Chapter Twenty-Two #2
Vi’s smile became more strained. She looked almost .
. . disappointed. Nick was obviously doing a terrible job sounding enthused about the friends thing.
Letting his stupid heart leak through, giving away how much he wanted her as more than that.
As a mate. Would she give him a chance, if he confessed now?
Or would she back away, startled and betrayed?
She’d been clear about what she wanted. And more importantly, what she didn’t want.
Maybe he was just setting himself up for more heartbreak by putting himself through all of this.
Maybe it would’ve been better if he stayed away, never gave himself a glimpse of what it might be like to be with Vi properly.
“I’ll put out the Closed sign,” Vi said, glancing at her watch, “and then start setting up.”
“Right,” Nick said again. “Good. I’ll keep . . .”
He waved the tape.
She walked past him. He forced his gaze to stay down on the books, cursing himself silently. He needed to tell her soon. Let her make a decision once and for all. Then he could stop hoping.
* * *
The lemonade pitcher was almost empty. The others had steadily gone through it during the two-hour session.
Nick hadn’t touched it. His stomach was churning with nerves for reasons he didn’t want to identify. Mosey meowed from across the shop, jolting Nick from his miserable haze.
Nick and Rosie meowed back at her. A bad habit he’d picked up from the old woman, along with keeping hard candy in his pockets. Old people candy was good. Especially fae candy, which was ultrasweet.
“Nick,” Rosie said suddenly. “I heard you gave Vi riding lessons.”
Across from him, Joshua averted his eyes. Lydia barked a laugh, failing to turn it into a cough halfway through. Suze barely glanced up, too busy eating the last of the muffins he’d brought.
Nick narrowed his eyes. “Rosie.”
“Motorcycle riding, of course.” Rosie beamed.
Nick glowered. “We’re just friends, Rosie.”
“Really? They said you were very attentive.”
“I’m a very attentive friend,” Nick said, mind racing.
He didn’t remember anyone driving by when Vi was riding around next to her broken-down car.
Did someone spy on them from the trees? Maybe someone flying overhead?
Then he remembered he’d given Vi another rundown outside her house before he called Duncan for the tow truck. Nosy neighbors strike again.
He leaned over, tweaking her wing. “Am I not attentive enough for you, Rosie? Is this what this is about?”
“Right,” Rosie said. “You’re a very attentive friend. Just like Joshua is with Gabriella!”
Nick frowned at her, confused. He didn’t even know Joshua hung out with Gabriella, let alone he might have a thing for her, which Rosie was clearly implying. He looked over at Joshua, who was avoiding everyone’s eyes.
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Joshua said, flustered.
Nick held back a smile. Okay, that was pretty cute. Even if Joshua’s crush might be doomed, since Gabriella was still grieving her dead husband.
Rosie tutted. “But you’re always bringing her flowers when she’s upset! So thoughtful of you. Right, everybody?”
“Super thoughtful,” Nick agreed, eager to say anything that would drag the conversation away from him and Vi. “You really get her flowers when she’s upset? How does that work? You hear she’s taking a mental health day off work and go over with a bouquet of roses?”
“So,” Joshua said loudly, ignoring Nick. “Who wants to go to Cozy Grotto?”
“Me,” Lydia said, so fast and eager that Nick blinked at her. Lydia looked away immediately, hiding a grin and fiddling with the bows in her hair.
“I’d go every time if they made food like this,” Suze said through her last mouthful of muffin. “Nick, where do you get these? Vi said they were from out of town. I’ll drive anywhere for this.”
Nick tapped his nose. “That’s my secret. Gotta give you guys a reason to keep me around.”
Rosie caught his arm. “Would you mind going over and saving us a table? It’s such a lovely night. I’d hate for the café to fill up with tourists before we can get a spot.”
Nick paused, looking back at the table and chairs that needed to be put away, the bookshelves that needed to be put into place. Besides, he had the keys. Surely, he was the worst person to go, right?
“I have the keys,” Nick pointed out.
“There’s a key above the door, taped inside the wooden bird ornament. Been there since before you were born. We can lock up.” Rosie patted his elbow. “Thank you, dear. Such an attentive friend.”
“I am,” Nick said, hamming it up in the hope they didn’t notice his burning suspicion.
Maybe they had something to talk about while he wasn’t there?
Maybe they wanted him kicked out as book club leader?
He thought he’d been doing a good job, but what did he know?
He’d never been to a book club before. He could be doing terribly.
He walked slowly to the door, watching them. They stared back at him, except for Lydia, who was pretending to shine her cane.
“Well,” he said, feeling like he was missing something very obvious, something he’d kick himself for later. “See you there.”
* * *
The niggling suspicion stuck with him throughout the short walk to Cozy Grotto Café. He didn’t even make it to the door before the urge to kick himself reached a crescendo.
Vi stood under a lamppost outside the café, scrolling through her phone and toying absently with her hair ribbon. She smiled down at the screen, the light from the lamppost turning her face so sweet and luminous that Nick had to remind himself that breathing existed.
Then Vi looked up, and her smile stuttered.
“Oh,” she said. “Hi. Um, the others invited me along.”
“Of course they did,” Nick said, that niggling suspicion writhing inside him once again.
Their phones went off at the same time. Nick was still digging it out of his pocket when Vi said, “That’s Lydia. They had something come up— Wait. Who’s locking up the bookshop?”
“Rosie’s got it sorted,” Nick said, making a mental note to throw Rosie’s groceries haphazardly into the cart next time he took her shopping. “Apparently.”
“Huh,” Vi said slowly.
Nick twisted his rings around his fingers.
He wanted to pull her hair ribbon out so her hair fell around her shoulders the way it did when she was riding his motorcycle.
He wanted to press his thumb to her chin again, no frosting to wipe away, just to feel her soft face against his calloused skin. He wanted a lot of things.
Vi didn’t look upset at the group’s blatant machinations. He kept waiting for her to say she should get going or put on that nice shtick he hadn’t seen directed at him in months. But she just stood there, like she was waiting for something.
“Well,” Vi continued when the silence continued to stretch. “Since we’re here . . . we might as well go in.”
“Might as well,” Nick echoed. She gave him that look again, and he realized she expected him to say something.
Nick went with his first instinct in every situation. He grabbed the café door and bowed low, gesturing for her to walk inside.
“Buddy.”
“Buddy,” she replied, completely dry. Then she headed inside, Nick following after her, wiping his sweaty palms on his best jeans and telling his heartbeat to quiet down.