Page 30 of 15 Summers Later

As if she were his moon, his stars, his everything.

Cullen had been hers.

And she had been his.

All day as she tried to teach sentence structure and literature to largely disinterested middle school students, she would anticipate the seconds until they would be together again, when she would feel his strength around her and smell that masculine soap on his skin and the cinnamon mints on his breath as his mouth covered hers.

Her breath caught and more tears rose in her throat.

“Are you all right, darling?”

She looked up to find Leona watching her, eyes brimming with concern.

“Yes,” she lied. “Fine. I just...wasn’t expecting to see Cullen this morning. I didn’t realize he would have to stop in town for supplies periodically.”

“You never know what will happen at the farmers market. That’s one reason I love having a stall here so much. Embrace the unexpected. That’s what I always say.”

Ava had never once heard Leona say that. Her grandmother had plenty of other pithy adages.

Don’t be afraid of an honest day’s work.

Live in the moment.

Say you’re sorry, but only if you mean it.

Embrace the unexpectedwas a new one. She appreciated the sentiment, though in reality, facing the chaos of change had never been easy for her.

Ava had always struggled with new things, even before that year when their world had been completely upended.

She was a long way from embracing the unexpected.

“You look wilted, dear. Like a daisy in a rainstorm. Do you need to sit down?”

“Yes. That’s probably a good idea,” she said. The busy scene around them spun as Ava sank into one of the blue canvas lawn chairs she had helped carry to the booth.

Again, she thought that she should have tried to eat something for breakfast, even if the thought of food right now made her stomach twist.

“Can I get you something? We’ve got a couple of scones left.” Leona’s voice was soft, tender. Ava suddenly wanted nothing more than to rest her head against her grandmother’s ample breast, close her eyes and weep.

“I’m okay,” she lied. “I only need a moment to catch my breath.”

“At least have something to drink,” her grandmother ordered.

That adage hadn’t changed.Drink more waterhad been another of her grandmother’s mantras.

Leona handed over Ava’s insulated water bottle, ice clinking. She wanted to gulp it down but forced herself to sip, knowing too much cold water on her empty stomach probably wasn’t the greatest idea.

He wanted her to come visit him.

Near Ghost Lake.

She sipped at her water, wondering how she would ever find the courage to go back there.

“Here. Eat a scone,” Leona pressed. “It’s cranberry lemon, my favorite. My friend Agnes makes them and they’re so delicious.”

Ava still wasn’t hungry but she forced herself to take a bite. The pastry melted in her mouth and helped settle her stomach a bit, she had to admit.

“There. You look better. Not so pale, anyway. I thought you were going to pass out.”

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