She cuts me off and steps out of my arms. “While you were gone, I had your dad over for dinner, and he met Jane and Andrew and Londyn. Hopefully, I’ve convinced him we’re real, so even if Holden tries to pull his tricks, then we’ll have his support.”
I nod, regret knifing into me at her cool words. Brody filled me in on the dinner. Apparently, she and Jane made a lasagna. According to Brody, Dad adored the Darling family, especially little Londyn. Emmy also confided in Dad about her upbringing and also told him that Holden had a PI following her and was planning on releasing a story.
“Thanks for doing that,” I reply, studying the way she’s holding herself, her shoulders curled in. “Dad called me last week. He had words with Holden. There isn’t going to be any story about us.”
She pushes out a nonchalant shrug. “Honestly, I always thought I’d be upset to see my name and my parents’ past dragged in the papers, but that seems like a trivial thing compared to me nearly losing the bookstore—or your concussion. I like your dad. He reminds me of you.”
She pauses, seeming to consider her words. “Speaking of faithful, you left me at the beach. Why did you go to Seattle after camp?”
I needed some space from her, but I also had business. “I still had a condo there. It sold, and I was there to handle it.”
“Brody keeps saying I should know why you left. I don’t. Not really. Nothing definitive. I mean, you could have stayed. We could have hung out.”
I don’t reply.
She sighs. “Have you heard of Occam’s razor?”
“Yeah. It means that a simpler explanation is more likely to be true than a complex one. One famous example is if you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras.”
She fidgets, the color rising in her cheeks. “So, the simplest explanation is you couldn’t wait to get away from me.”
I heave out an exhale. “Emmy—”
“No, it’s fine.” She gives me a tight smile. “I’m going upstairs to get back to work.”
She turns to go, and I don’t stop her. Part of me wants to comfort her, but the other side is wary of getting too close.
She didn’t want to marry me.
She wants us to end.
And I’m afraid she’s going to rip out my heart when she leaves.
I shove that thought away. This was the plan. Just stick to it.
Chapter 23
EMMY
Since the basement incident, Graham’s taken care of dealing with the plumber, swept the rotunda, and helped an elderly couple onto the elevator. Both he and Jasper wear ball caps, and only a couple of people have recognized them.
Graham looks relaxed—that is, until Londyn squirms in Andrew’s arms and points at Graham. Andrew hands her to Graham, who holds her from his body with outstretched arms until Andrew tells him to put Londyn on his hip. He bounces her around when she starts to whimper, and pretty soon he’s walking around the store with her, pointing out different things for her to look at. She’s sleepy and rests her forehead on his shoulder.
I take a bite of the grilled cheese Jane made me earlier. It’s the first time I’ve sat down all day.
“Quite the view, right?” Brody says as he plops down next to me at the table. He arrived about an hour ago, after Graham texted him. Cas stayed behind for work but said he’d come by later.
I take a sip of my tea. “What view?”
“Graham with a baby. Giving you ideas?” He waggles his brows. “I’d adore a little niece or nephew. Cas and I have thought about adoption, but we need to get the business going first.”
“Are you looking at places for your gym again?”
He nods. “I think we’ve found a great place in Brooklyn. It’s in a fun part of town and has plenty of space for everything we want to do.”
“The cookies are going off in the oven,” Jane calls out to him.
Brody smirks and rises to his feet. “Sorry. I’m on cookie duty. Want me to bring you a hot one? It’s chocolate chip in this batch.”
I tell him no, that I don’t eat chocolate because of caffeine, then check my phone as a text comes in. It’s from the art girl who made the shark. I sent her a text this morning, hoping she might have some ideas for us on how to repair the shark.
Sorry I can’t help you fix Mr. Shark. I got hired at Bloomingdales full-time.
I congratulate her on the job, then toss the phone down and want to cry in frustration.
Great. Now what?
“Tomorrow is the big reveal for our window,” I tell the staff and everyone else who’s gathered in the rotunda. It’s nearly closing time, and a few customers come and go, but Jane is handling them.
“The Times will be here to take a look at it. We’d planned a shark window, but that isn’t going to happen because the shark is ruined, and the artist isn’t available to help. I need quick and easy ideas, and whoever is available tonight to stay and help put it together. I know we’ve all been working hard, but this window is our biggest coup of the summer. We need something fantastic.” I pause. “Also, in case you haven’t heard the good news yet, our buyer of the store is keeping it open. He’s also here today helping us. Staff, meet Graham Harlan.” Apparently Graham met with Terry in Atlanta, and they officially signed the papers.
Babs claps excitedly.
The staff waves a hello at him. Some of them cheer.
“Graham, would you like to add anything?” I ask.
He clears his throat. “Good work, everyone. I’m glad to be here.”
Andrew munches on a cookie as he flirts with one of the newly hired girls. “He bought it because he loves my sister. They’re married.”
Babs rolls her eyes. “We all know they’re married, Andrew.”
Graham’s eyes find mine and glint with something. “Who couldn’t love her?”
Brody smiles widely as he gives me a thumbs-up and claps. “Bravo, brother! The bookstore is your great new adventure.”
Jasper elbows Brody. “Being the best tight end in the country is his adventure.”
“With that settled, shoot me with your ideas for a summer display,” I say. “Anything. Just something. Please.”
Jasper’s hand shoots up in the air, and I smirk. “You don’t have to raise your hand, Jasper.”
“Oh, well, you’re in charge, so . . . How about a bunch of sand, giant beach balls, then toss some books in there about summer—”
Jane interrupts him as she arrives with Londyn in her arms. “Not exciting.”
“It’s a great idea,” he retorts to her as she sits at their table.
Babs clears her throat. “Just rolling with the beach theme . . . we could put a chair in there, an inflatable palm tree, put the male mannequin in a Speedo, and let him read a book with a summery title. Oh! We could toss in a surfboard.”
I jot down her thoughts on a clipboard.
“We could ask our owner or one of his friends to sit in the beach chair a few hours a day, you know, just to make it exciting,” Jane says with relish as she sweeps her gaze over Graham and Jasper. “Gives them something to do besides banging against each other on the football field.”
Jasper glowers at her. “We have busy lives.”