Page 46 of The Library of Second Chances
Logan
When he woke up Thursday morning, Logan remembered the previous night. Everything about Heron Isle had been a mistake. Taking the job. Offering to help Lucy. Talking to Mildred without Marty. All of it.
He’d been so dejected after the community meeting, he hadn’t even visited the Little Free Library to leave Island Girl the book he’d meant to give her earlier in the week. She might be the only person left in town who still liked him. Unless, of course, she’d been at the meeting.
The only way to get over a bad meeting was to win the next one, so he’d skipped his morning run and gone straight into work. After reviewing financial data for the whiteboard suggestions for over three hours without a break, he finally went outside for a walk to clear his head. Pacing on the docks, he pulled out his phone. His sister answered before he’d registered that he’d hit her speed-dial button.
“Two calls in a week. What is that island doing to you?”
“Don’t you ever just say hello?” Logan asked.
“Hello, my darling brother. How are you doing? Why are you calling me? Again.”
“Didn’t you complain that I don’t call you enough? Here I am. Calling you.” The real reason was that he couldn’t bear to be alone with his thoughts any longer. “Did you talk to Nick?”
“Yeah.” Her voice was muffled as she yelled something at one of the kids. “He can’t get any time off, but I think the kids and I will take you up on a visit. I can tell I need to come down there and see what’s going on for myself.”
He smiled for the first time all day. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed seeing his sister. “That’s great. Just tell me when and I’ll book your tickets.”
“Is this weekend too soon? Aidan has swim camp after that, and then we’re watching Nick’s sister’s kids while she and her husband go away for their anniversary.”
He should spend the weekend preparing for the next community forum, but he’d just have to work harder this week so he could take the weekend off.
“No, that’s perfect. I’ll get it booked when I get back to my office.” A pelican glided gracefully over the water in front of him, swooping up just before the docks to sit on top of a piling. Maybe he’d bring the kids down to the docks to feed the pelicans. He’d watched the fishermen do it when they came in for the afternoons and had bait to spare.
“Tell me what’s really going on.” Carly broke into his thoughts. “I can hear it in your voice. Did your community forum not go well?”
He let out a laugh. “No, it did not go well at all. Lucy and I had a little misunderstanding, and by the end of the meeting she had the whole town ready to pull out the pitchforks.”
“Hmm, too soon to be having a lover’s quarrel. Can you patch it up?”
He let out a hearty laugh. “I can assure you it’s not like that. In fact, she dug up a bunch of articles on Catherine and me, and accused me of using women everywhere I go to get the job done.”
He could hear his sister suck in air through her teeth. “Yikes. That’s harsh.”
“And completely untrue. You know that.” He shoved his free hand in his pocket as he paced the docks.
“Did you tell her that?”
“I tried.”
“Aaannd?” Carly asked.
“I don’t think she cared. She’s made up her mind about me.”
“Why do you care so much what this one woman thinks? It’s not like she has the only vote on the matter. I’m sure you’ve convinced tougher critics than a small-town bookstore owner.” When he didn’t immediately reply, Carly continued. “Or… is this not really about the project and more about the girl? Iknewyou had a thing for her!”
“I do not. This is strictly about business.” He stopped pacing, dropping onto a bench and dragging his hand through his now sweaty hair. It had to be over ninety degrees today.
“Would it be so bad if you did have a thing for her? Honestly, I think you need a dating cleanse after that whole fiasco with she-who-shall-not-be-named. I’m not saying you have to find someone to marry, maybe just someone to grab coffee with. I worry that you don’t stay anywhere long enough to make friends.”
“Who needs friends when you have the best sister in the world?” He smiled knowing she was no doubt rolling her eyes on the other end of the phone. “Plus, if I get this job in Boston, I’ll have Fuller.”
“You never see either one of us,” she countered. “I worry about you just sitting around at night brooding and probably drinking too much scotch.”
He hesitated, debating whether to tell Carly about Island Girl.
“I haven’t been brooding. I’ve actually been doing a lot of reading lately. They have this Little Free Library here. I’ll show you when you come down this weekend. People leave notes with the books, recommending them.”
