Page 102 of Dreaming of Dawson

“Don’t you remember? When you said you wanted to help him, I told you he’d work it out.”

“I know, but…”

“When I said that, I meant that he’d realize there was something worth stopping for… or someone.” I could feel myself blush, but she ignored it and leaned a little closer. “Can I assume you don’t just like him anymore?”

“You can.”

“This doesn’t mean you’re gonna leave, does it?” she said, her face falling.

“No… but I was wondering how you’d feel about me switching my hours around a little.”

“In what way?”

“Well… it occurred to me earlier that Dawson doesn’t start work until eleven, or thereabouts, and while we spend the afternoon and evening together, it would be nice if we could…”

“I understand,” she said, smiling, although her frown quickly returned. “The problem is, I don’t wanna work much beyond lunchtime. I’ve grown to enjoy having my afternoons to myself, so I can do things with Rory, and be a mom for a few hours.” I couldn’t blame her for that, but I wasn’t sure where it left us, and judging from her expression, neither was she… until her face suddenly cleared and she said, “How would you feel about working five days a week instead of four?”

“You want me to work more hours?”

“No. I’m just suggesting we distribute them differently. I’ll admit, I’ve gotten used to being on my own on Wednesdays, but it was so much easier having you here yesterday, so why don’t we take your sixteen hours and spread them over five mornings,so you’d still finish at one, but you could start at ten instead of nine. Would that help?”

“It would be fabulous… but that’s only fifteen hours, not sixteen.”

“Is it?” she said, and I could see her working it out in her head. “Oh, yes. It is.”

“I don’t mind if you pay me for an hour less per week.”

“We’ll worry about that later,” she said, waving her hand in the air, and we both laughed, although we kept it quiet, so we didn’t wake Rory.

Peony was able to give me a ride into town that afternoon. She was going to the drugstore, and on the way, I thanked her for being so understanding.

“It’s okay,” she said. “I’m just so pleased for you both. You deserve to be happy.”

I could feel myself blush, and she smiled across at me. “You were right about him, you know?”

“Oh? In what way?”

“He’s one of the nicest guys anyone could hope to meet.”

I wasn’t kidding, and when I got to the bar, he proved me right, coming over to help me take off my coat and scarf, before putting them over the back of the closest chair, and then kissing me, regardless of the customers who were sitting at tables, some of them ignoring us, but others staring, open-mouthed. I felt a little self-conscious, but he didn’t, and when he pulled back, he held me in his arms.

“Okay?” he said.

“Getting used to it.”

“Good. And by the way, you’re not walking to work tomorrow. You can take my car.”

“I can?”

“Yeah. I don’t need it.”

“Well… thank you.” I went to lean up and kiss him, but pulled back, a thought occurring. Dawson obviously noticed and led me back behind the bar, so we were slightly less visible.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. “You were gonna kiss me then, but you stopped.”

“I know. I—I just had a thought.”

“Which was?”

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