Great. Thanks for letting me know.
No problem. Need anything else?
I think I’m good.
K
A few minutes later, another text came in from Josh: Have fun tonight
There was no punctuation, which made the text read a bit insincere, but Josh wasn’t a girl—what was he going to do, put a bunch of exclamation points on the end of the sentence?
She texted back Thanks and tried to stop thinking about it.
It wasn’t working.
After work, she went home, showered, then stood in front of her closet for a solid twenty minutes trying to figure out what to wear.
She called Quinn and hardly waited for her to answer before she launched in with, “This is stupid. I’m going to cancel.”
“No, you’re not. Put on that black dress, the one with the ruching around the middle.”
“To cover up my belly pouch?”
“Yes, Carly, to cover your belly pouch. I don’t want the good doctor thinking you have a baby kangaroo in there.” Quinn’s tone was like a verbal eye-roll. “It looks good on you. He’ll think you’re stunning.”
“I don’t even know if I want him to think I’m stunning,” Carly said.
“What? Of course you do. He’s attractive and stable and he has a good job.”
Everyone kept saying that, and it was true. But still, she hesitated. Why? Quinn was right. Sasha and Justine were right. This man was a good catch, and he was interested in her. She needed to try her hardest. She owed it to herself to at least see if this could turn into something.
Don’t I deserve to be happy?
“Put the dress on and send me a picture.”
Carly groaned. “I feel like I’m in high school again—and not in a good way.”
“I seem to remember not all that long ago you were the one telling me how important it was to take risks.”
Carly groaned again. That was true. Before Quinn and Grady started dating, it was Carly who prodded Quinn out of her comfort zone.
“And now look at me. I’m getting married.”
“I’m hanging up now,” Carly said.
“Fine, but don’t you dare back out.”
“Fine.”
“Let me know when I can bring Jaden home.”
“Yeah, thanks for hanging out with him,” Carly said.
“Was Josh busy tonight?”
Carly’s brief pause was enough of a reply for Quinn to put two and two together.
“Oh, I get it,” she said. “You don’t want Josh there when the doctor picks you up.”
Carly sighed. “Can you blame me?”
“Do you still have feelings for Josh? Is that why? I mean—you could look at this as an excellent way to make him jealous.”
Carly plopped on the edge of the bed and caught her reflection in the mirror. She was too old for playing games, and that was part of it—but was there another reason she didn’t want Josh to see her with the doctor?
Lord, help. My feelings are a jumbled ball of confusion right now. I don’t want to even think about Josh, but for Jaden’s sake—I need to be kind to him. How do I do that and still protect my heart? How do I reconcile the fact that I’m still mad at him?
“Carly?”
“Sorry—I got distracted. I don’t have feelings for Josh.” But it surprised her how easy it was to admit to God that she was still mad at her ex. Didn’t that mean she hadn’t forgiven him? Shouldn’t she figure out a way to do that?
But forgiving him meant letting go of some of this anger. And that, she didn’t think she could do. That anger kept her heart safe.
“Why do I feel like you’re trying to convince yourself?” Quinn asked.
“I have to go. I have to stuff the baby kangaroo into my dress.”
Quinn laughed. “Have fun!”
Carly clicked her phone off and flopped back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Wasn’t thirty-four too old for first dates and awkward new relationships?
Apparently not, because here she was, going through all the motions of getting ready for a first date and preparing herself for the awkwardness of this new relationship.
Another text came in from Josh: Let me know if you need me to pick Jaden up later.
She reapplied her makeup and curled her hair, then stepped into the black dress. She slipped her feet into her black pumps—the ones she only wore when she knew she wasn’t going to be on her feet for any length of time—then stood in front of the full-length mirror and snapped a picture.
She texted it to Quinn with the caption Is this stunning enough for you?
Seconds later, the reply came in: Are you trying to kill me?
She frowned as her eyes scanned the top of the screen and horror washed over her. Somehow, she’d sent the photo—and the text—to Josh and not to her sister.
Oh no! I meant to send that to Quinn!
Yeah, sure.
No, I did. I’m so sorry. (And so embarrassed!)
Well, thanks for both making and ruining my night.
???
Making it with a knockout photo and ruining it because I know I’m not the one you’re wearing that dress for.
She stared at the screen, trying to decide how to respond, when the sound of her doorbell shot a wave of panic through her. She clicked her phone off, gave herself one more glance in the mirror and walked downstairs.
What was Josh saying? And why was he saying it? Was this a case of him wanting her only because someone else had taken an interest?
On the other side of the door was a man who wasn’t Josh. A man with no emotional baggage that related to her in any way. A man who deserved her undivided attention on the off chance that this could actually turn into a relationship. She had to at least see. And she couldn’t see if she didn’t put Josh out of her mind.
She deserved to be happy. She deserved to have someone take care of her for a change.
Didn’t she?
She pulled open the door and Dr. Willette gave her a once-over. “Wow. You look . . . really great.”
“Thanks,” she said. “And you look . . . handsome.”
He did, too, in a buttoned-up sort of way. He wore black dress pants, a blue shirt and a tie. He looked like a man who’d paid attention to what he was wearing for their date.
On her first date with Josh, he’d worn jeans and a vintage Pink Floyd T-shirt. Of course, he’d been sixteen—it was hardly right to compare.
“I hope you like Italian food. I made us a reservation at Capri.”
Of course he’d picked Capri. It was the restaurant where she and Josh had had their first real date a million years ago. She’d only eaten there a handful of times in recent years, but it was a local favorite—the kind of restaurant that didn’t quite know what it was.
With an Italian name, one might expect a strictly Italian menu, but in addition to pasta and chicken parmesan, Capri served a burger and steak fries that were to die for. They also had fried chicken, lobster and steak on the menu.
So much for picking a lane and staying in it. Capri broke all the rules of business, but it worked. People loved it, and it was one of the few restaurants that could do a variety of food well.
“Have you been there before?” she asked, knowing he hadn’t grown up here.
“Actually, no. Always hear good things about it though.”
She smiled, grabbed her purse and tucked her phone inside. “I hope you don’t mind if I keep my phone close,” she said. “For Jaden’s sake.”
“Not at all.” He pulled her front door open and motioned for her to go first. He followed her out onto the porch, pulling the door closed behind him.
“How’s Jaden doing?”
Carly’s heels clicked on the sidewalk as she headed toward his black Audi. “Good, mostly. He’s bored. He wants to do more than he should—typical teenager.”
“Aren’t you going to lock the door?” he asked.
She turned toward him. “It’s Harbor Pointe. No one lock
s their doors.”
His eyebrows twitched. “I do.”
“I think it’ll be okay.”
He hesitated a second, then finally moved toward her, looking genuinely worried.
“My dad is the sheriff,” she said. “He mostly sits behind his desk drinking coffee and playing Solitaire.” She didn’t actually know that for sure, but she knew there weren’t many break-ins and most of the crime in Harbor Pointe was related to bored teenagers looking for trouble.
He opened her car door and she realized she was having trouble thinking of him as anything but “Dr. Willette.” She couldn’t go on a date with someone if she couldn’t even call them by their first name.
David. His name is David.
She got in, and he closed the door, impressing her with his chivalry. Some women wanted to do everything for themselves, but Carly had been doing everything herself for sixteen years. It was kind of nice not to have to for a change.
She let out a heavy sigh. Get it together. He’s just a guy.
Seconds later, he was sitting beside her and they were driving toward the restaurant.
They made small talk, and she was proud she held up her end of the conversation considering how out of practice she was. It was a nice change of pace. Her typical nights consisted of her yoga pants, a giant Michigan State sweatshirt and a pint of mint chocolate chip she’d stashed at the back of the freezer so Jaden wouldn’t find it.
They pulled up in front of Capri, and Carly refused to allow the memories of a bright-eyed, baby-faced Josh driving her here all those years ago.
She wouldn’t think about the way he’d spilled aftershave on his chest, filling the car with a piney, masculine scent. She wouldn’t think about the way he stared at her throughout the night, like she was the most beautiful girl in the world. And she most definitely would not think about the kiss they’d shared on the boardwalk as they tried to sort out the change in their feelings for each other.
Carly had only kissed one other boy before Josh, but that one was enough for her to spot the differences between a good kiss and a bad kiss.
Josh had never given her a bad kiss in her life.
And that was all she was willing to remember about that.
She got out of the car, forgetting the good doctor’s chivalrous side, and met him in front of the Audi on the way to the main entrance of the restaurant. In the near distance, Lake Michigan sparkled as the sun set.
“I hope you don’t mind if our table is on the patio,” Dr. Willette—David—said. “It’s such a nice night.”
Carly nodded in agreement.
They were seated at a table for two on the veranda at the back of the restaurant. It offered a beautiful view, with sailboats in the distance and the sun dropping lower in the sky.
But what did they talk about? Work? Jaden? Harbor Pointe?
“So, have you lived here your whole life?” he asked after they ordered. Shrimp primavera for him, chicken marsala for her.
She nodded. “I’m a Harbor Pointe girl.”
He took a drink of his water. “Ever think of moving anywhere else?”
She picked up her napkin and spread it over her lap. “I really haven’t. Jaden’s friends are here, and now this indoor training center he’s so jazzed about. I like my job, and my family is close by.” She met his eyes. “Why, are you thinking of moving?”
“I took this job because Harbor Pointe intrigued me, and it was a chance to do something new. But I don’t think I’ll stay here forever. I like to travel. Seems a shame to stay in one place for too long, doesn’t it, when there are so many places to see?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I think there’s something nice about putting down roots in a place.”
“I’m sure you’re right.” He smiled. It was a kind smile. David Willette wasn’t the sort of doctor who was going to raise red flags with his rebellious, but life-saving procedures. This wasn’t Grey’s Anatomy, after all. Rather, he was a textbook doctor, meaning he did everything by the book.
If she had to describe him in three words, they might be strait-laced, buttoned-up and intelligent. But her friends’ words rushed back at her—he was also single, straight and stable. These were not qualities that could be overlooked.
Then why did she find herself zoning out as he replied to a question she’d incorrectly thought she wanted to know the answer to?
“That was probably more of an answer than you wanted,” he said as their food arrived.
She smiled. “Not at all.”
He picked up his knife and fork and began to meticulously cut his food into bite-sized pieces. Even the pasta. She, on the other hand, cut one chunk of chicken and stuck it into her mouth. She only just now realized how hungry she was.
“Do you think Jaden’s going to be okay?” The question hadn’t been pre-meditated, and now Carly almost regretted asking it. But it was what was on her mind, in spite of where they were and why.
He chewed, swallowed, then smiled. “He’s a strong kid. I think he’s going to be fine no matter what happens.”
No matter what happens.
Her mind raced through all the things that could happen. “Do you have any thoughts as to what it might be? Should I be worried?”
“I think we’ll just need to wait and see.”
Right. Waiting. Something she was notoriously bad at. She let out a silent, internal scream, feeling trapped in spite of the beautiful atmosphere out on the patio of Capri.
The conversation lulled through dinner, and she found herself wondering how Jaden was doing. She knew it was silly to worry so much, but she couldn’t help it. Until they knew exactly what they were dealing with, she was going to worry.
Mostly, she wanted to make sure he was following her rules and not doing anything too active.
“Do you mind if I run call my sister quick?” she asked after she finished her meal. David still had half a plate of food, and she knew it was rude of her, but she hoped he’d understand. “I’d like to check on Jaden without him knowing I’m checking in on him.”
“Of course,” he said. “I’ll order some dessert.”
She nodded, then excused herself from the table, heading off in the direction of the restroom. The dimly lit restaurant hummed with indistinct chatter. She walked through the bar area and approached the hostess’s station as the main door opened and Josh walked in.
Of all the people who could’ve strode through that door at that exact moment, why did it have to be him?
She stopped and realized she was waiting to see who he was with, as if she had a right to wonder. Why did she exhale as soon as the door closed behind him and nobody else joined him?
She realized she was staring. But then she realized he was staring too.
“Night made,” he said.
She frowned.
“I got to see you in that dress, after all.”
Carly felt seventeen again. Josh had always had a way of saying exactly what he thought. She’d gotten pretty good at that herself in recent years, out of necessity mostly. She wasn’t afraid to confront a teacher who was treating her kid unfairly or to be firm with an uncooperative patient.
The only thing she was afraid to face were her own fears, the ones she didn’t talk about out loud. And any lingering feelings for an ex she’d stopped loving a long time ago.
“What are you doing here?” Was he following her?
“Meeting Cole,” he said. “How’s your date going?” He took a step closer—a little too close, actually. She could smell that same familiar scent she’d always associated with Josh. Couldn’t he have switched his body wash to something she didn’t recognize?
She straightened. “It’s going really well.”
“Then why are you in here when he’s out there?” Josh peered across the bar area and through the windows, out to the patio, where David sat, slowly chewing his food.
“I was going to call Quinn,” she said. “See how Jaden’s doing.”
“I just talke
d to him,” Josh said. “He’s good.”
“You talked to him, even though you have the night off?”
Josh frowned. “I’m not his babysitter, Carly, I’m his dad.”
She started to reply but stopped herself.
“What?”
“I guess I’m just surprised.”
“Like I said, I’m full of surprises.” He held his arms out as if presenting himself for her approval. “I told you I’m not going anywhere this time. That’s my kid. I love him. I like him.”
She smiled. “He’s a good one.”
Josh stilled. “He had a good mom.”
But he didn’t have a good dad.
The words shot through her mind like a missile and landed squarely in the spot of her brain reserved for common sense. She took a step back. “I should go.”
He nodded. “You look beautiful.”
David had told her she looked “really great.” It hadn’t sent a shiver down her spine. Why was she shivering now?
She didn’t respond—she couldn’t. Instead, she ducked past him into the ladies’ restroom, where she begged her heart to stop racing.
What was happening to her? This was ludicrous—letting herself get worked up over Josh.
Get it together, Carly. You’re on a date with a perfectly nice man. He’s a really good guy. You’re having a good time. Okay, a good-ish time. Your alternative is a pajama/Netflix/Ben & Jerry’s night, so knock it off and give this guy a chance. You owe it to yourself.
Josh already had his chance.
12
“We have the results from Jaden’s testing.”
Carly and Josh perched on the edges of two chairs next to the exam table where Jaden sat. Dr. Willette (not David at the moment) rested on the rolling stool that fit nicely under the desk.
She decided she would much rather be on the rolling stool than in this hot seat. She would much rather be the one collecting information, not giving it. And she would much rather be out of the room when bad news was delivered.
Just One Kiss: A Harbor Pointe Novel Page 9