Page 58 of The Library of Second Chances
“Tell her you got unexpectedly called out of town and feel terrible you left her sitting there alone. And you need an excuse for why you’re not immediately setting up another time to meet. Tell her your schedule is up in the air at the moment, but that you got a new book for her while you were out of town and can’t wait to hear what she thinks.”
Furrowing his brows, he met his sister’s eyes. “And what is this exciting new book?”
Her lips pursed as she thought, and then she bolted upright in her chair. “I know just the one! We read it in my book club earlier this year. She hates change, right? Definitely not one to take a risk? Time to change that.”
She took her phone from her back pocket and punched some things in before handing it to him. “Here, put in your address. It’ll be here Monday.” When he gave her a skeptical look, she said, “I know, I know. We should be supporting indie bookstores and not online megastores, but just this once, the fast shipping wins out.”
It wasn’t where they were buying the book that had him questioning her, but the whole plan. Carly wanted him to commit to continuing the letters with Lucy. Was that really the right thing to do, or should he just tell her he had to leave town and end it now before it got any more complicated?
He picked up his scotch with his free hand and swirled it, the two ice cubes inside clinking against the glass.
“What? Why aren’t you writing?”
“I just don’t know if I should keep this up. Maybe I should just tell her it’s time for me to leave town and that I enjoyed it while it lasted.”
Carly gave him the look she always gave when she was getting ready to dole out sisterly advice. As if she could see everything clearly and didn’t understand why he didn’t, but she was going to walk him through step-by-step.
“Tell me this. What do you miss the most about St. Louis?”
His forehead wrinkled as he frowned. “St. Louis? Why?”
“Just answer the question.” She rolled her hand in the air, indicating he should get on with it.
He shrugged one shoulder. “The baseball games, I guess. My apartment was right down the street, and the city always had extra tickets.”
“And Phoenix?”
“The golf. I hear they’ve got some good courses here, too, but you’d have to play at dawn to keep from dying of heat stroke this time of year.”
“What about San Diego? Can you think of anything good there?”
Despite the black mark it had left on his resume, he’d still liked the city. “Sure, the weather was always perfect, and nowhere does fish tacos like San Diego.”
His sister leaned forward, her eyes locked on his. “And what about Heron Isle? What will you miss the most when you leave here?” She raised an eyebrow.
He didn’t have to answer. She’d asked because she already knew. Lucy.
“All the cities over all the years, and how often do you ever think of a single person you met anywhere?” She paused, and when he didn’t answer after a few seconds, she said, “There’s your answer.” Carly relaxed back into her chair and sipped her wine with the expression of a prosecutor who’d just delivered the smoking gun in front of the jury.
Like a man on death row with nothing to lose, Logan lifted the pen and began to write the letter to Island Girl.
Twenty-Three
Lucy
Lucy hated herself for returning to the Little Free Library every day, for holding her breath as she opened the door and searched the spines, hoping to see something new Gatsby’s Ghost might have left.
It had been nearly a week since he stood her up, and a smarter woman probably would have taken the hint. Still, she couldn’t help hoping the fun summer they’d been having leaving books and notes wasn’t over.
Having once read a book on manifesting, she channeled what she remembered and pictured a white envelope addressed to her sitting right on the ledge. She held her breath as she swung the door open, only to exhale loudly when she walked in and saw there was no envelope. So much for manifesting.
Shoulders slumped, she began to go through the stack of new books. She picked up each one and read through the notes, smiling at the one in the thriller that said to sleep with the lights on after reading.
The last book she picked up wasHarley and Me: Embracing Risk On the Road to a More Authentic Life. The picture of a motorcycle on the front combined with the female author name had her intrigued. When she flipped it open, she was surprised to find a folded-up piece of paper withIsland Girlwritten on it.
Her heart began pounding. He was back. She nearly dropped the book as she fumbled to open the letter.
Island Girl,
