Page 53 of The Library of Second Chances
After successfully closing the email, she stepped away to create some distance so he wouldn’t hear her heart pounding.
“I didn’t know you were a writer,” he said.
“I’m not. Really, it’s nothing.”
“What’s it about?”
“I’m still working on it.” Her voice was quiet now. “I’m supposed to be sending my agent a synopsis, but it’s not ready yet.”
“You have a literary agent?” Logan’s voice rose an octave, excitement permeating his features. “Lucy, that’s incredible. I’ve heard getting an agent is difficult. You must be a good writer then.”
For the first time in a long time when it came to her writing, she felt a sense of pride welling in her chest. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to tell him.
“I had a book deal once. Almost got published.” It was the first time she’d told anyone other than the author in the store recently about her agent or her publishing deal in nearly two years. Carter had known, but he’d never encouraged her writing. If she was being honest, he’d always been a little more interested in where his career might take them than where hers might.
“What do you mean you ‘almost got published’? If you don’t mind me asking.”
Just a few days ago, Lucy would have immediately put up walls if someone had asked her that question, Logan being top of the list. But just like with Debra, the story started to spill out. She told him how excited she’d been when she landed her deal, how her friends at the library had taken her out to celebrate, how they’d picked out exactly where on the shelf her book would live, and then about the pitying looks and whispers when her publisher had gone bankrupt and her deal had died. She even told him about the second book and how Leona had shopped it around to no avail.
“I’m sorry, Lucy. That must have been really hard. I think it’s incredibly brave that you’re writing again.”
“Brave? Or stupid? Most days I think it’s the latter. I haven’t written anything in a long time. It wasn’t until this author”—she picked up the book she’d left propped on the counter—“came in the store last week that I started writing again.” She told Logan about her conversation with Debra and how Debra had told her she was her own worst enemy.
“This Debra woman sounds like a smart lady. I think there are a lot of things you could do if you just believed in yourself as much as the rest of us do. Like buy this building.” He swept an arm around the room.
Lucy’s heart fluttered like the wings of the hummingbirds that stopped by the feeders off her back deck. Did Logan just say he believed in her? He barely knew her, and yet he was going outof his way to help her buy this building, even after the terrible things she’d said to him.
A little voice in her head asked if maybe Debra and Logan only believed in her because they didn’t really know her, didn’t know how often she’d failed or how many people had left her behind. Then she did something she’d never done before when that little voice appeared in her head. She pictured it as one of the tiny crabs that ran across the shoreline, and then she pictured a seagull swooping down to eat it in a single, swift bite.
“You know what,” Lucy said, feeling her chest visibly puff out with newfound pride. “Let’s do it. Let’s whip up a plan so I can buy this building.”
“That’s the spirit,” Logan said, raising a fist in the air to signal his victory over her protests. “Grab a piece of paper, and I’ll walk you through this timeline and what I have in mind for your reserve goals.”
Lucy opened the drawer to her right and pulled out a blue legal pad. When she turned back toward Logan and the computer monitor, his face had gone white, his brow creased.
“Are you okay? You look like you just saw a ghost.”
He cleared his throat, replacing the surprised look on his face with a tight smile. “I’ve just never seen a blue legal pad before.”
She shrugged. “The yellow ones always remind me of lawyers.” She crinkled her nose, thinking of the estate attorney she’d had to deal with after both Annie’s and her father’s passing.
“Hey, do you mind if I come back on Monday to help you with this?” He looked at his watch. “I forgot my sister and her kids will be here this afternoon, and I have to go grab them from the airport.” He was already moving past her and around the counter toward the door.
“So you did invite them? That’s great. Let me know if you need any suggestions on things to do while they’re here.”
“Yep, will do,” he said, already halfway out the door. “Have a good weekend, Lucy.”
She smiled, shaking her head as he hustled out. Maybe she’d had an impact on Logan Lancaster. Mr. Nothing But Business was going to try being a family man this weekend. Maybe Heron Isle could work its magic on him after all.
Twenty
Logan
Lucy is Island Girl.
Island Girlis Lucy.
She’d confirmed it when she pulled out the blue legal pad the previous day. A flurry of thoughts had clouded his head like an early morning fog that refused to let up. He’d needed to get out of there, so he used Carly’s arrival as an excuse.
