Page 17 of Another June with You

The sound of the front door opening distracted her from her thoughts.

“Shannon?” Her mother, Samantha, called from the doorway.

Shannon met her mother and relieved her of a couple grocery bags she was carrying.

“I thought you had something for Keely’s wedding today.”

“I did. Brunch this morning, and I have a bridal shower tomorrow.”

Mama followed her into the kitchen, and the two of them went about emptying the groceries and putting them away.

“Wow! You finished a lot of pies while I was gone!” Samantha called across the house to her mother-in-law.

“We helped,” Shannon told her.

“We?” Her mother looked at her questioningly.

“Hello, Mrs. McGregor.” Micah entered the room then with Nana.

Surprise flickered across Mama’s face. “Well, I wasn’t expecting this.” She moved toward Micah and embraced him. “It’s been a long time, Micah. How have you been?”

“I’ve been well, thanks. How are you?”

“Can’t complain. Are you still in Virginia?”

Micah nodded.

Shannon didn’t hear anything they said after that. The three of them were chatting like no time had passed, like they could pick up where they left off, but Shannon couldn’t do that. She had to keep some distance. It was already happening—the doubt, the second-guessing. She believed her decision to end their relationship was right. Her mind knew it. But when she was with him, her heart told her otherwise.

On top of her mixed-up emotions, she had to consider his girlfriend’s feelings. If Micah was her boyfriend, she wouldn’t appreciate him spending time with an ex. She didn’t want to be that girl, causing problems between them, messing up his happiness.

“Would you like to stay for dinner?” Mama’s words caught her attention.

“We can’t,” Shannon blurted.

Micah’s eyes met hers, and she shook her head at him.

“Thank you for the invitation,” Micah replied, “but we really should be going. It was great catching up with you both.”

Mama and Nana both showered him with hugs and kisses. Nana sent him away with a Tupperware container filled with several pieces of pie—even though she’d told him she only had the one to spare—and he thanked her with a kiss on the cheek.

“Shannon.” Mama stopped her on her way out the door and spoke quietly so only she could hear. “Are you all right?”

“I don’t know.” She really didn’t.

Her mother hugged her tight. “Ti amo, mia bella figlia.”

“Ti amo.”

“Come for lunch on Sunday to welcome your brother home.”

“I will.” Shannon squeezed once more before letting go and catching up with Micah in the driveway.

“Thanks for suggesting this,” he said as they neared his car. “It was really good to see them again.”

Shannon’s phone went off with a text notification from Simon asking if they’d met with the building owner yet. She’d reply later. But right now, she needed to deal with the dilemma at hand. “I, uh … I think I’m gonna pass on dinner.”

He stopped walking and stared over at her. “Why? Get a better offer?”

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