Page 8 of Stay for Me

My eyes narrowed. “What?”

She shrugged, acting nonchalant. “Just wondering when I need to book that vacation for you.”

Sighing, I reminded her, “You do understand I don’t have to vacation the same time every year, right?”

“I’ve been working for you for seven years, Diana. Not once have you not booked a vacation for late summer.”

“Well, maybe I just wait until early next summer. You know, take a regular beach vacation.”

She nodded. “You can absolutely do a beach vacation—this year. I can have you on a plane on Saturday.”

I blinked and reaching for my Filofax. “Next Saturday wouldn’t work for me, Emma. You know I have the—”

“Things can be rescheduled,” she noted.

Panic balled up in my throat. My schedule was already ironed out and colored-coded. There was no way in hell I was going to drop everything and take a vacation. Emma’s eyes scanned my face, and a second later, a soft, musical giggle escaped her.

“God, you should see your face,” she said, laughing.

My lips thinned. “Goodbye, Emma.”

She was still laughing when I ending the meeting.

I should’ve never given her that dang bonus.

I rolled my neck before closing out my documents on my desktop, grabbed my laptop, planner, and pen bag, packed my bag, and swiped my key off the hook before heading out of the office.

“Good afternoon, Diana.”

I looked over my shoulder as I locked the door to my office building to find a Hayden local, Martha Shelly, passing by, walking her dog.

“Good afternoon,” I greeted, giving her a smile as I faced her, hiking my bag over my shoulder.

Martha was born and raised here, like most of the people in Hayden. She was married to the elementary school principal. In fact, they just celebrated their thirtieth anniversary. “Oh, happy late anniversary,” I added, trying to ignore the sting as thoughts of the future, uncertainties, and doubts began to flood my mind. The internal clock ticking away inside my body seemed louder than before as I took in the state of the old woman.

She was only fifty years old and had no visible gray hairs thanks to the hairstylist we shared down at the salon. Of course, there were some fine lines and wrinkles on her face, but I’d always thought they were a sign of beauty, a life well lived.

“Thank you, dear,” she sighed as her little dog came to sniff my heels. “It seems like only yesterday we were on our honeymoon, planning to buy our home.” She paused for a moment, looking down the sidewalk, a small smile teasing her lips. “Time flies by when you’re in love.”

Her words were like an arrow piercing my heart, a direct hit.

Time didn’t just fly--it all but disappeared whenever love was involved.

I nodded when she looked back at me, studying me with her kind eyes. I knew what she was thinking, the same thoughts everyone in this town had about me.

Diana, the workaholic.

Diana, the single woman in her thirties.

When is she ever going to settle down?

When was the last time she went on a date?

Would she ever fall in love?

“Will I see you at book club on Friday?” she asked shortly after I cleared my throat and shifted my weight.

If she were anyone else, I might have told her to shove off, but she was a good person down to her core.

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