Page 84 of Finding Home

THIRTY-TWO

“But people themselves alter so much, that there is something new to be observed in them forever.”

~Jane Austen,Pride and Prejudice

Elle leaned against a low bookcase separating the children’s section with the rest of Cow Tale, the village’s only bookstore. Each week, Mathew hosted story time. To the delight of the pint-size attendees, he acted out the characters’ voices, used props, and sometimes dressed up like the characters. This week, Fitz sat in his lap, grinning crookedly at the attentive listeners. The plump pug had been recruited as a prop for this week’s story about a Clifford the Big Red Dog-sized pug named Franklin.

“He’s so good at this,”Elle whispered to Noah as Mathew concluded the story to the beaming smiles and happy claps of the children surrounding him.

“He is,” agreed Noah, who was there to pass out cookies and coupons from his bakery, the Farmer’s Wife.

“Though, Fitz is the real star.” She pointed at the wiggly pug being adored by entranced children. With Clayton at the clinic, Elle had volunteered to bring Fitz.

“Agreed.” Noah broke a sugar cookie and offered Elle half.

Between cookie bites, they settled into a companionable silence. Somehow over the three weeks Noah went from the boy she’d daydreamed about to the man she called friend.

Twisting at a sudden crash, she looked beyond the woman picking up a book and landed on a little boy. His curious face pressed against the glass. Big brown eyes peered through the window. A doting hand sat upon his shoulder. Hair the same chestnut shade as his tumbled over a woman’s face as she bent, whispering into his ear, eliciting the eruption of an oversize grin on his small face.

“I’ll be right back,”Elle said to Noah and headed to the door.

She stepped outside to the sidewalk. “Summer.” Elle greeted her old frenemy.

Summer Michaels stood next to the little boy clad in a Jets sweatshirt and shorts. The late summer almost autumn mid-morning air was cool.

“Eleanor.” Summer’s hand remained protective on the little boy.

“Who’s this?”

“This is Liam, my son.” Pride sparkled in her chocolate eyes, the same as her sons, as she looked down at Liam, his eyes fixed on Fitz through the window.

“Hi, Liam.”

“Hello. Nice to meet you. I am Liam.” He introduced himself as if reading a script and extended his hand.

“Hello. I’m Elle.” She shook Liam’s outstretched small hand.

Looking up at his mom for reassurance, she nodded and smiled at him. Those little eyes turned back to Mathew whodanced between the bookshelves lining the store’s aisles, a barking Fitz in his arms.

“He loves dogs,” Summer explained.

“They’re the best, especially Fitz.”

“He’s a pug.”Liam’s stare remained locked to the window. “Just like Otis.”

“He watchedMilo and Otiswith my dad. He’s now obsessed with pugs. Well, with all dogs, really. He’s been reading books about dogs and learning lots of facts about them.” Summer said with a “proud mama bear” quirk of her lips.

“Liam, would you like to meet Fitz?”

“Yes, but…” Liam trailed off, a frown pulling at his mouth.

“It’s okay, baby. We can see Fitz from here.”Summer squeezed Liam’s shoulder again.

Elle’s eyes flicked to Noah inside and mouthed for him tograb Fitz and come out.

“Here’s Fitz!” Noah announced when he emerged a minute later.

A bright grin exploded on Liam’s face as Noah joined them, holding a wiggling Fitz.

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