by Parker, Ali
“That’s great.” I was a little surprised about how well Heidi and Will were doing, actually. Falling pregnant with Adam hadn’t exactly been planned for either of them, but I was really happy it was going so well. “I’m so glad everything is going so well for you guys.”
Heidi smiled, then turned to blow a kiss at Will. “Having a baby is tough. I’m not going to lie to you. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.”
“No one ever said it was going to be easy.”
Heidi rolled her eyes at the old saying but completed it seamlessly. “No one said it was going to be this hard either. Anyway, enough about babies. I want to hear about what’s going on in the outside world and with you. Every time we talk, you only want to talk about us. What’s going on with you?”
“Not too much.” I hadn’t really wanted to talk about myself with her because there wasn’t so much to say. Heidi and Will had created and brought new life into the world, so whatever was happening in my life seemed to pale in comparison. “I was offered a managerial position at the restaurant, though.”
“That’s great.” Heidi sat up straighter, an excited smile spreading on her lips. “Are you going to take it? When do you start? I always knew you would become manager if you wanted it.”
I held up a hand to stop her. “That’s the thing. I don’t know if I want it. In fact, I’ve actually already turned it down. It’s just not something I want to do for a career. Doing this work has always been a stepping-stone for me.”
“Stepping to what?” Heidi’s head dipped to the side. “I always said when you mentioned it that waitressing was a stepping-stone to management.”
“I also used to think it was, but it isn’t. I don’t want to do this for the rest of my life.”
“Fair enough.” Heidi lifted herself up to kiss Will’s cheek when he brought our drinks, taking her tea from him. “What do you want to do with the rest of your life then?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted, hating how uncertain I sounded. “I’ll figure it out, though. I just need time.”
“You will figure it out,” she said, her voice surprisingly serious. “If anyone can do anything they want, it’s you. Time is something you have. We’re still young. So if all you need is time, take it. Look at how well everything is going for Valerie. You never know when your passion is going to bite you in the ass and refuse to let you go.”
“Don’t you mean Fulton bit her in her ass and refused to let go?” I joked.
Heidi laughed, then rolled her eyes. “Well, whether it was him or the passion that bit her in the ass, she still found it. So will you.”
“Thanks, babe. I just wish I knew where to start looking.”
“I think I have an idea.” She tapped a finger to her temple. “Do you have a man in your life yet? Like you just said, Fulton had a lot to do with Valerie finally finding her passion. Maybe it will be the same for you.”
“Aw, are you saying Adam and I are the passion in your life?” Will asked, taking a seat next to Heidi and slinging his arm around her. He’d gone to get himself a beer after bringing our drinks but was settling in now.
Heidi shifted her head to give him a look, which quickly turned into the two of them exchanging their dopey glances and gazing adoringly into each other’s eyes. It was the damnedest thing.
I cleared my throat, reminding them of my presence. “Guys? I’ve given you two weeks alone to do that.”
“True.” Heidi planted a chaste kiss on Will’s lips before turning back to me. “Sorry, but it does kind of prove my point. I love these two guys more than I ever thought I’d be able to love anyone. My life turned all the way around and upside down when I met Will and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Even if you do look like a lovestruck teenager when you’re around him?” I asked.
She shook her head, a ghost of a smile coming to her lips when she glanced at Will again. “No, it’s because I look like a lovestruck teenager when I’m around him.”
My heart clenched and I blinked sudden tears away from my eyes. Heidi was so damn sweet sometimes. “No, no man yet. I’ll keep my eyes open, though.”
My visit with them lasted forty more minutes before it was time for Adam’s next feeding. Heidi told me I didn’t have to leave because of it, but I could see that she was getting tired. Will told me he wasn’t working for the rest of the afternoon, though, and considering that she’d told me she catches up on sleep when he was at home, I’d said my goodbyes.
It still hadn’t started raining yet when I left, but the clouds were thicker and looked heavier. The temperature had also dropped, so I put the jacket on this time instead of just keeping it around my shoulders, shoving my hands in my pockets.
As soon as the backs of my fingers hit the card in one of the pockets, I realized I’d never taken Rylen’s business card out after I had gotten home last night. Jenna and I had stayed at the beach party for another little while, but then we’d gone to get drinks with some of her friends at a bar nearby.
I toyed with the card between my fingers all the way home, pulling it out once the door was shut behind me. I hadn’t been sure last night whether I would call him or not, but I was thinking that maybe calling him wasn’t such a bad idea.
Chapter 9
Rylen
Edgar and I made it back to the dock before the clouds started gathering, and I thanked my lucky fucking stars for that. If we’d have been caught out at sea in the hulking load of scrap metal with an engine strapped to it that he called a fishing boat, we’d have been in trouble.
After getting back to the dock, I’d offered to help him fix it up a little sometime. It could be restored to its former glory, but it just wasn’t going to do it by itself. It needed some elbow grease, and frankly it needed some real grease too.
I’d given him a shopping list of some basics he was going to need and left him to it. He’d headed to the hardware store while I’d gone home. Since it was definitely looking like rain later, I decided to spend some time in the yard.
There were a couple of plants that needed trimming and some flower beds that could benefit from a bit of work before the rain came. I’d pulled off my shirt, stuffing it in my back pocket while I worked.
I had earbuds in, listening to classic rock. My head bopped to the music and I lost myself in the work for the early part of the afternoon. It was the vibrating of my phone against my leg that brought me out of my trance.
There was a number on the screen I didn’t know, and I was suddenly flooded with this optimistic surge and squeeze of energy in my chest that I instantly recognized as hope. It was intimately familiar with the feeling, considering what I did for a living.
Stopping my work in the yard, I pressed the phone to my ear. “Hello?”
No one responded. There wasn’t a single word spoken from the other end of the line. It wasn’t one of those weird calls with people breathing into the mouthpiece either. There was just … nothing.
Naturally, that meant that I had to press the phone harder against my ear. “Hello? This is Rylen. Can I help you? Who is this?”
Still nothing. The surge of hope faded. It had to be a prank call or something. “Listen up, kids. I used to be a prank caller myself, but I’m going to hang up now. I—”
“Hi, Rylen?” A soft, feminine voice suddenly spoke up. Olive.
“Sorry, this isn’t a prank call. I promise. Please don’t hang up. It’s Olive.” She paused. I heard the sound of a deep breath being sucked it. “Olive from the beach party last night and the hospital from a couple of weeks ago.”
“I remember who you are, Olive.” The hope came back to life with a vengeance, bringing with it a grin and the loosening of knots of tension in my stomach I hadn’t even realized were there. “I’m glad you called. How are you?”
“I’m okay.” Her voice was a little stronger now. “I went to see my friend. The one with the baby. They’re doing so well.”
It said a lot about her character that she was vo
lunteering this information. The way she spoke about her friends was something else. She sounded so fiercely loyal to them that it was as if she was mentioning it because her friend was an extension of herself. If things were well with her friends, they were good with her too. I liked that.
“That’s good. Bringing a baby home can be challenging for some.”
She paused. “How do you know? Personal experience? You asked if I had a baby, but I never asked the same thing.”
“I don’t have any children as far as I know.”
Laughing, she gasped out her next sentence. “Not as far you know? You’re good, Rylen. A smooth one, that’s for sure.”
If only she knew how not smooth I’d felt last night at that party when I’d tried to approach her. I vowed there and then to never tell her. “How was the party? Did you stay late?”
I also wouldn’t mention that I’d been looking for her. “No. My friend and I ended up going for drinks with some other people. We left pretty soon after you got called back to work. How did that go, by the way?”
“It didn’t.” I sighed and felt the first drop from the rainstorm hit the back of my neck. “It turned out to just be someone who wanted to double-check information with us. Nothing serious.”
Olive and I spoke for a minute or so more, and I was struck by the fact that she didn’t ask me for anything. Most of the time when I met knew people and they found out what I did for a living, they asked me for stuff.
It was either for a free checkup for themselves or a family member, sometimes for a script, or to recommend a drug for whatever health problem they were struggling with. It was either that or free advice.
Olive wasn’t like that, though. She made polite conversation but seemed to stay a little nervous all through the conversation.
When she wasn’t saying anything or stumbled over her words, I filled the silences and tried to save her from her stumbling. I didn’t know if it was just with me, but I’d found it adorable last night and it was even more so today.
I could only imagine the way her cheeks, neck, or even her ears were flushing until they were bright red, or the way she bites her lip when she caught herself rambling or stuttering. I had only just been able to make out the heating on her skin after it happened in the dim light last night, but I was positive that the flush would look gorgeous in the light.
“I promised myself I’d ask you something if you decided to call,” I said finally, when it felt like the conversation was coming to a natural end. She hadn’t really told me why she’d called, but I figured it was probably just to call. “Will you go to dinner with me?”
“When?” She seemed confused and really surprised about the invitation.
“Tonight,” I suggested, holding thumbs mentally as the rain started coming down harder. I’d been enjoying the drops, but I was going to get soaked if I stayed out here much longer. Besides, hopefully I’d have a date to get ready for tonight. “If—”
“Yes,” she answered before I could finish my sentence.
I laughed, my chest instantly lighter and warmer. “I’ll pick you up at six. Text me your address.”
“Okay, I’ll do that.” She was trying to mask her excitement, but I heard it loud and clear. I didn’t blame her for it, I felt the same way. “I’ll see you at six.”
We hung up soon after. I went inside, planning on finding a towel to dry off before our date. When I walked into my bathroom and spotted my shower, however, I decided on taking a shower instead of just cleaning up. I’d been fishing earlier, after all.
At least that was what I told myself. Deep down inside, I knew I was doing it because I actually cared about what she thought about me. More than that, I found myself wanting to look good for her.
It got so bad that after my shower, when I was getting dressed, I couldn’t even find the right clothes. What the fuck is wrong with me?
I’d slept with enough women, but I hadn’t been on a date in forever. It had never gotten to me like this in the past, though, if I was being totally honest. I’d never really cared all that much before. There was no reason why it should be any different with Olive, but it just was.
Olive kept her promise, despite my worries that she wouldn’t really end up texting me her address and would dodge my calls when I tried to get hold of her. I arrived at her house right on time, having finally settled on a classic charcoal suit over a light-blue shirt. I’d skipped the tie, though. I hated those things. They were like nooses.
The house was huge and located on the street adjacent to the beach, meaning that she had the beach as a backyard. It was pretty fucking impressive. I had no idea how she could afford a place like this.
Smoothing out my shirt and hoping that some of the nerves got brushed off me in the process, I knocked on her door. I was hardly able to breathe while I waited for her to open it, and then nearly fucking fainted when she did.
Olive was a knockout despite what she was wearing, but she was breathtaking in a deep-blue dress that hugged her curves and fell to midthigh. The neckline was high enough to be perfectly respectable, but low enough that I could just make out her cleavage.
She had on heels that put her pink, glossy lips in easy reach of my mouth. All I would have to do was lower my head and my lips would be on hers.
Fuck.
I had a feeling I was going to be the one stumbling over my words now. “Wow. You look … I mean. Hi. You look incredible, Olive. I just … I mean…”
Chapter 10
Olive
Rylen did a double take when I answered the door, hazel eyes widening so far that I could finally see that the rings around them were this sea green color that was absolutely mesmerizing. Although, if I was being honest, everything about him mesmerized me.
There were some guys who couldn’t pull of suits. Rylen wasn’t one of them. The suit didn’t wear him, he wore it, and he did it well.
In an interesting twist of our roles thus far, he was now the one stumbling over words. It was too cute, and I was a little amazed that it was happening because of me, but I was also mindful of the fact that he’d saved me from my own embarrassing moments—both last night and when I’d called this afternoon.
It seemed only fair that I do the same for him, so I reached for his hand and flashed him a smile. “Thanks. You look great too. I’m ready to go if you are.”
“I’m ready.” He was quiet on the walk to the car, but he didn’t let go of my hand. By the time we reached his midnight blue Jaguar, he had regained his composure.
He opened the door for me, motioning me inside. “Your chariot awaits.”
I let out a soft laugh. “My chariot? Thank you, good sir. I don’t why I thought chivalry was dead.”
“It’s not dead, but some argue that it’s outdated.” He grinned, ducking his head into the car after I’d climbed inside. “Obviously, I’m not one of those people.”
After that, he closed my door and rounded the car to take his seat. We buckled up, and he checked the road before pulling onto the street. Once we were safely merged with the traffic, he glanced at me.
“I hope you like seafood. I got us a table at a place about twenty minutes up the coast. It’s small, but it’s got the best seafood in the state.”
Twenty minutes up the coast would be the farthest I’d have gone from Tampa since we’d arrived almost a year ago. “That sounds amazing. I love seafood. I never used to be the biggest fan, but I’ve converted since moving here.”
“Many people do. We ranked in the top twelve states for fresh seafood production.”
“How do you know that?” He was a doctor, so I knew he was smart, but you didn’t know facts like that off the top of your head. “Are you sure?”
“Search it.” He grinned, shoulders squaring. “I’m confident I’m right.”
I did as he asked, rummaging around my purse for my phone. When my fingers closed around the device, I ran a quick search and gaped at the results. “You’re right. Seriously, how did you know that?�
��
“I’m a heart surgeon. Certain kinds of seafood are good for my patients and some fish is actually good to eat once or twice a week to prevent heart attacks. It’s part of my job to know that.”
I’d known he was a surgeon, of course. I hadn’t quite realized how specialized he was. “I’m a waitress.”
As soon the words came blurting out of my mouth, I wished I could stuff them back in. I had no idea why I’d said that, but it felt like it was something he should know. Rylen didn’t react much to my statement. He only darted a quick glance at me before turning his attention back to the road.
“There’s nothing wrong with being in the service industry. If you thought you were going to get any judgment from me, you thought wrong.” A frown flickered across his forehead. “Hang on, and you can tell me to fuck off if it’s too personal, but how the hell do you live where you do on a waitressing salary?”
“I make great tips,” I joked.
Rylen shot me a look. “Contrary to what you might believe, I wasn’t born a heart surgeon. I’ve been a waiter, a busboy, and a whole host of other things. Your tips can’t be that good.”
“Maybe I’m just really good at my job.” The corners of my lips twitched, and I decided to give it up. “I inherited the house. It used to belong to my mom.”
“Used to?” His eyes were on the road, but I saw his hands tightening their grip on the steering wheel. “Again. You’re welcome to tell me if we’re getting into it too deep for a first date.”
I considered his offer, clasping my hands together in my lap before answering. “No, it’s okay. It’s not a big secret or anything. She passed away and left the house to me.”
“Just to you? No siblings?”
I shook my head even though I knew he wasn’t looking at me. “It’s just me. I’m an only child.”
“That’s why you’re so close to your friends?” He phrased it as a question, but the way he said it was more like something had clicked into place inside his head.