Page 75 of November

“Parking. The lot is full, so she’s finding another spot. Where’s India?”

“She left.”

“Why?”

“Because her brother is Colter Stone.”

“What?” Lainey asked as she reached for the box of cookies.

“Herhalf-brother, technically.”

“Colter Stone? The asshole you’re running against?”

“Yes. India is his half-sister, and she didn’t tell me.”

“Shit. Really?”

“Yes. And I think it might be my fault.”

“It’s your fault she’s related to that jerk?”

“No, but it’s at least partly my fault that she felt like she couldn’t tell me about it.”

“And why is that your fault, exactly? She’s a big girl. She knew you were running against the guy and could have mentioned that she was related to him at any time.”

“That’s true,” she said. “But I’ve been giving her a hard time since we met.”

“About her brother?”

“No, the stupid stuff.” Maisie sighed. “We’re so different, and she told me about how she and her ex broke up because India… wasn’t great at compromise, is the best way of putting it, I guess. Like, if Finley wanted to do something and India didn’t, they just didn’t do it. I think it got to me, and I’ve been acting like an ass myself by testing her. I told her that, and she forgave me, I think, but I haven’t exactly given her any reason to tell me that she’s the half-sister of the guy I hate.”

“Why are you even dating her, then?” Lainey asked.

“What?”

“Maise, if you keep testing the woman, that means you believe that at some point, she’ll fail, right? So, it’s like you’repreparing for that failure so that you can hold it against her or something; like you want the thing to end before it begins if she doesn’t fit into whatever cookie-cutter image you have for the woman you want to be with.”

“That’s not true,” Maisie said.

“Then, whatistrue?”

“I like her,” she answered. “She came over last night, and we talked for hours, Lainey. Yes, we’re pretty different, but that’s because the males in my family gambled away our money decades ago. I’m doing all right, but I’m basically a few months away from closing up shop here all the time, and that’s not getting any better with more and more people reading on their phones or not at all. I don’t know. I just… I like her. She’s sweet and really smart. She’s beautiful and makes me laugh, and not just when she wears heels to a high school soccer game.”

Maisie laughed at the memory.

“Have you ever thought about doing something more than just running for city council?”

“Huh?”

“You always talk about how this place is historical, and you want that status to protect it, but people use the bathroom here now more than they buy books.”

“I know. I’m working on adding water, snacks, and other things, too. That should help a little.”

“But what about working with the tour companies?”

“I’ve tried. I’ve made calls.”

“Like a year or two ago.”