Page 15 of Someday

And all three times hurt like a motherfucking chainsaw cutting through my heart.

“It must be really hard to see her again,” she says. “I know how you loved that girl.”

“I’m okay.”

“Pfft. Don’t you start lying to me now, Theo Henry Landmark. You’ve always been the most honest one in the bunch. Now, what can I do to help?”

“Nothing. Please don’t try to do any kind of matchmaking, okay? Promise me you won’t.”

“I promise you I won’t get any harebrained ideas. The pain you went through when she left was unbearable. I would never wish that on you again. But promisemethat you won’t keep isolating yourself. I’m here and I love you. Your family wants to help. We don’t even have to talk about her again if you don’t want to.”

“I don’t want to,” I tell her. “And I’ll come to next week’s dinner. I’ve just needed some time to process it all.”

“Peg says that tourist that had the daughter you went out with is supposed to be coming back this summer—what was her name? Something with an M?”

“I’m not sure. There have been a few tourists’ daughters. And if Peg remembers this, it kind of scares me.”

Peg is one of Grinny’s closest friends and even in her upper seventies, she’s the biggest flirt I’ve ever seen.

And no one needs to say it out loud for it to be a fact: No one has ever helped me get over Sofie Copewell. That’s why I’m in this shape right now, feeling like I’ve been sucker-punched all over again.

“Well, maybe it’d be a good time to go out with another,” Grinny says carefully.

My laugh sounds bitter. “I’d rather go skiing in bare feet than try to date anyone right now.”

She laughs. “Fair enough. One more question…has Sofie said why she left?”

“I know why she left. She wanted to see what else the big world out there had to offer.”

“Right. Well, she must’ve not thought it had much to offer because she’s back and it sounds like she’s staying.”

“Grinny,” I warn. “You said you weren’t going to meddle.”

“I said I wasn’t going to get any harebrained ideas, but you’re right. I’m leaving it alone.”

I shake my head, hoping like hell she means it. “All right. Love you. I’m sorry I’ve been staying away.”

“I know you are, my boy. I love you. More than you could ever know.”

* * *

The next night I’m throwing a stick to Fred into the lake behind my house. I have part of the yard fenced, but the little nutter loves it best when we’re outside all fences. I don’t blame him, I’m the same way.

Water drips from Fred as he trots toward me and drops the stick six feet from me and then teases me, grinning from ear to ear as he tries to entice me to come get the stick. I’ve never seen a dog smile as much as Fred, and it fits the situation every time. If he’s happy, he’s smiling. If he’s sad, he can turn on the sad eyes faster than a blink.

We both turn when we hear a car door shut and Fred runs to stand next to me protectively, doing a full body shake. I groan when he gets me all wet and put my hand over my eyes to block out the sun to see who’s walking up the long path toward me.

My windpipe closes off for a second when I see her. She’s wearing a black tank top and tight jeans, a long-sleeve button-down shirt sliding down one shoulder, and she’s holding something in front of her with both hands.

When Fred realizes who it is, he runs and prances next to her as they walk my way. My mouth is dry. I was just chilling, minding my own business. I didn’t ask for this shit on my doorstep.

I don’t say a word, even when she stops right in front of me.

She swallows hard and a twinge of guilt nicks my chest. Especially when I look down at what she’s holding and see a pie. I want to be an asshole to her for more than three seconds, I really do.

“It hit me today that I never paid you for coming to check on Chief, and I feel terrible about it.” She shakes her head, biting the inside of her lower lip. “This isn’t payment, this is just…a good strawberry picking day.”

She takes a deep breath and I wonder if the confident, chatty girl I grew up with is gone forever and this nervous person with the soft Southern accent has taken her place or if it’s just how she is around me now.

---