Page 61 of In Good Company

All the happiness that was running through me seconds ago turns to nerves at the look on her face. She chews her bottom lip anxiously, like she’s dreading what she’s about to say.

“What is it?” I ask, even though I don’t want to know the answer.

“I know this probably goes without saying, and you don’t even seem like the type to get attached. You’re probably used to casual dates and hookups.” Her words falter for a moment as a blush fans out along her cheeks at the mention of hookups. “But I’m normally not a casual person—never have been. I’ll be leaving at the end of this summer. I can’t do complicated. So this thing between us is just casual, right?”

I’m quiet for a moment as I think through her words. I hate picturing her leaving at the end of the summer and never seeing her again, but I hate missing out on spending time with her while she is here even more.

“Just casual,” I assure her, even though the words don’t feel right when I say them.

Nothing about what I feel for her could ever be casual.

THIRTY-THREE

LUCY

“Cal, you really don’t need to do this,” I insist for what feels like the tenth time.

Cal doesn’t listen to me. He keeps his phone pressed to his ear as he talks to someone on the other end. We’d been looking over the vegetables at Dolores’s farm stand when Cal had asked me why I drove instead of riding my bike. I told him that my basket was broken and I didn’t have the storage I needed to get the food back to his house.

By the time we checked out with Dolores and were walking back to our cars, he declared I needed to ride with him because he had somewhere to take me.

Turns out thatsomewherewas a local bike shop, where he insisted I pick out a brand-new bike. We’ve been standing in the aisle for a while now as I wait for him to accept that I’m not letting him buy me a bike.

Cal turns and talks under his voice for another minute before he faces me once again. “Which bike are you picking out, Lucy baby?”

I stare at him with my mouth wide open. The man really is stubborn and not listening to a thing I’ve been saying.

“I’m not picking out a bike,” I tell him as I fold my arms across my chest.

“Then I’ll pick one out for you.”

A strangled noise comes from my throat. “No, you’re not doing that either.”

“Are you two still doing okay over here?” one of the sales workers asks from a few feet away from us. He smiles nervously as he looks between Cal and me.

“The bikes here are beautiful, and I’m sure they’re top of the line,” I begin, my eyes scanning all the different choices the store has to offer. There are pink bikes and yellow bikes and bikes of any other color I could imagine. Ones that are retro and ones that are electric. If I needed a new bike and had money to spend, this would be the perfect place to shop. “But I don’t need a new bike,” I continue, narrowing my eyes at Cal in a look that I hope conveys to him that I’m serious.

I look at him for a few more seconds before focusing my attention on the worker. “Thank you for offering to help, and I’m sorry to waste your time.”

“What about this one?” Cal asks, grabbing onto the handlebar of a light green bike with a cream-colored woven basket.

“No.”

He sighs, keeping his grip on the handlebar as he looks the bike over. It’s beautiful. If I were looking for a new bike, this one would be a contender. But I’m not looking for a bike.

Cal clicks his tongue as he continues to admire it. “I thought you’d love this one. The green reminds me of the apron you like to wear.”

My heart melts at him bringing up my favorite apron. It was one my mom got me before I left for the Hamptons. I know it was a splurge for her to buy, so it’s my favorite to wear when I cook. It touches me that he remembered it at all. “The bike isgorgeous, Cal. It doesn’t mean I need a new one. If anything, I need a new basket for the bike I already have.”

“This bike has a basket that looks good.” He pulls on it gently. “Looks sturdy to me too. Could fit a pretty decent farm stand haul.”

I shake my head. “You know you’re supposed to listen to the person you’re on a date with.”

This makes him laugh. He walks away from the bike and closes the distance between us. With no one around, he cups my chin and tilts my head up to look at him. “Trust me, I hang on every word you say. I understand you don’t necessarily need the bike, but Iwantto get it for you. The one you’ve been using is old and clearly falling apart since the basket came off. It isn’t safe for you to be riding around the Hamptons on.”

I roll my eyes at him. With each comment he makes, it’s getting harder to deny his offer. “The basket came off, Cal. I’d hardly call the bike unsafe. I got it for a good deal since I don’t need it for long. I’m leaving at the end of the summer, remember?”

He lets out a growl as his lips press into a thin line. His eyes track my face for a moment. “I’m well aware you’re leaving. I’ll pay to have it shipped to Virginia for you.”

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