Page 53 of Beauty and the Beard

“Oh, I’ll just wait —”

“Come with me, son. We’ll get the list and split.”

Pete leaves no room to argue and I follow him inside to the kitchen, where Millie laughs with the kitchen staff as she writes on a whiteboard.

When she sees me, the smile that splits her face is hard not to return.

“Sasha, love! We missed you at breakfast and supper last night! Is everything okay?”

She hugs me, and I return it easily. She’s a great hugger. If I had a favourite aunt or grandmother, I’d like to imagine they’d hug just like Millie.

“Yes, I’m fine. I had a long day and fell asleep. I didn’t hear a thing until this morning.”

She doesn’t believe me. Her eyes say so like a beacon on a lighthouse.

Liar, liar.

“Will you come for supper tonight? It’s homemade stew and bread. If you’re around this afternoon, I’ll even show you how to make the bread. Another cooking lesson if you’d like.”

God dammit. Even Millie has that hopeful look in her eye.

“I need to visit the town and check my emails, but I’ll be here for supper, for sure. I’ll try to get in a bread lesson if Pete gets me back in time.”

Millie pats my cheek and hands Pete her list and we’re back outside again. No bus today, instead it’s Pete’s own pickup truck. Once we’re inside and on the road, I interrogate Pete.

“You knew Millie would make me feel guilty for not being there last night, didn’t you?”

“Sure did.” He darts a glance at me. “She’s attached to you. You have a way about you, Sasha, that everyone loves. You get into their hearts just by being yourself. I don’t think you know that.”

“Just get right to it, why don’t you?” I grumble.

He chuckles. “You started it. But I had to step in. You look like you’re about to do something stupid.” More serious this time, he spares a quick glance my way. “Are you, Sasha?”

“Depends what you think stupid is, I guess.”

He nods and the truck bumps along the road. My stomach tightens the longer I’m in this space with Pete, with nothing to distract me from Leaf.

“You owe him nothing, Sasha. None of us, really. You’ve been here, what? Three and a half weeks? You could be just another guest at the lodge, but you’re not. However, if that’s what you want to remain, we shouldn’t pressure you into anything more.”

First Perry, then Millie, now Pete. I can ignore all their comments and actions that show they care, but I can’t ignore Leaf’s.

“I owe him everything. That’s where you’re wrong, Pete.” Staring out the window, I watch the trees pass by and not for the first time, I wonder if I really could fit in here.

When Pete pulls in front of the coffee shop, I blink. I must have zoned out the rest of the drive here.

“I figured this is where you’d like to start. You missed coffee this morning.”

Pete still smiles, and with a wink he gets out, so I do the same.

“What time do you want to meet back here?”

The coffee shop door jingles as we enter and the heavenly smell of chocolate and coffee slams into me.

“How about 2 P.M.? Is that enough time for you to do what you need?”

Now that I know I don’t need time to rebook a flight and get the hell out of here, I nod. “I should be done by then. Thanks.”

Pete is all smiles as he gets the brownie he loves and leaves with a wave. I settle at a table looking out to the bookshop across the street with a mocha latte that’s heaven in a cup and a slice of sugar pie. After setting up my laptop and connecting to the Wi-Fi, I hesitate.

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