Page 71 of The Friendly Fall

I shrug, keeping my mind focused on the work I have to do. “They’re fine, I guess.” I have no desire to talk to Ms. Marilyn about the way I’m feeling, especially when it comes to Eliza. Honestly, after the second night with her family, I decided spacewasa goodidea.

“Now, Nick.” She lets out a sigh, folding her arms across her chest. “I know that things aren’t normal between you two ever since she devised that silly plan to have you pretend to be her boyfriend.”

I freeze, hanging onto the new door, but I have no clue what to say to her. It almost feels like I’ve been caught red-handed.

Except I knew that she already knew about it. It just hadn’t fully registered.

“I didn’t approve of it,” Granny says in a flat tone.

I nod. “She’s my … she’s my friend. I did it because of that.”

“You did it because you care about her more than that,” Granny levels with me, raising one of her dark brows at me. “I know you do.”

I don’t meet her eyes. “I should be finished with this door in just a couple of hours.”

She purses her lips and then shakes her head at me. “You’re a stubborn man.”

“Maybe.” I look over at her and smile. “I come by it honestly.”

“You really do. Your daddy used to run around with Will, and I tell ya, between the two of them, they didn’t do anything they didn’t want to. It’s a blessing and a curse sometimes.”

“Yeah.” My eyes fall to my hands, that old familiar feeling of grief creeping in. “Who knows where I’d be if my dad was still around.” I don’t know why I admit the thought to Ms. Marilyn. Maybe it’s because she’s easy to talk to, or maybe it’s because she’s starting to feel a lot like …family.

“I can’t say where you’d be, but I think that you’re right where you need to be now. You’ve really built yourself a nice life, one to be proud of.”

My jaw tenses, but I nod. “Yeah. I guess so.”

While I mostly agree, there’s this massive hole in my chest where myownfamily should be. Seeing Daniel and Vanessa begin to build their family, as well as my sister … It hits hard.

And even harder now that I’ve met someone I can actually picture it with.

“She’ll be back in a few hours.”

“I’ll probably be gone by then.”

“I know.”

And I am gone before Eliza shows back up at the house. I pass her car as she turns onto the road. She waves. I wave back.

And that’s that.

I floor the truck and am surprised when my phone lights up in the cup holder. I pick it up, answering. “Hey.”

“You’re already done with the door?” Eliza’s voice sounds … disappointed. “I thought maybe we could get dinner tonight or something.”

“Uh … I gotta get back to the store to close up. Mom has some plans this evening, and I don’t want her to have to worry about it.”

“Oh … um… okay.”

“Yeah, but the door is fixed, and I also cleaned out the workshop. There are some really solid tools in there if you ever want to experiment with building something.”

“You’ll have to help me with that.” She laughs, though it’s only half-hearted.

“I don’t know,” I say, trying to jest. “I think you’re pretty smart. There’s nothing that you can’t figure out.”

“You’re too kind. I’d probably cut off a finger.”

“And have to call the fire department,” I tease.

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