Page 136 of Any Second Now
“I was hoping we could make another cross-stitch video.” One side of his mouth quirks up.
I huff a surprised laugh. “Why?”
“To help you make more sales, of course.”
“That might not be a great idea.” I cast a glance at the pile of hoops on my table. “I’m still not caught up from the ones I got from that last video.”
“How about to help you get more followers?”
“Last time I went from three followers to a thousand.”
“See?” He grins at me.
My smile fades from my face.
“Atticus, I’m supposed to leave on Monday to go back—” My voice hitches. I almost said home, but it didn’t feel right. “—back to Connecticut. And I start back at work in a week. I won’t have time for doing cross-stitch anymore. At least not as a business.”
I don’t know. Is any of that true? Just a few days ago, I had resigned myself to being the boring, dependable pharmacist who will always have a stable job and make reasonable life choices. I’m my mother’s daughter. The one with the spreadsheet life plan.
But right now, that all feels so wrong. It doesn’t feel like who I am anymore. I’ve actually changed this summer. And I don’t think I can go back to who I was.
And the way Atticus is looking at me right now… I want to grab his hand and drag him inside and kiss him until we can’t breathe.
Instead, I step out of the RV so I’m standing right in front of him. I keep the door cracked open. If I invite him inside, I don’t think we’ll be able to work this all out logically. My clothes might remove themselves from my body of their own accord if we’re near a bed.
But he’s so tall. And gorgeous. And he’s looking at me like I’m the entire world. So I’m not sure being outside actually helps.
Why is he here?
It can’t be because he has the same feelings for me that I have for him.
Can it?
My heart surges at the thought.
To what end, though? Am I really considering changing my life for real?
Atticus doesn’t step back, and we’re standing close.
“I had some ideas, in case you ever decided to revive your cross-stitch side hustle.”
From inside the Pink Palace, Megghenboc boc bocs. The gentle waves of the lake lap peacefully onto the shoreline. The warm summer breeze brushes past my bare arms.
And Atticus Knox is here.
He looks nervous, gnawing on his lower lip, adjusting the hat on his head, gripping his phone in one hand.
“I don’t think I have enough ideas, so that would be great.” I suppress a smile as we both know I’ve had so many good cross-stitch quote ideas this summer.
“I know! I wanted to make sure you accomplished that goal before you leave.”
I press my lips together. “I’m ready.”
“I’m going to read from my phone.” He taps the screen a few times. “First one:I like four things in life in the following order:chickens, zombies, hockey, and RV life.” Atticus looks up at me with wide eyes.
I crack up. “That is kind of perfect? But it might be a bit long for a hoop.”
“Alright, alright, I hear ya.” He grins and looks down at his screen again. “This one is simpler:Chickens, cross-stitch, & hockey.”
