Second Chance at the Riverview Inn (Riverview Inn)

She pointed, and Helen turned to find Micah shaking Mom’s hand. A shaft of afternoon sunlight hit his bracelets and the ring on his thumb. The gold in the tips of his hair. He looked like a character in a fantasy novel, dipped in gold. Full of magic.

And while Jonah talked to him, he was looking at her. Watching her. His face was shadowed by the baseball cap he wore so she couldn’t see his expression, but she could feel his attention. It had been the same way when they were in that bunkie together.

All of his attention, his creativity, his not-insignificant amount of charisma, focused like a laser—on her.

Like she was the only thing in the world.

Oh God, she thought.

It was disconcerting and flattering. And…exciting. To be the thing he focused on. He was just a man, sure. But he was a man who created her favorite songs. A man who captivated stadiums of people.

Who captivated her.

And she was falling for him. Not like in love, that would be ridiculous. But falling for this feeling. This life of glitter and charm. Him.

Shit. It wasn’t love but it was infatuation, maybe?

“That’s Micah,” Helen told Bea, walking back over to him. The closer they got, the softer Micah’s face went, until, by the time they were standing next to him, he was smiling.

“Micah,” she said. “This is my daughter, Bea.” She gave Bea a little jostle in her arms and she laughed. “Bea this is Micah.”

“Micah is a kind of stone,” Bea said.

“It is,” Micah said, his eyes going wide. Bea had been obsessed with a gem book a month ago. She’d retained a weird amount of it.

“It’s shiny.”

“That’s what I’ve heard.”

“I have a turtle.”

“Do you?”

“And a dog. The turtle is upstairs but Kiwi is here…”

“No.” Helen tried to stop the inevitable. “Bea. Don’t.”

“Kiwi!” Bea shouted, and from around the edge of the building came the four dogs, barking and tail wagging, and once they realized there was stranger, the four of them, each a total failure as a guard dog, began jumping on poor Micah. Micah crouched down, petting their heads, getting drowned by dog slobber.

All while Bea introduced him to each of them.

“Bingo eats poop,” Bea said about their chocolate Lab mix. “And sometimes he throws it up and eats it again.”

“Oh my god.” Mom moaned like she was dying inside.

Micah pushed Bingo’s licking face away and got to his feet.

“Is there any way to get a tour?” he asked. “Helen has been blackmailing me every step of our journey, so I think at this point I’m donating half my life to Haven House.”

“She was always a tough negotiator,” Jonah said, his arm over her shoulders. “And I’d love to give you a tour.”

“Me too!” Bea said and reached up and grabbed both their hands. Helen found herself with a lump in her throat so big she couldn’t speak.

“You do that,” Daphne said, looping her arm through Helen’s. “And when you’re done we’ll meet you over at the inn.”

Jonah and Bea led Micah away and Helen immediately started shaking her head. “Don’t, Mom. Don’t say a word.”

“Well, that’s not going to happen. I will say one thing and then I’m going to play it so cool for the rest of the night you won’t even believe it’s me.”

“What’s your one thing?”

“The way that man just looked at you, honey?” Daphne opened her eyes up wide. “I mean…”

Part of Helen wanted to go I know, right? Can you believe it?

Part of her just wanted to settle right down deep in the thrill of the whole thing.

But that wasn’t smart. That was, in fact, completely dangerous. Her heart had been broken so badly it had changed her. She wasn’t interested in more of that. And infatuation with Micah Sullivan was a surefire way to get hurt. She could feel it happening already. The infatuation and the hurt.

“Mom.” Helen wrapped her arms around her mom, who wrapped her own arms around Helen. “That’s what he does, you know. He…creates connection. He makes everyone feel important to him. He’s a rock star. It’s part of the job.”

“I don’t know, Helen,” Mom said. “That look…”

“Is the same look on album covers,” Helen said and leaned back. “I’m not special. He’s special and that whole charisma thing is part of it. Please, trust me. Let that little twinkle in your eye go.”

For me, she thought, because it’s hard enough to be reasonable on my own.

Daphne sighed and blew out a long breath. “I think you’re special.”

“Thanks, Mom. And thanks for taking care of Bea for me.”

“My pleasure. Anytime. Come on, let’s go over to the inn and help Alice. She was threatening to make the rock star peel potatoes.”

Micah

“I’m sorry we didn’t recognize you,” Jonah said. They were walking a trail from Haven House to the inn. The tour had been extensive and impressive. Bea was in front of them with the dogs.