Page 46 of Sometimes You Stay

Cretia nodded as she took another bite. Kathleen had been just as welcoming and kind as every other resident of North Rustico she’d met. But that was starting to feel like a problem.

Because she liked them. Liked all of them.

“It seems like you’re enjoying your time here.”

“Uh-huh,” she managed around a noodle. Marie often lamented her own cooking skills, but this lasagna was tasty. Not like Florence good, but definitely edible. “Did you make this?”

Marie cringed. “No. Seth did.”

That figured. With a mock salute of her fork near her temple, she said, “My compliments to the chef.”

“I’ll be sure to pass that along.” Marie’s gaze dropped back to her paperwork, then lifted slowly. “So ... are you thinking about sticking around for a while?”

Her heart slammed against her rib cage, and she pressed a fist to the spot where her last bite had lodged south of her sternum. “Do you need the room back? I can clear out.” Out of a weird compulsion, she jerked her plate to her chin and began to shovel the last few bites into her mouth.

Marie’s eyes filled with concern. “Not at all.”

“Seriously, I can be out of your hair in a minute. You won’t even know I’ve been here.”

“Cretia—”

“Let me just clean this plate.”

“Cretia!” The single word took on that tone that Julia Mae had said not to argue with, and Cretia froze. Marie crossed her arms on the counter and leaned forward, a smile tugging at her lips. “I’m not asking you to leave. We like having you around.”

“You do?” She wanted to swallow those words as soon as they came out—undeniably needy.

“Of course we do.” She made it sound like a foregone conclusion, like she didn’t even need to consult with the rest of the family. Or maybe she already had. And then, as if she could read her mind, Marie added, “Julia Mae says she likes it when you’re here. She says I’m more fun when you’re around.”

Cretia couldn’t form a response, her mouth opening and closing, nothing more than a breath coming and going.

Marie laughed brightly. “There’s no pressure or anything on you. It’s just that usually when we have guests, I’m so busy taking care of the inn that I don’t have much time to play with the kids. But having you here is more like having a friend over for a visit.”

“Friend?” She croaked out the word.

“Oh dear! I’m sorry. I’ve scared you away now, haven’t I?” But Marie’s grin didn’t look sorry. It looked inviting and kind and all the things Cretia hadn’t realized she’d missed in friendships.

She’d carved out a good life on the road, but always moving on meant never putting down roots—in a house or with people. She was fine with the former, but just now she realized she might have missed out on the latter.

The friends she’d made online with other travel influencers weren’t the same. She’d met a few of them in person when their travel itineraries overlapped. They’d collaborated on posts and promoted each other’s events.

But the strange thing about those types of friendships was that they always carried an undercurrent of competition, a worry about if the other’s platforms were growing faster or their sponsorship agreements were better.

She had none of that with Marie.

“Not at all. I’ve enjoyed our—I like coming back to the inn in the evenings and chatting with you.” Cretia swallowed her fear. “But you don’t want me to leave? I’ve been here so much longer than I think either of us thought I would be. You won’t hurt my feelings if you say you want your house back.” Though as she said it, she knew it might not be true. Because it had taken exactly seven seconds for her to latch on to the wordfriendand realize she didn’t want to lose that.

Finn’s face flashed through her mind. He was her friend too.

A friend she’d nearly kissed. A friend she wouldn’t mind kissing. Preferably without interruption.

Her stomach swooped in a repeat of the motion it had made when he’d leaned so close. He’d smelled of wood and grass, and he’d been warmer than the island sun. She’d wanted to curl up into him and hide from the rest of the world for a while.

But still. He was a friend. There was no denying it.

It was possible to have kissing feelings for a friend. She was pretty sure. Even if she hadn’t been in that particular situation before.

But she wasn’t going to stick around for much longer. She couldn’t. This was all a by-product of a broken phone. And slow delivery. The longer she stayed, the more she wanted friendship.

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