Page 64 of If Tomorrow Never Comes

“Your happiness is what matters most to me,” Yuka began. “But since you seem to be so obsessed with taking responsibility for that of others, I’ll ask this: Do you want Jamie to be happy?”

More than anything, but Yuka’d use that against her for sure. She settled on a less intense response: “Sure, I do.”

“What if being with you is what he wants?”

“I—I don’t know. I’m not sure that’s true.”

“Why not?”

“He hasn’t said so.” But the way he looked at her sometimes ...

It was the same way she looked at him when he wasn’t paying attention.

“What if he did? Would that change things?”

“I don’t know.”

“Honey, you’d better figure it out and soon. Because something tells me when Carly’s gone, that man’s coming for you.”

One week later, Stephen stopped by Starbucks when Elliott was about to go on break. He brought his laptop, and she spent several minutes reviewing his gorgeous photos of the Louisiana wetlands.

Her mouth dropped open when she came across a close-up of an alligator. “Oh my God. How close were you to that thing?”

Stephen laughed. “I kept a respectful distance. I was in a kayak, and most of them were along the shore, lying in the sun. I felt safer on the water than I would have walking by one of them.”

She kept going and paused at a shot of a blue heron taking flight. “I think this one’s my favorite.”

He grinned. “Mine too.”

“These are really incredible. You have a gift, Stephen.”

He shrugged, though his cheeks turned pink. “Thanks. You’re the first person I’ve shown them to.”

That felt ... special, and not like something she deserved. Especially when she’d concluded she and Stephen were better off friends.

“When do you get out of here today?” he continued.

“Seven.” She was pretty sure she knew where this was going and scrambled to find the right words to let him know where she stood.

Stephen closed his laptop and slid it in his bag, tossing out a casual, “Would you want to grab dinner tonight?”

It was strange, really, how one part of her recognized what a catch he was—creative, friendly, attractive—while another had zero interest in him beyond friendship. Even if she wanted it to, her heart just couldn’t be bothered with the great guy sitting beside her. It was better for both of them if he moved his sights elsewhere.

She swallowed, trying to come up with something honest but that wouldn’t hurt his feelings. Letting guys down wasn’t something she’d done often. Or ever, really. “Stephen, I had a great time hanging out with you, and you’re such a great guy. I just ... there’s a lot of change in my life right now, and I think I need to focus on getting my business going. You know?” All true statements. Virtually everything in her life was different from how it was this time last year, and shedidneed tofocus on her clients. “I’ve got a lot going on, and I’m not sure I’m ready to add dating into the mix.”

Other than a brief drop in eye contact, Stephen didn’t seem too bothered by her rejection. “Definitely, no worries.” He looked at her again with a seemingly genuine smile. “If anyone understands what it takes to hustle a side business hoping it becomes a career, it’s me.”

She nodded, grateful for his easygoing nature. “Thank you. I hope we can still hang out as friends, though?”

He stood and slung his backpack across one shoulder. “This is still my favorite Starbucks, and sometimes friends slip friends unsold pastries from the day before, right?”

“They do,” she said with a laugh. She turned and eyed Suzie, who pretended not to watch them from behind the counter. “Suzie would love to hook a friend up, too, you know. Which one do you like best?”

He raised his brow in interest when she mentioned Suzie, then shot her a wide grin as he headed for the door. “All of them.”

She went back to work after he left, informed Suzie she and Stephen were most definitely not an item and that Suzie had full permission to make a move, and then went home a couple of hours later. She arrived at her apartment to find a large hardcover book propped outside her door. The cover was designed with bright colors and metallic-gold lettering.

The Book of Mythical Beasts and Magical Creatures.

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