Page 67 of Merritt and Her Childhood Crush
“No—he doesn’t, does he?” This knowledge thrills and terrifies me in equal measure.
She eyes me knowingly. “He also hasn’t dated since Cassidy, and believe you me—every woman on this island, young and old, has tried. His daughter even set him up on a few dating apps.”
Jealousy is a flash flood, intense and immediate in its force as it tears through me. “Dating apps?”
Harriett laughs again, reaching across the table to pat my hand with her weathered one. “Don’t you worry, child. That boy has onlyeverhad eyes for you.”
It’s a strange thing knowing that some of the people on this island like Harriett knew me as a girl when I don’t remember them. As a kid and especially as a teenager, I wasn’t paying much attention to adults. How much did Harriett see? How much does she remember?
And is she right about Hunter only having eyes for me?
The front door chimes, and a handful of people wander in. “It’s going to be okay,” Harriett says as she shifts out of the booth. “Give that man a minute to figure himself out. I promise he will.”
I offer her a warm smile I mostly mean. “Thanks, Harriett.”
I finish the last of my coffee and look at my watch. Still no texts. No missed calls.
This is not good. What else am I supposed to do with all this time on my hands? Hunter said something about stripping the wallpaper out of Gran’s downstairs bathroom—it’s the only room with wallpaper left—but I don’t feel up to tackling a job like that without him to guide me through it.
I suppose I could always paint something.
A pulse of uneasiness runs through me. Do Iwantto paint something? I can’t quite explain why I feel scared to paint. But I do.
When my phone buzzes from the table beside me, I jump, startled, and almost knock over my empty coffee mug.Finally.
I look up to see Harriett smiling at me from across the deli. “Told you,” she says breezily as she leads the newcomers to a booth in the opposite corner.
Hunter:Cassidy and baby are both fine. They stopped the labor, but Cassidy is on bedrest until baby is born, so Isabelle is with me full-time until then.
The text brings both a sense of relief and a sense of anxiety. Knowing Isabelle was with Cassidy most of the time made Hunter feel a little more … accessible. Like maybe I could ease myself into seeing him as a dad, into knowing Isabelle and figuring out what my role is there. But now, if she’s with him all the time, I’m not easing into anything. I’m in it. Full stop.
It feels selfish to think about how this will impact things with Hunter and me. But it does. Itwill.
I tap my phone against my palm as I try to figure out how to respond. I finally settle on something benign and hopefully supportive.
Merritt:Do you need to bring her to work with you? I don’t mind if you do.
If he brings her, will I get to meet her? Will he want her to? Will she like me? Will I like her?
Hunter:Not today. She’s got a fever, so she’s home from school. That’s why I’m not there. Most days, I’ll just need to cut out early in the afternoons to pick her up. Or else go grab her and bring her back for a couple of hours.
Hunter:Sorry I didn’t text sooner.
Hunter:Also, I miss you.
Hunter: Drove by last night after the hospital but it looked like you were asleep.
The worries I’ve been beating back all morning finally subside.
Hunter misses me. He even came by last night. A thrill shoots through me, and I catch myself smiling at my phone like a dummy.
Merritt:So sorry Isabelle is sick! Do you need anything?
Merritt:Also, I miss you too.
Hunter:We’re okay. She’s resting. What are you up to today?
Merritt:Thinking about painting, maybe? Some guy I know gave me all these supplies…
