Page 127 of Pinch of Love

“I think I’m still freaking out about Chewie. I thought something happened to her.” She shook her head. “I’m still scattered.”

I shook my head, feeling the knot in my stomach. “Nate said you really sank a good one onto Rob. He has an enormous lump on his head.”

“Good.” She smiled wickedly. “I knocked him out.”

I nodded. “That’s what Nate said. He’d arrived, and the dude was out cold.”

“I owe you a lamp.” She grinned. “You can take it out of the deposit.”

Laughing, I let out a sigh.

Maya had been through so much throughout her life, and then last night...

It just blew my mind how resilient she was.

Here we were the next morning, sitting out by the lake, almost as if nothing had happened.

Until I looked into her eyes.

Then I could see the emotions swirling around, and that was what concerned me. She wasn’t letting me in.

Shouts of glee echoed through the air from the father-son duo as the son brought a small fish into the boat.

Maya stood up and clapped, and I chuckled.

After a few minutes of silence, I turned to look at her.

“I feel like there’s something you’re not telling me.”

She nodded slowly. “That’s true.”

“You’ve been through a lot.”

“I have.” She pressed her lips into a fine line.

The morning sunlight soaked into her soft brown eyes, highlighting golden flecks and the kindness I’d fallen in love with.

“But the thing that kept me from going back home to North Carolina was Rob. The thing that drove me from my home was Rob.”

Her words dug deep. I didn’t like where this was going.

“Now that he’s in jail...” Maya didn’t finish her sentence. She just stared at the fishermen.

“You want to go back?”

She turned to look at me and nodded. “I should. It’s where my business is headquartered. I have a home there. I have a life in North Carolina.”

My throat tightened.

This was bad.

Way worse than I expected. I knew this scenario was a real possibility, but I thought I at least had until October.

I’d started drinking the Kool-Aid of the book club. I thought I had a shot of convincing her to stay.

I cleared my throat, and she reached for my hand. “Okay. Are you planning on heading out earlier than your original date?”

She drew a breath and nodded slowly. “I am. I just want to get back to my normal life.”