I will only say this once, Logan James, so pay attention. Hannah has been hurt enough in this lifetime, so you think long and hard before you chase after her.”
Never have I ever heard Maggie speak so sternly. I feel like a dickhead.
“Okay,” I concede, running my hand through my hair. “I’ll give her time.”
“Good. I’m happy you decided to come back to town,” Maggie says with a smile, handing me my drinks and muffin.
“Me too. I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?”
“I look forward to it.”
I know I made mistakes. The ones I made as an angry twenty-one-year-old might be forgivable, but the ones I kept making as an adult?
Not so much. I thought I was doing the right thing by distancing myself from Hannah.
Now I can see how stupid I was. I just hope that she will give me a chance to explain.