Page 48 of The Sandy Page Bookshop

Leah

As much as it pained her to see him again, Greg looked good to her in the same way your childhood home looks good when you make the turn into your driveway after being away a long time.

As he took a seat across from her at the Beach House Grill, she instinctively shielded her eyes as though the sun was in them. This was no time for nostalgia.

At the store he’d begged her to go somewhere to talk. “Can you please hear me out? I swear, I’ll leave if you still want me to. But hear me out first.”

There was no way she was taking him back to her house: too personal.

There was no way they could talk in the store: too many curious ears.

As it was, Brad was practically hovering outside her office after she’d dragged Greg into it.

“Let me take you out for lunch,” Greg pleaded.

“I found a nice place where we can talk. Like old times.”

Leah was not in the mood for old times; she could barely manage to keep up with the new times.

“Fine,” she’d said, just to get him out of the shop.

The Beach House Grill was a special place, even with an ex.

Nestled in the sand dunes, the swanky outdoor venue sat right on the beach at Chatham Bars Inn.

It was popular among the summer crowd, but when the server brought them menus, Leah only had eyes for Greg. She wasn’t hungry; she was angry.

“You can’t just show up like this,” she told him.

“What else was I supposed to do, Leah?” He looked genuinely distressed, and despite his tailored appearance, there were deep rims beneath his eyes. “You wouldn’t take my calls. You ignored all my texts.”

There was no use dancing around. “What happened with Rebekah?”

Greg sank in his chair. “I ended things with her. She’s not the one I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

“Well, neither was I. You said you had a change of heart, if I recall. Then Rebekah came back on the scene. Now she’s gone and you’re here.” Leah paused. “You’re having a pretty indecisive summer, Greg. It’s a wonder you could pick out that shirt you’re wearing.”

Greg shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I screwed up.”

“You sure did.”

“I know, and I’m sorry.”

“I lost my job and you called off the wedding.”

“It wasn’t just about your job, Leah. We could never get things off the ground. Come on, you must’ve felt it, too.” When he reached across the table for her hand Leah slid it into her lap.

“What do you mean?”

“Let’s start with the wedding. We’ve been engaged for three years.”

“And that’s my fault?”

“No, but that’s on both of us. We spent so long planning the wedding, trying to pick the right date, the right venue, that nothing ended up getting planned. It made me think you had cold feet.”

“Then why didn’t you ask me?”

“Because then your mom died, so things naturally went on hold.”

Leah looked out at the harbor, at the boats on their moorings, the water like pale blue glass.

“It was a tough time,” he added. “I didn’t want to push you.”

“It was a tough time,” she said.

“I know,” he said. “And just when I thought things were getting back to normal, when we could finally move forward together, your job blew up at Morgan.”

“That wasn’t my fault,” Leah barked. The couple at the next table looked over, but Leah didn’t care.

“Maybe I should have seen it coming with Luna, but I don’t know how I could have.

Her story seemed legitimate.” She leaned in, the hurt still fresh in her voice.

“I worked so hard to get where I was at Morgan. Losing that job killed me.”

“I’d never seen you so down.” Greg sat back in his seat, looking both resigned and sorry. “I started to think that there would never be a time we’d get married or find our way back. I got scared, and I screwed up. I should have waited for you, Leah.”

“Instead you opened the door— our old door—to Rebekah.”

Greg stared into his lap. “It’s a mistake I will never stop regretting. I’m so sorry.”

The server interrupted and they composed themselves. Leah ordered an iced tea, and Greg ordered scallop rolls for both of them.

“I don’t want one,” she told him.

“Then you can have mine.” It was a joke they used to share. Whatever Greg ordered she always ended up stealing and eating, even though she claimed she wasn’t hungry. In spite of herself, she smiled.

“Tell me about the store,” Greg said. “It looked incredible. I’d love to go back and see more of it.”

Reluctantly, she did. The store was so dear to her heart, she couldn’t resist. Greg listened intently, chiming in with meaningful questions. He knew her so well. It was kind of nice not to have to explain herself; for better or worse, it reinforced their shared history.

Their food and drinks came. Leah ended up taking a bite of the scallop roll, and then another, which Greg did not point out but clearly it pleased him. They ate in amicable silence, which she was reminded was also a nice thing. It took a long time to develop that kind of ease with someone.

When they were done, Greg paid. “Would you like to grab a drink at the bar?”

“No, thanks. Besides, I had kind of a big night the other night.” It just came out, naturally, but she could see the questions it raised in his mind.

“I have no right to ask you…”

“Then don’t,” she said, cutting him off.

“Alright,” Greg said, nodding. “Fair enough.” He paused, glancing out at the water view as if choosing his next words carefully. “Then let me ask you this. Will you please reconsider our future? I’m asking for a second chance, Leah. For both of us.”

The harbor was so calm, at odds with the swell of emotions that seeing Greg had raised. Leah shook her head, but she didn’t say no. “My head is in a different place, Greg. I’ve started over. I’m home now, with my shop.” She let that sink in.

“I’ve thought about that. With my job, I can pretty much work remotely. So what if I had to commute into the city now and then?”

“You’d live here?” She couldn’t believe he’d even thought this so far through, let alone come back to her with the proposal.

“I would. Of course I would—if it meant getting you back.” This time when he reached for her hand, Leah didn’t pull away. “Please, Leah. Just think about it.”

“I need to get back to work,” she told him. “And you should get on the road before traffic gets bad.”

“Actually, I’m staying here tonight.” He nodded across the street, toward the inn. “Tonight and tomorrow are wide open, in case you’d like to join me.”

Leah was taken aback. Greg never took days off. He’d shown up, here in Chatham. And now he was staying the night. Leah wasn’t sure if the gesture was intrusive or romantic. “I really should get back to the store.”

When he dropped her off, Greg ran around the side of the car and held the door for her. He did not try to follow her in. “You know where to find me,” he said. Then, without warning, he pulled her in tight and kissed her passionately on the lips.