by Jenesi Ash
“And continue what we started this weekend?” Mia asked and waggled her eyebrows just like Jamie always did.
Jamie thought about that for a second. “Do you think it’ll be the same?”
“Good point.” Mia would rather leave their weekend as a great memory than try to recapture the magic. “Everything changes.”
“We don’t,” Jamie protested.
“Yeah, we do, but the important stuff stays the same.” Mia gave her friend a hug. She felt no spark or discomfort being so close. She felt like she was trying to hold on to her best friend. “I’m really going to miss you.”
Jamie held her tight. “I’m going to miss you, too.”
“And I admit it,” Mia said as she stepped out of the embrace, “I’m glad you are taking Caleb with you. He’s good for you.”
“But am I good for him?”
Mia recognized that Jamie was serious. “I think you are.”
“You have to say that,” Jamie said with the roll of her eyes. “You’re my best friend. Bye, Mia.”
“Bye.” Mia felt the tears clawing in her throat and could barely choke out her next words. “Thank you.”
“It was my pleasure,” Jamie said with a wicked smile.
Jamie paused and looked at Mia. She smiled and gave her another hug. Mia held on tight.
“Okay, you guys,” Caleb said beside them, “stop hugging each other like that.”
Mia smiled. “Is he getting jealous?” she asked Jamie.
“Hardly,” Caleb answered. “Hug someone like that around here, and people are going to get ideas.”
“The right ideas,” Jamie said with a sly smile.
Mia let go of Jamie and heard the front screen door slam shut. She turned to see Aidan dressed in his gym clothes. “Aidan, where are you going?”
“It’s Monday morning,” he reminded her as he walked down the path to the sidewalk where they stood. “Most people go to work.”
“Hello? Do you know what day this is?” Jamie asked him. “I’m leaving Clover Bud.” Her news didn’t warrant a flicker in Aidan’s expression. “Forever.”
Aidan was not impressed. “You’ll be back.”
Jamie pursed her lips. “Don’t bet on it.”
Aidan hugged Jamie goodbye, and Mia smiled when Jamie pinched him audaciously on his butt. Aidan didn’t say anything but gave her a look to be careful. He clapped his hand on Caleb’s shoulder. “You’re a brave man,” Aidan told him.
“We need to hit the road,” Jamie announced.
“I thought you weren’t on a schedule,” Mia said. “Where are you going?”
“Wherever the road takes us,” Jamie said, her smile wide with excitement.
Mia privately thought it sounded like hell, but kept her encouraging smile firmly in place. “Be careful.”
“Only if you’ll be adventurous.”
“I’m serious,” Mia said.
“So am I,” Jamie mimicked Mia’s tone.
Mia sighed. She knew Jamie worried about her just like she worried about her friend. “Okay, I’ll try.”
“I expect to hear reports of your wild life.” Jamie turned and saw Caleb opening the driver’s-side door. “Hey, hey, hey! I’m driving.”
Was there any doubt? Mia watched with amusement as Jamie got into the driver’s seat and powered up the engine.
“Seat belt,” Caleb reminded Jamie as he sat in the passenger seat. Jamie rolled her eyes and silently put it on.
And that was when Mia started to relax. Jamie would be in good hands.
Jamie rolled down the window and waved. “Bye!”
“Be good!” Mia called out.
Jamie stuck her head out the window. “Be bad!” She floored the gas pedal and went careening down the old cobblestone street.
Mia waved, watching Jamie leave until she couldn’t see the car anymore. Mia kept looking at the empty street as if Jamie would suddenly do a U-turn and come back. But that wasn’t going to happen. Mia gave a heartfelt sigh and rested her head against Aidan’s shoulder.
“She’ll call,” Aidan predicted.
Mia wasn’t so sure. Jamie wasn’t one to write or call.
“And she’ll definitely be back,” he added.
“I don’t know about that,” Mia said as she stepped away from Aidan, “especially when she finds out she doesn’t have a place to stay anymore.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I have plans for that attic.”
“You’re renting it out?” He frowned and folded his arms across his chest. “I don’t know if I like that idea.”
“I don’t think I could rent it out to anyone,” Mia said. “Jamie was already a part of my life, so that made it easier.”
“Oh. Then what do you plan to do with it?” he asked, following her up the path to her house. “Are you going to make it a craft room? I know you’ve talked about it, but come on! Do you really need all that room for scrapbooking?”
“That’s one option,” she said. “I am going to need to put my stuff somewhere when you move in.”
She felt rather than saw Aidan stop walking. She looked over her shoulder. He was standing still and staring at her.“That is, if you’re still interested,” she said.
He hesitated. “Are you sure about this?”
Her smile was confident. “Absolutely.”
Aidan swung his arm around her waist and gathered her close to him. He leaned down for a kiss, and she tilted her head away.
“Hey, hey. This is Clover Bud,” she reminded him with a teasing smile. “There are no public displays of affection. People will get all sorts of ideas.”
“I’m having all sorts of ideas right now,” he growled in her ear.
“Really?” she asked, knowing that her eyes were probably as bright and sunny as she felt. “Like what?”
He looked up at the house. “I want dibs on the attic.”
She blinked and frowned. That wasn’t the answer she had been expecting. “That’s what you’re thinking about?”
“Oh, yeah.” His voice was low and gravelly. “After this weekend, I think it would make the perfect playground for us.”
“Really?” She took a step toward the house. “Well, why don’t you show me what you have in mind?”
“Tonight,” he promised.
She didn’t think she wanted to wait that long. “Right now,” she insisted.
“I have to go to work,” he said with a reluctant smile. “I used almost all my sick days for this weekend.”
“Guess what.” She grabbed the front of his T-shirt. Walking backward, she lured him to the front door. “You’ve had a relapse. You’re going to have to stay inside for at least another day.”
