door, she untucked the red blouse so it fell over her black skirt and appraised herself in the mirror. She opened one button on top. Then she unbraided her hair and shook it out. She fluffed the locks out with her hands and it rippled down her back. She thought a lot about cutting it now that she was older, but she never quite got there. She smoothed on lipstick, then a bit of blush and was ready to go.
She called the front desk. “Hey, Judy, I’m taking lunch a bit early. I have a…meeting.”
“With who?”
“The guy from the soup kitchen I told you about. I’ll fill you in when I get back.”
“I’ll mark it down. See you soon.”
Millie exited through the back door of the store. And inhaled the early October air. She could breathe better outside, because in the store, Finn Casella seemed to suck up all the oxygen.
* * *
“Where did she go?”
Judy gave Finn a sly smile, as if she knew a secret. “She said she had a business meeting. But I heard her talking to that guy from the soup kitchen.”
“What guy?”
“Emerson something. Yesterday, she said he was a cutie. I think her lunch was more like a date.”
“Huh.”
Maybe Millie went to brainstorm ideas for her newest pet project. That girl ran herself ragged trying to save the world.
He’d confronted her about it once…
Why do you volunteer so much?
Because I don’t have any money to spare to give to the needy. I have time, though.
But since she’d taken over as manager of the store and implemented the rare book business, she didn’t have the time. Some mornings she came in looking exhausted, as if she hadn’t slept.
“Finn, you’re just standing there, staring.”
“My mind drifted to our outing Saturday. Are you looking forward to it?” Every year, at the end of sailing season, he invited his staff of seven to an afternoon on the water.
“Very much so.”
“I’m going to the office.” He turned and walked to the back. Without Millie in the small square space, it seemed bigger, which suited him today. He thought about her dating, then his mind turned to his current woman, Sabrina Knight. They were enjoying each other now. But this wouldn’t last. Relationships never did.
The story of his life. Find someone, like her, have a good time with her, then poof! It ended. He should write his novel about his failures with women. The desk phone buzzed. “Yes, Judy?”
“Your mother’s here.”
Damn. Reluctantly, he got up, walked out to the store proper and found Bridget by the front door. For as long as he could remember, she’d dressed every day in expensive outfits with low heels. Even at the lake. Today, she wore all fall colors. “Hello, Mother.” They didn’t kiss each other’s cheeks, but he took her hand. “How are you?”
“Feeling well.” She withdrew her hand. “I was hoping you’d have lunch with me.”
“I’m sorry, my manager’s out, and I can’t leave.”
She glanced over his shoulder. “You have other workers here.”
“Who aren’t in charge.” Though he was training Judy to be an assistant to Millie and give the clerk more duties.
Bridget’s mouth pinched, in an all-too-familiar way. “I’d like to talk to you.”
“Let’s sit right here.” He gestured to the space on the right that they’d set up for book signings and events. “It’s better than the back room.”
They sat in the open area. “What can I do for you?”
“I’d like to know how Hayley is.”
“Why don’t you call her?”
“I haven’t had any contact with her since early last month when she practically kicked me out of the lake house.”
He stared over her shoulder.
“Finn, is something going on with her?”
“A lot of things. Most are hers to tell. You probably know she moved to Brooklyn and in with Paul.”
“Not from her, of course. But I heard. And she quit her job, finally, at the District Attorney’s office.”
“Yes. She’s opened her own firm with Paul.”
“I suppose that’s more acceptable.”
It wouldn’t be when his mother found out that their plan was to have fifty percent of their clientele qualify for pro bono.
Bridget huffed out a breath. “I might as well tell you. I got calls from some of my friends with adult children who work in the city. A florist told her Hayley had contracted her shop to provide flowers for a wedding in November.”
“Hmm.”
“Is she marrying Paul?”
“All right, yes. She is.”
What he wouldn’t tell her, that Hayley and Seth were having a double wedding. And would be in Hidden Cove.
“And I have