Ronan followed behind her into the front ofthe shop. When they reached the register, he asked after hersister, whispering so she wouldn’t overhear, “Everything ok?”
Nodding, Payson answered, “Yeah, she and herhusband are having a disagreement. She just flails when angry, andI’m afraid she’ll break something.”
“Hereditary?” he teased. Quickly revertingback to his adopted scowl, he stood at the register and assessedhis surroundings. She showed him the basics on how to ring upsales, how to take cash versus card. It only took a minute or two;he caught on quickly. “Head on up, I’ve got it. If you’re not backdown by five, I’ll start to close up.”
“Perfect. Thanks, you’re a lifesaver.” Shenearly laid a quick thank-you peck on that tempting mouth butcaught herself.
She couldn’t deny how much she wanted totouch him, craved his closeness, but was thrown by how standoffishhe’d been all week. For all the progress they’d made, he’d been soclosed off. Had she done or said something? As much as she knew heprobably wasn’t looking for anything romantic, she at least wantedto be friends. Fearing rejection, she backed away and headed forthe back room to meet her sister.
Glancing back, she admired the view. Despitethe ill-fitting clothes, she could see he was built. However, helooked terribly out of place in her shop. She held back a laugh atthe humorous appearance of the shaggy man in the classy shop.
She hopped over the few boxes in the hallwayand made it back to her sister. Not as silently as she would havepreferred, her sister teased, “Are you and he a thing?”
Payson rolled her eyes. There was no way shewas having that conversation with her sister, when she didn’t evenknow herself. A few days ago, she would have considered saying“maybe,” but today… today she was afraid to even whisper thepossibility.
In her sister’s very poor attempt to speaksoftly, she pushed, “He’s not at all your type. What happened toGregory?” Fearing Ronan had heard, she shoved her sister out thedoor before she made things between them any more awkward.
Two hours of an enduring, exhausting, mostlyone-sided conversation. Payson groaned to herself as she fought thevertigo from watching her sister pacing across the apartment. Tosave herself from decapitation, she’d had to walk on eggshells toavoid aggravating her sister. Watching her sister grumble and cry,she hoped they had it sorted out. Payson wasn’t sure she actuallyhelped, other than to be the ear her sister needed. Despite hersister’s unmatched tirades, she was glad to be there when hersister needed her.
Jen finally decided to go home and talk withTony, hear his concerns and his hopes. Ask him to hear hers. See ifthere was a middle ground or a trial period so they could fullyexplore their options. Be open to a new adventure, if that’s whatwas best for their family.
Payson walked her sister down the frozensteps with the intent to escort her out. Not quite five o’clock,Ronan would still be manning the shop. She hoped to pin Ronan downfor the moment and demand why he had been avoiding her.
Unfortunately, feeling much improved, hersister detoured and requested to stop in the storeroom to admirethe new shelving that she’d been too upset to notice before.Begrudgingly, Payson agreed. She was glad her sister was at leastnoticing something Payson was proud of.
“This looks fantastic, did your friend buildthis?”
Payson rolled her eyes. Of course. Her sisterhadn’t bothered to even remember Ronan’s name. Her sister was a bitof a snob; Payson hoped she got enough of the down to earthpersonality from their father to keep her balanced andapproachable.
“Yes, Ronan built it. Isn’t it gorgeous? Ican’t wait to see it finished and get everything organized.”
Helping herself to a cup of coffee for theroad from the tiny kitchenette Ronan had installed, Jen was clearlymore relaxed. So much so, that she took a quick moment to grillPayson on her love life. Typical.
Didn’t she wonder why Payson hadn’t hesitatedat the opportunity to move several hours away? As much as shewanted to be near her niece and nephew, she fared better with alittle distance from her overbearing sister.
Leaning against one of the sturdy shelves,Jen asked, none-too-quietly, “Are you still dating Gregory? Thehandsome neurologist?”
Payson regretted telling Jen about Gregory.She’d been desperate to pause her sister’s constant pestering, soshe’d thrown her a bone and told her she was dating someone. Paysonwas dating for her own happiness, not her sister’s. “We had a dateplanned for tomorrow, but I’m going to cancel. He’s not theone.”
Jen shook her head, “You haven’t given himenough time to really know. He’s gorgeous. And rich. Andsuccessful.”
“He’s just not what I’m looking for. He’shandsome, but there’s just no magic there. I don’t think heunderstands me.”
Jen tsk’d and sadly shook her head. “Ofcourse he does. What’s not to understand? You’re gorgeous andoutgoing and kind and have an eye for art and antiques.”
Payson shrugged, pacing cautiously back andforth in the debris-filled room. “But I’m also bossy andcompetitive and compulsive and enjoy a night at the tavern… maybeeven more than a night at the theatre. I like pretty clothes andantiques, but more because of the way they makemefeel.”
Payson enjoyed nice things. She loveddressing femininely, making her shop look inviting andsophisticated. Her apartment was the same.
However, guys didn’t tend to see past that.They liked the appealing façade. Most didn’t realize, the prettypicture was a very small part of who she truly was.
She doubted Jen saw that either. Her friendsin Seaview did, or they wouldn’t be her friends. Did Cara seeit?
Jen shook her head in disagreement, unmovingfrom her spot she’d claimed against the shelf. “I doubt that. Thinkabout what Mom would say. She would have been so proud to see youmarried and at the top of the social ladder. Not that there is muchof a social life in Seaview, but maybe if you met the right manyou’d move back to Boston, or at least Portland.”
“I like it here.” Steam started to puff outof Payson’s ears. She rather missed Jen’s angry ignorance all of asudden.
Ignoring Payson’s argument, Jen steamed on.“Clive was a complete bore and not the brightest bulb in the bunch;I understand why that didn’t work out.”
