And I really didn’t want to have another conversation about Lollie’s land or fake marriages or anything else. I’d done a solid job of convincing myself that Noah hadn’t been serious—and I wasn’t seriously considering any of it.
So, it was better that we didn’t put ourselves in situations where we had to acknowledge that nonsense. I hadn’t even mentioned it to Jaime. That was the level of nonsense we were playing with.
“Why did you go to different schools?” Gennie asked, her voice small as she toyed with the flags.
I gathered the other books into a pile. “It was just me and my mom for a long time,” I started, “and her job moved us around a lot when I was your age. New York City; Washington, D.C.; London. Sometimes her job required her to go to other countries and I couldn’t go with her. Sometimes for months or even years.”
“My mom had to go away too,” she said.
“It’s not easy, is it? I know. It’s even harder when your mom is away and you have to start at a new school and live with new people. I know.”
“Did your mom come back?”
“She did,” I said gently. “But she always left again. Her job is all about going to places and seeing things as they happen, and talking to people about those things. She always had to leave again.”
“My mom isn’t coming back,” she said. “Noah takes me to visit her but she can’t come back.”
I didn’t know what was going on with Eva and it wasn’t my place to ask but my heart ached for Gennie. None of this sounded like a positive, happy situation for anyone.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “That’s a difficult thing to experience. You’re very brave, Gennie.”
“Like Blackbeard?”
“Sure,” I replied.
“I don’t have a dad,” she went on.
“We all have a dad,” I said. “But we don’t always know that person. I don’t know my dad.”
She blinked up at me, her eyes shiny. “Really?”
I shook my head. “I’ve never met him. I don’t know his name. It was just me and my mom until she married someone when I was a teenager. He’s my stepdad now.”
She bobbed her head before sliding the book across the table. “Did I get all theasounds?”
I paged through the book, pointing to each flagged word and asking her to read it for me. We were almost finished when Noah came through the door, a smudge of dirt high on his cheek and his ball cap dusty. He had a milk crate tucked under his arm, and set it on the counter before glancing at us.
“How are we doing?” he asked on his way to the sink.
“Noah! Did you know Blackbeard’s head was chopped off and put on a pole to warn people not to be pirates?”
He glanced to me, his eyes round. “I did not know that,” he said to Gennie. “Do you approve of that form of justice? Should we implement that around here? Is that how I should warn foxes away from the henhouse?”
“No,” she cried, coming up to kneel in her chair. “That’s a terrible idea! And it sounds totally disgusting!”
“Good point. Right. We won’t do that,” he said, coming around to glance at the books piled in front of me. “Tell me if there are books or anything else you need.”
“The library is good,” I said, shuffling my things into my bag. “Lots of variety. We can dive into different topics every time we hang out. Makes it that much more fun.”
Gennie roped her arms around my neck. “Can Shay come to dinner tonight? Please? She said her mom had to go away and she went to different schools and she doesn’t have a dad. She’s just like me.”
I gave her back a light pat and shifted away. I was about to scoop up the books and make my exit when Noah said, “You’re welcome to join us if that works with your schedule. We wouldn’t want to hold you up if you have plans though. Isn’t that right, Gennie?”
Gennie gave a disinterested shrug, saying, “We’ll have more fun if you stay. And we can visit the dogs!”
I glanced at Noah, trying to get a read on his mood. As usual, it was hidden under his hat and behind his beard. When I hesitated, he added, “We’d love to have you but you’re not obligated.”
That frosted overnot obligatedwas a world away from the silence I usually received. It was the Noah equivalent of a parade in my honor. “Okay, then. Can I help with anything?”
