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Twisting my lips, I shake my head. “Unfortunately no. I don’t think it’s in my budget.”
“We do offer layaway. The owner usually handles that. I can call him, if you’d like.”
I glance behind her. “Oh, is Reid not here?”
Her smile widens. “He is. But he spends most of his time making furniture at the warehouse. I can let him know you’re here, Miss…”
I shake my head, feeling thankful that she doesn’t seem to recognize me. Having been away for a while has its perks.
“I don’t want to bother him while he’s working.” A lieanda truth. “But thanks for your help.”
“Well, we’ll be here if you change your mind.”
Nodding, I take another minute to admire things before I push up out of the chair. It’s better that Reid’s not here. Perfect actually. I got a bit of my nostalgia out, gave in to my impulse, and didn’t get myself into any trouble in the process.
Because that’s all that can come from me wandering over to his shop in the middle of a work day—trouble.
Sure, it might be completely normal for a neighbor to pop in to say hello at work, but I’m not here to be neighborly. I’m here to flirt, to assuage that thing inside of me that likes the way his eyes rove over my body when I walk toward him.
But after our almost-not-a-kiss a few nights ago, I know that mentality is foolish. It’s one thing to flirt, to feel that pitter-patter in your chest because you’ve garnered some attention. It’s quite another to let things become physical. And I’ll be honest, I was a hair’s breadth away from pushing up onto my toes and planting my lips against his as he hovered behind me in the doorway.
It would be far too easy to fall for a man like Reid Cohen. Kind. Considerate. Handsome.
God, is he handsome.
But like I’ve said to myself over and over…there’s just too much risk in getting involved with someone, with anyone. Not only for me, but for my daughter.
And with that final thought, I give Heather a pinched smile and head back out to Main Street and over to the bookstore. Back to reality, leaving the daydream behind with my teenage self.
Junie giggles, her head of blonde curls whipping around her face as she swings away from me. Then momentum brings her back and I grab the toddler-style seat.
“Ready?” I ask, stretching out the word as I hold her up, bringing her a bit higher, holding her in place to heighten the suspense.
“Swing!” she says, her tiny fingers holding tight to the black rubber seat as she waits in anticipation.
She lets out a joyful shriek as I let go, swinging away from me in a long arc again. We’ve done this same thing about twenty times, and her enthusiasm hasn’t waned. It’s one of those things about kids that blows my mind, how they like doing the same thing over and over and over again, never getting tired of it.
My arms are certainly tired of it, though, and after a few more minutes, I tug her out of the swing and set her on the ground. She totters happily over to a boy sitting in the sand pit, playing with yellow Tonka trucks and scooping sand into a bucket. She plops right down next to him and picks up one of his toys, and the two begin playing together.
If only friendship stayed that easy as we get older.
The playground at Cedar Point Elementary is much more conducive to toddler play than the modest park I used to take Junie to near campus when she first started to walk. It was rare for other kids to be there, so she often just wandered around with me hovering close as she plucked grass out of the earth and picked up leaves. I know she had fun exploring, but I always wished there were more kids around so she had someone to play with. It’s nice to see other kids and parents here on a midweekevening, letting their kids get out their wiggles and socialize as the sun sets on the weekend.
When my mom suggested I check out the playground for a place Junie could run around like a nut, I nodded and promptly set the thought aside. Kids thrive on routine, and getting my daughter home for dinner felt more important. But once I got in my car, I realized the real reason I wanted to head back to the cabin wasn’t because I wanted to get Junie home for anything. It was because I was hoping to have a run-in with Reid when he inevitably stops by the house looking for Sydney, who continues to jailbreak the blue cabin to make her way over to hang out with us.
Instead of heading home, I turned and drove directly to the elementary school. A smarter decision, and one Junie is enjoying immensely, even if I’m left to wonder what Reid’s reaction was when he got home and we weren’t there.
I shake my head. He probably doesn’t care at all, and thinking otherwise is a recipe for disaster.
“She’s so cute.”
I turn toward a very put-together-looking woman sitting on a nearby bench and smile, thankful for the brief reprieve from my own thoughts.
“Thank you,” I reply, stepping in her direction, trying not to be self-conscious of my stained pants and plain gray tank that I’m pretty sure has a hole somewhere near my belly button. It didn’t seem to matter when I was heading out the door to work because I knew I’d be a sweaty mess today, but for some reason, it feels like it matters now.
“Is that your son?” I ask, dipping my head in the direction of where Junie and the boy are playing together.
She nods as I drop down on the other end of the bench. “Yes, that’s Leo. I’m Marie.”
