“Yes, actually. Someone did reject me once.”

“Really?” She leaned in. “Do tell, Channing.”

“There’s not much to tell. Her name is Emily. About a year ago, we met at the wedding of a buddy of mine. It was a three-day event in the Bahamas. We had this weird, instant connection. She was probably the first woman I can honestly say I could’ve seen myself in a relationship with or at least trying for it.” I paused as I thought back to that weekend. “Anyway, we had an amazing time together. We were inseparable. I hadn’t felt that way about someone in a long while. When the weekend came to an end, I went back to Chicago. And she went home to Massachusetts. We stayed in touch long-distance.”

“Wait…she lives here in Mass?”

“Yeah…somewhere outside Boston, ironically.”

“So, you’d gotten closer to her over the phone and then what?”

“Yeah. We were talking a lot—lots of Skype sex. And I found myself thinking about her a lot when we weren’t communicating. I was supposed to come out to visit her, but she ended up getting back together with her ex-boyfriend out of the blue. I’d known about him all along, but she never gave me any indication that she was still into him. Anyway, she explained that she felt terrible for leading me on and all of that but that she had to follow her heart. There’s really not much more to tell. It’s nothing compared to what you’re going through with Rory, but I’m not unfamiliar with disappointment.”

She seemed truly shocked. Amber had definitely witnessed some of my biggest moments of vulnerability in those months after Lainey died. But over the years, I’d put up such a good front around people, that I made it easy for her to forget that I’d ever had a sensitive side. She probably thought I’d hardened a lot more than I actually had.

“Wow. Thank you for sharing that with me. I guess it was dumb of me to assume that you were immune to getting hurt.”

“I wasn’t looking for anything serious. But Emily just came out of the blue.”

“That’s how it happens sometimes, I would imagine.”

I was done talking about Emily. I’d pretty much gotten over that whole thing, but rehashing it made me feel like shit. This was a taste of how Amber must have felt the other night when I made her talk about what happened with Rory.

Glancing over at the man macking in the aisle, I said, “See? What did I say about him?”

The dude was now holding the book behind his back as he chatted with his female prey.

“Holy crap. You were right.” Amber was cracking up. “Oh, my God. She’s leaving with him now!”

“See. That was slick. Slow and steady wins the race.”

“Apparently.”

I took her empty coffee mug and returned it to the counter.

Back at the table, I asked, “You want to look around?”

“Sure. Now that the fiction aisle A through L is done being used for Love Connection.”

As we browsed, I brushed my index finger along the books on the shelves while Amber followed close behind me.

“Now, I want you to really think about this question, Amber.”

“Okay…”

“If there’s one book here that you’ve read, that you’d want me to read, what would it be? It should be something that I would probably otherwise never think to pick up on my own.”

She continued to follow me in silence until she finally said, “Probably The Law of Attraction.” She pointed to the non-fiction section. “I saw it over there. I’m actually studying it right now and would love another person’s take on what it teaches.”

“Alright. I’m gonna buy it and read it. But you have to read whatever I pick for you. Deal?”

“Yes.”

I picked up The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. “Have you ever read this?”

“No.”

“Okay, this is my choice for you. We’ll give each other a month to read. Then, we’ll discuss.”

“This is shaping up to be an exciting few months for you, Lord. Cats…staying home and reading. What’s next? Should I be looking for a Bingo hall?”

“Get on that. Also, don’t forget living with Negative Nancy…that’s another one.”

“Yup. That, too.”

I hoped she truly knew I was joking. “I’m really enjoying being here so far. More than I anticipated, actually.”

“It must have been the moldy cheese that did it.”

“Definitely the moldy cheese.” I grinned.

We were standing in line waiting to check out when I asked, “Hey, you hungry for dinner?”

“Yeah, I’m starving.”

I knew exactly where I wanted to take her. “I saw this Jamaican place down the street on the way here.”

“I’ve never had Jamaican food.”

“You don’t know what you’re missing, then.”

“What’s your favorite dish?”

Without having to think, I answered, “Curry goat.”

“Did you just say goat?”

“Yup.”

“Snails…goat…do you eat anything normal?”CHAPTER FOUR* * *AMBERI’d been deep in thought when Annabelle took a seat next to me in the teacher’s lounge.