Meeting Miss Mystic Read Online Free PDF

her intentions to be friends. She could tell him about her life in Connecticut and he could tell her about Montana and Yellowstone—get to know each other, just as he suggested. No more, no less. They couldn’t very well get romantic from so far away, could they? No, of course not. His e-mail only felt intimate because it had been so long since a man—a nice, decent man—had been so kind to her. It was impossible to be intimate from two thousand miles away. There was no reason to overthink it.
    Halfway convinced that she wasn’t a horrible person for writing back and ignoring the guilt that wouldn’t quite leave her alone, Zoë picked up her phone and pressed reply.
     
    Dear Paul,
    Your e-mail made me smile. I think Maggie’s intentions are good, but it certainly sounds like you have been out on a few really bad dates.
    Thank you for your kind words about my photo. It was taken two summers ago, at my Aunt Sandy’s wedding. She got married in Newport, Rhode Island, which isn’t far from where I live in Mystic, Connecticut. Maggie mentioned that you went to school in Rhode Island so perhaps you’ve had a chance to visit Newport. That day was especially beautiful—bright sun, blue sky—and while my Aunt Sandy isn’t exactly prim and proper, her wedding on the beach was very traditional.
    What is your favorite line from The Princess Bride ? Tell me yours and I’ll tell you mine. While you’re at it, tell me your favorite scene too! :)
    Right now I am on an early lunch break from work so the sun is shining on my face, although it’s getting very warm so I should probably go back inside.
    I’d like to get to know you too. We could be pen pals. I think that would be fun.
    Enjoy your day in Yellowstone.
    —Holly
    ***
    Paul got out of the shower and toweled off. He wrapped the towel around his waist and lathered up his face to shave, taking an extra look at himself in the mirror. After six years in Montana, he was disappointed to note that he still looked like a preppy Johansson from Kennebunkport. His cheekbones were high and chiseled, and his square chin jutted out in a confident, almost arrogant way, like his father’s. Though he was tan from a summer spent outdoors, mostly in Yellowstone, and his body was fit, it was a far cry from his friend Lars’s naturally muscular form.
    Jenny’s husband Sam had once confessed that at first glance he thought Paul should be a J. Crew model rather than a principal. Paul had grinned at his old rival, but inwardly, he’d grimaced at Sam’s assessment. Part of the reason he’d left Maine was to get away from his wealthy, entrenched family and the iron hold they would have had on him and his life.
    Ding! He was distracted by his phone alerting him to an incoming message. Probably just Lars reconfirming their time and meeting place. Paul used a towel to wipe the shaving foam from his face and picked up the phone charging on his bureau.
    MissMystic has sent you a message.
    He chuckled out loud softly, looking at the words, feeling a smile spread across his face. He’d written to her less than an hour ago and here was a reply already!
    Leaning against his bureau, he took his time reading her message. It wasn’t fair that she should start by telling him that he made her smile, because all he could think about was the picture of Holly at her aunt’s wedding, and he wished he could see her smiling like that for him.
    He thought about the many summer days he’d spent in Newport and wondered if he’d ever bumped into her—maybe seen her walking with a girlfriend or buying herself a tube of lip gloss at one of the tourist shops, on the beach in a floppy hat or in a bikini playing volleyball. He could have seen her a million times and yet it took Maggie’s meddling for him to meet her.
    He loved her questions about The Princess Bride and felt sort of bad that she was stuck teaching summer school. Well, he assumed that’s what she meant by work; the only other summer job for