The Gingerbread Bakery (Dream Harbor, #5)(49)

‘I have to get going anyway,’ he said, grabbing his jacket and sliding out from the booth.

‘You don't have to go,’ she said, but he did. Annie didn't want to explain this temporary thing to her friends, and he didn't want to force her hand. There was really no need to. Why explain a thing that was ending?

‘No, I really should go, but thanks for breakfast,’ he said. ‘Have fun shopping.’

‘Yeah, okay,’ she said, her gaze holding his even as Hazel slid into the booth beside her.

‘Oh, my gosh,’ Hazel said as he walked away. ‘What on Earth were you doing here with Mac Sullivan?’

Mac paused on his way to the door, dying to hear Annie's answer.

‘We kind of bumped into each other,’ Annie said.

‘Wow! I'm surprised you even talked to him.’

‘Why would you be surprised about that?’ Annie asked, and Mac strained to hear the rest of the conversation over the clang of dishes and conversation around him.

‘Well, you never liked him,’ he heard Hazel say and, even though he already knew that, it still stung to hear, especially now that so much had changed. ‘You always said he was overrated.’

Mac nearly laughed out loud. That certainly sounded like something Annie would say.

‘Turns out maybe he’s not so bad,’ Annie said. It wasn’t exactly a declaration of love, but it was something, being not so bad. Maybe that was all he was going to get.

‘But I’m so glad you're home.’ Mac glanced back one more time to see Annie’s arm slung around Hazel’s shoulder, the two girls’ heads tipped together. Her people were back. Maybe Annie didn't need him anymore.

Maybe that was for the best. He needed to start his life. He needed to get out of here before he ended up pouring pints at his dad’s pub for the rest of his life and never figuring out what he actually wanted.

It was time to move on.

From Annie. From Dream Harbor.

Mac needed to go.





‘There's Logan,’ Hazel said, waving him over to Annie and Mac’s table, except it wasn’t hers and Mac’s table anymore because he had left and she had let him. She didn’t feel good about that, but she had been caught totally off-guard by Hazel. She’d completely forgotten her friend had come home yesterday. They’d been texting all month, of course, but somehow the days had gotten away from her. It was like her two worlds collided and suddenly she was back in reality. The reality in which she and her friends had never once hung out with Mac and his friends. She could tell by the look on his face that he had no idea who Hazel was, despite the fact that they had all gone to school together for the past four years, because guys like Mac didn’t notice girls like Hazel and Annie.

But he had noticed her. And it was nice, and she liked him now.

What the hell had she done?

‘Hey,’ Logan said, plopping into the seat across from them.

‘You’re back! How was the cruise?’ Annie asked, pushing her confusion about Mac aside. Now was not the time to sort that out. She was finally reunited with her two favorite people in the world.

Logan grimaced ‘Well, it was far too long to be trapped on a ship with several thousand senior citizens.’

The sunburn across his nose and cheeks had started to peel and his normally brown hair had taken on golden highlights.

‘Quit complaining! While you were lounging in the tropical sunshine, I’ve been here freezing my butt off.’

Logan’s frown deepened. ‘There were nightly events,’ he said.

‘Sounds fun.’

‘With themes.’

‘I love a good theme.’

‘And dress codes. People wore costumes.’ He said it like there were nightly, virgin sacrifices or something.

‘Did you dress up?’ Annie asked, knowing damn well there was no way Logan put on a costume or remotely theme-appropriate outfit.

‘Of course not.’

‘Of course not. That would be too fun.’

‘Fun for children and criminals on the lam.’

‘Do you think criminals on the lam are having fun?’

‘Until they get caught, maybe.’

‘You're a good grandson,’ Hazel cut in, knowing from experience that this conversation could go on and on for hours and get them absolutely nowhere. ‘I’m sure you made Nana very happy.’

Logan grimaced. ‘She had to argue my way onto the boat in the first place.’

Annie laughed. ‘What do you mean?’

‘It was a senior’s cruise. No one under the age of fifty-five was supposed to be on board. We showed up with our tickets and Nana had to fight with the captain to let me on.’

Now Hazel was laughing, too. ‘She did?!’

‘Yeah,’ Logan said, shaking his head, a smile slipping onto his face. ‘She started by trying to convince him that I just looked really good for my age.’

‘No!’ Annie squealed, delighted.

‘Yes,’ Logan groaned at the memory.

‘Then she threatened to go to the media and accuse the cruise company of ageism.’

‘Ha! Incredible. Nana is a queen.’

‘She ended up telling him that I needed to be there to make sure she took her meds on time. Which is hilarious considering she is healthier than I am. But the captain just wanted her to stop causing a scene at that point.’