He and his mom both laughed. Once, in high school, when he’d come with his mom to one of these things, she’d insisted on buying a huge metal rooster for his grandfather’s yard; she’d said his grandfather would love it. Luke had hated the thing, and had no idea why his mom was so thrilled with this find, and was furious at his mom for buying it after she’d dragged him along to this stupid event, especially because he knew he would have to be the one to carry it to the car. But then, he and his mom had laughed so hard when he’d tried to wrestle the damn rooster into his mom’s tiny sedan for the drive home that he’d forgiven the rooster. His grandfather had loved it, just like his mother had predicted. After his grandfather had died, his mom had called him and told him an antiques dealer had offered her hundreds of dollars for the thing, which had made them both weep with laughter.
His mom pulled him in for another hug.
“It’s good to have you so close by, Luke. It’s nice to be able to see you more often. When do you have to go back to work? Your real job, I mean. Or are you thinking about staying up here, working remotely?”
This was the perfect opening.
“Actually, Mom, I . . .” He swallowed. “I’m not sure.”
He’d chickened out, again. But then, the time wasn’t right—he couldn’t tell her he’d quit his job and had no idea what he was doing with his life when they were in public. He’d do it later.
She nodded, that smug look back on her face.
“I understand.”
She thought he meant Avery. She thought he was waiting to decide because of Avery. He had to tell her that wasn’t actually happening.
But if he told her that, then how would he explain what he was doing here?
“Oooh, looks like there are some treasures over there!” she said, and ducked into a booth, leaving him and Pete standing there.
“You, um, liking the job at Noble?” Pete asked him.
A question he could actually answer honestly.
“Yeah, it’s been great so far. A nice change from what I’d been doing, that’s for sure.” He shrugged. “I know it’s weird to do it with my background and all, but it’s fun, and the people are great. Really supportive and helpful.”
“It’s a good group there,” Pete said.
Pete had been there with his team every day that week.
“Margot seems pleased with how the landscaping is going,” Luke said.
Pete nodded.
“She’s definitely very particular about what she wants, but I don’t mind that. And she doesn’t do that thing where she changes her mind after we’ve already made a decision. When she wants something, she makes it clear.”
Luke thought back to that first night with Margot, when they’d left the bar. Yes, when she wanted something, she definitely made it clear. He fought back a grin.
His mom popped her head around the corner of the booth.
“I found a gorgeous set of vintage CorningWare. Can one of you bring it out to the car?”
Luke groaned, then laughed at himself. How did he always revert to teenage Luke when he was around his mom?
“Lead me to it.” He reached his hand out to Pete, who was trying to volunteer for this. “I had this job first, Pete. Just give me your keys.”
When he walked back to find his mom and Pete, he heard his mom’s voice before he saw her.
“Well, Luke has only wonderful things to say, too!” She saw him walking toward her and beamed at him. “Oh, there you are! Look who we found!”
He knew, before she even turned around, that it would be Margot. Had he conjured her up, just by talking about her to Pete?
She turned and smiled at him.
“Hi, Luke,” she said. Why was her voice always perfectly normal whenever she talked to him?
Well, not always. It hadn’t been, last week in her office.
“Hi, Margot,” he said. He looked over and saw Elliot deep in conversation with Pete. “Hi, Elliot.” Elliot waved at him and went back to listening to Pete talk about soil.
“Enjoying the fair?” Margot asked him.
He grinned at her.
“Oh yeah, having a blast,” he said.
“Don’t say it like that,” his mom said. “You know you’re enjoying yourself.”
“I am—somewhat—enjoying myself,” he said to Margot. “But please, don’t let that get out. I have a rep to worry about, here.”
Margot laughed, and his mom just shook her head at him and smiled.
“Your secret is safe with me,” she said.