Page 72 of The Library of Second Chances
Earlier in the day she’d been excited to finally meet Gatsby’s Ghost. But now as she walked the few short blocks to the Waterway Café, she couldn’t stop thinking about Logan.
He’d pulled off a miracle by stopping the sale of the waterfront. Then he’d said he wanted to stay on Heron Isle. Did that have anything to do with her and the moment they’d shared before he left for Boston? And he was going to restore Hill House and open a library! It was better than any fairy tale she’d ever read, but she couldn’t help thinking that in a fairy tale she would have gotten the guy too.
Maybe she still could. When she watched Taylor get engaged to Jack on the beach Friday night, it made her believe that maybe someday she’d find a great love too. Then she’d gotten Gatsby’s Ghost’s letter the next day and thought maybe it would be now. Maybe their letters in the Little Free Library weren’t just a plot for her book that she’d fictionalized into a romcom. Maybe it would be a real story they’d tell their kids one day.
But she couldn’t stop thinking about Logan, about what he’d asked her after the meeting. Had he been asking her on a date? It was hard to tell with the question all wrapped up in the what-ifs. But he said he’d found everything he needed on Heron Isle. Did that include her?
She was too curious about Gatsby’s Ghost not to go to the café. Gatsby’s Ghost understood her on a level she couldn’t explain. He knew exactly what she needed to hear when she needed to hear it. She had to know who he was.
And yet, all she really wanted to do was run back and tell Logan yes. But there’d be tomorrow. She didn’t have to figure out everything tonight.
She arrived at the restaurant, and Mildred greeted her as if she had been expecting her.
“Right this way, my dear. He asked me to seat you on the back deck. I made sure you have plenty of privacy.” The older woman winked at her.
“Wait, you know who I’m meeting?” Lucy walked faster to catch up with Mildred. “Who is it? Do you know him? DoIknow him?”
Mildred shook her head. “All I did was save the table.”
True to her word, no one else was seated on the deck. This time of year, it was too humid and buggy for people to want to eat outside, but now that it was later in the evening the breeze off the water had eliminated both.
Mildred pointed to a table with a bucket of champagne and two glasses so recently filled they were still frosty. She gave her a quick smile and went back inside before Lucy could ask more.
Lucy positioned herself at the table so she could see the door into the restaurant. She wanted to see who was coming so she could prepare herself. With the restaurant situated to her left, the deck was surrounded on its other three sides by the docks that stretched out over the waterfront. This late on a weeknight,the only sounds were the lapping of the water against the boat hulls and in the distance the faint sound of waves crashing on the nearby beach. It might have lulled her to sleep if she wasn’t so anxious.
After a minute of tucking and untucking her hair behind her ear, Lucy pulled out a compact from her purse and reapplied her lip gloss. She still had a few minutes before their meeting time. Surely, he was going to show up this time after he’d gone to all the trouble to set this up with Mildred.
She nearly jumped out of her skin when a familiar voice came from behind her.
“Is this seat taken?”
He stepped around her and into the glow of the light from inside the restaurant. Logan.
She looked around to see if anyone else was approaching from the other side of the deck, which was accessible from the docks.
“Did you follow me? My friend is supposed to be here any minute.”
“Lucy.” He paused and took in a deep breath, then he held out a hand. “I need to tell you something.”
Had he come to ask her not to meet Gatsby’s Ghost? To confess his feelings and explain what he was trying to tell her before on the steps? Looking around again and seeing no one else coming from the docks or from inside, she placed her hand in his and let him pull her up to stand in front of him.
An electric current shot up her arm and filled her entire body. When he didn’t let go, she didn’t either. Staring into his green eyes, she willed him to say the words, to say he had feelings for her.
Then she noticed his other hand behind his back. As he moved it, she realized he was holding something. He brought itinto the light, and she saw it was the last book she’d left Gatsby’s Ghost, the one on the history of the area.
Why did he bring a book? And that particular book?
“I left that book?—”
He placed a finger gently over her lips. “In the Little Free Library for Gatsby’s Ghost. I know.”
She pulled her hand from his and took a step back.
“I don’t understand. Why do you have it?” She looked around again, but no one else was approaching. The restaurant was nearly empty now except for the lone bartender and one lady seated at the bar.
Logan opened the book and took out something. He dropped a pile of index cards and notebook paper on the table. As her eyes darted over it all, she recognized her handwriting. It was all the notes she’d left for Gatsby’s Ghost.
She whipped her head back toward him and searched his face.
