Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 88060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
I sighed. “That’s true.”
Aurora tapped her pen against her chin, and I couldn’t help but smile. I hadn’t noticed her little quirks before, most likely because my mind was always on Hope and getting her better. Or Winnie. “It would be easy enough to give her a break. I could always plan on staying with Winnie either on Friday or Saturday. I close the bookshop on Sundays now, so they can do most of the renovation work without bothering my customers. This way, I can always stay with Winnie on Saturday evenings. Maybe we could make it a tradition of some sort.”
My heart felt like it shattered into a million pieces, and I turned away so Aurora couldn’t see the instant tears in my eyes.
“Liam?”
“I’m okay,” I managed to get out. “Give me one second.”
And she did. That was one thing about Aurora, she gave you the space to deal with your thoughts and emotions. It was one of the things that had first attracted me to her. When Hope had first become friends with Aurora, before she knew about the cancer, she had told me Aurora had a way of just being there for you. She would listen to you and focus on your words, like you were the only thing that mattered at that moment. She didn’t need endless conversation and was comfortable with silence, which I had found grateful during the last six months or so of Hope’s battle with cancer.
Clearing my throat, I looked back at Aurora, who patiently sat there, notebook in hand, with a soft smile.
“Hope wanted to start a tradition with Winnie once she got old enough. She wanted to spend one day a week together doing girly things. Shopping, getting their nails done, working on a craft project together.” I let out a soft laugh. “That was one thing Hope looked forward to after she found out we were having a girl. She couldn’t wait until Winnie got old enough to go and get her nails done.”
I closed my eyes. Winnie would never know her mother the way she should have. What would life be like for my daughter without a woman in it? To teach her all the things a mother teaches her daughter.
“I’m sure Cadie, Harper, and Brystol would all love to take turns spending Saturday afternoons with Winnie.”
When I opened my eyes, I looked at her and smiled. “I’m sure Winnie would love that.”
“I can talk to them, see if we can get on a schedule. With Brystol being a new mom, it might be harder for her.”
I shook my head. “I like your original idea of you and Winnie having the day. Maybe the other girls can give you a break from time to time. Especially if you’ll be dating…what was his name?”
“Gary, and it was just one dinner. I’m not even sure how we’ll get along or if it will go anywhere.”
I instantly disliked this guy, Gary, and the fact that he had asked Aurora out, and she had said yes. Of course, Aurora had no idea of my feelings for her, and I doubted I would ever tell her or act on them. I valued our friendship too much and I wasn’t about to fuck that up again. A question popped into my head, and I decided to ask Aurora. “I don’t remember you mentioning you date very often. When was the last time you had a serious boyfriend, if you don’t mind me asking?”
She let out a humorless laugh. “I’ve dated but have never been able to find the right guy.” She shrugged. “The Book Nook has been such a huge part of my life for so long, I put that in the forefront. I did date this one guy, Todd Merchant, for about four or five months.”
“Todd Merchant? Is he from Moose Village?”
“Oh gosh, no. He lived in Lake Placid,” she said, reaching over and picking up her glass of wine. “For a hot second, I thought he might be the one until I decided to do something crazy one day.”
“What did you do?” I asked.
“I closed the bookstore early, got all dolled up, and packed us a basket for a picnic. I drove to Lake Placid and decided to surprise him at home. He worked as a freelance journalist and his office was at his house. I rang the doorbell and knocked, but he never answered. I knew he was home because his car was in the driveway. I reached for the door, and it was unlocked, so I let myself in. I figured he might have gone for a run or to the gym. It didn’t take me long to figure out he wasn’t alone when I heard moans coming from his bedroom.”
“Oh, Aurora, I’m so sorry.”
She shrugged. “It’s okay now. Back then, I thought my entire world was imploding on me. I’ve always been guarded with my heart; I’m not sure why. I wasn’t wounded in high school by my first love or anything. My parents have a happy and loving relationship, and all my friends have found love, so I believe in the power of love. It’s just always seemed to elude me. A few guys I’ve dated made it pretty clear the only reason I was on their arm was because of my looks. Doesn’t really boost a girl’s confidence in finding Prince Charming.”