Page 75 of Booked on a Feeling

“I’ll miss you, too,” he said without hesitation. As though the words had already been on the tip of his tongue.

She almost sagged with relief, and warmth spread through her.

He was smiling so hard that he didn’t pay attention to where he was going and backed into the door with a thud. Fumbling a little, he pulled open the door and waved at her before he finally turned around and walked out of the store.

True to her words, she missed him the moment he disappeared from view. Oh, she was in so much trouble. Butmaybe… not? Jack had been sweet—so sweet—with her. He brought her small, thoughtful presents like a piece of light, jiggly cheesecake from Comfort Zone or a quadruple-heat-level hot sauce from a local vendor. She would find little notes tucked into her current read or inside her favorite coffee mug that said things like,The toenail on your pinkie toe is so itty-bitty. Just adorable.OrYour tongue peeps out between your lips just a tiny bit when you’re concentrating. It makes me think very bad thoughts.If she wasn’t already in love with him, those notes would have done the job.

And he sometimes stared at her with this tender expression—like she was a sleepy baby goat or something equally lovable—when he thought she wasn’t looking. It made her heart screech to a halt, then resume in a wild sprint. Because it made her think that maybe… just maybe… he was a little in love with her, too. She sighed. She should go hunt for some daisies to pluck. Being an honest, self-aware creature, she knew she would probably cheat so the last petal could fall onhe loves me.

She’d suggested that their time together in Weldon would be a trial period—mainly to ease his worries about venturing out of the friend zone—but that time was running out much too quickly. Would everything change once she went back to Los Angeles? The thought of not seeing Jack every day brought tears to her eyes, but they could still make this work. They had to.

“Honey, we’re home.” Shannon walked into the store with Elliot in tow.

“Where’s Jack?” Elliot said in lieu of a greeting.

“Sorry, bud.” Lizzy squeezed the boy’s shoulder. “He had to go to his real job.”

“That sucks.” He pouted. “I wanted to show him the new comic books my mom got me.”

“You could show me,” Lizzy suggested gently.

“You like comic books?” Elliot’s eyes rounded.

“Heck yeah.” Graphic novels counted as comic books, right?

“Cool,” he said, brightening up. “And I can show Jack tomorrow.”

“I bet he’ll be thrilled,” she said sincerely.

Once Elliot showed Lizzy his kick-ass comic books, she and Shannon finished loading up the used books cart. They would set it up outside starting tomorrow. Her work done for the day, Lizzy retired to her cozy apartment. As she wondered what to do about dinner, she heard the ominous strains of the theme fromJawscoming from somewhere. She briefly thought she was losing her mind before she realized it was her phone. Mother was calling. She must’ve changed the ringtone after her last call with her mom, which led her to empty a bottle of wine into her mouth.

“Umma,” Lizzy answered, feeling guilty about the knot in her stomach. She shouldn’t dread talking to her own mom.

“Are you out of your mind?” Her mom emphasized the harsh consonants in Korean, wielding her words like a swift slap.

“Ex… excuse me?” Lizzy stuttered as the blood drained from her face and a fine tremor started in her body.

“Mr. Park told us you’re dating one of hisstrappingsons.” Sarcasm dripped from her voice.

Lizzy tried to take a deep breath and failed. She’d known this was coming, but anxiety tightened her chest. “Jack. I’m dating Jack.”

“I don’t care which one of them you’re dating. They’re both just pretty faces who work at a bar. You are going to stop this nonsense immediately.”

“With all due respect, you don’t dictate who I date.” A part of her wanted to cower beneath her mom’s fury, but she wasn’t going to let her talk about Jack that way. “Jack is more than apretty face. He’s kind, generous, and brilliant. Did you know he’s the business mind behind Weldon Brewery’s success?”

“Baby, listen to yourself.” Her mom smoothly changed tactics. “You’ve been working toward becoming a partner all these years. You can’t afford to get distracted. It’s your dream.”

“No, it isn’t.” She spoke before she had a chance to think, but she knew it was the truth the moment the words left her mouth. “It’s the pathyouchose for me. I merely followed it like an obedient daughter. I… I don’t even know what my dream is…”

“So what? Are you planning to settle down in Weldon and become a barmaid?” All pretenses of caring seeped out of her mom’s voice.

“I’m not going to stop seeing Jack,” Lizzy said with steel in her voice even though she had to hold her phone with both hands because they were shaking so badly. “As for what I’m going to do about my future, it’s about time I figured that out for myself. Goodbye, Mother.”

She hung up before her mom could respond. She dug through her makeup bag for her anxiety medicine and swallowed one without water. Then she lay flat on her bed and did her breathing exercises to get back in control of her mind and body.

Lizzy wasn’t sure what she wanted, but she knew what shedidn’twant. She didn’t want to go back to Los Angeles. And she didn’t want to work for a big law firm. Weldon had felt more like home these last couple of weeks than Los Angeles ever had. Maybe Weldon was just what she needed. A slower-paced life surrounded by a tight-knit community. She could find some-part time work at a small law firm in a neighboring town while she figured out what she really wanted.

And Jack. She could be with Jack. The thought warmed her to her toes, but that couldn’t be why she chose to stay inWeldon. It was time she decided what she wanted to do with her life on her own.

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