Page 39 of Willow in the Wind

Everyone laughed, and James thought,She was always charming. She still is.

Despite his fears, James had readThe Athens Affairthat summer. He’d read it in a single sitting in the sunlight at the bar near his house, sipping light beer and feeling his heart pound. When the bartender came by to drop off his bill, James looked at her with tears in his eyes.

She remembered everything.

She didn’t leave anything out.

But James hadn’t imagined he’d come to the book launch. That required a jolt of bravery that he’d left behind in the year 2001.

He wouldn’t have come, in fact, if Taylor hadn’t called him two days ago and started screaming at him. “Why didn’t you tell me it was you?”

James’s heart had nearly burst. “Let’s meet in private so I can explain,” he’d said tentatively. And then he’d begged, “Please, don’t tell your TikTok followers.”

Taylor hadn’t been thrilled with this last part. She’d obviously wanted to use the book’s fame to speak to her followers. But she’d respected her father’s wishes and agreed. They had plans to chat aboutThe Athens Affairnext week when she got back from a brief summer tour in the Northwest.

But Taylor had ordered him to go to Nantucket Island for the book launch.

“Won’t it be wild to see her again?”

It was wild. But James wasn’t sure what to do with the aching in his stomach and the fear in his heart. What would she do when she saw him again? Would she throw the book at his head?

The question session continued. There was no end to the readers’ curiosity. They asked about Stella’s upbringing in Nantucket, how she informed her family that she was writing, and whether or not she was currently single or dating.

At this, Stella glanced at a man in the front row and gave him a soft smile. James’s heart lurched.Obviously, she has a boyfriend. It was so stupid to come here.

Not that I came here to get back together with her!

That would be insane.

Am I insane?

“I just got out of something,” Stella admitted to the crowd. “It broke me a little bit, but I’m healing. I think this book taught me a few lessons about love. Some of them were lessons I’d already learned that I had to learn again.”

Who broke her heart?James wondered.Who is that idiot?

The Q&A session had already lasted forty-five minutes. Esme announced that it was nearly time for the book signing and more wine, which meant that James was losing his chance.

Why did I come here? What is my plan?

In a way, he felt a little like the twentysomething guy in the memoir. He felt reckless.

Suddenly, his hand was in the air.

“I think I see one more question back there,” Stella said. “Yes?”

There was a ringing in James’s ears. He swallowed and stood. “Just one question,” James said. “What song did J play at the bar that night?”

Stella tilted her head with surprise. It wasn’t a typical question. A few people twisted around to look at him. He knew his British accent startled people.

James didn’t give Stella time to say anything. Instead, he said, “I’d like to wager a guess, if I may.”

Stella looked very pale.

“It must have been ‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis,” James shot. “That’s what every bloke with a guitar played back in 2001.”

The people in the audience chuckled. Stella raised her microphone back to her mouth and smiled nervously.

It’s like she knows it’s me, but she doesn’t want to admit it.

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