She looked at him like—like he was some sort of rock star. The guy she’d been waiting for all her life.
Was he imagining that?
He wanted to get to know her better, desperately.
But then again, he didn’t, because it would be the beginning of the end. Unless…
Nick turned into his apartment complex’s entrance. Unless he were to take Kenny’s advice.
Maybe Kenny was right? Maybe he should go back to school, since this second chance, as he’d called it, had just dropped into his lap? Thank you, Dad.
Nick rolled his eyes and blew out a breath. Why was he even thinking about accepting favors from his dad? The man who, probably, was embarrassed of his own son? The man who’d likely never be proud of him.
He put both hands on the steering wheel and squeezed hard.
On the other hand, if he didn’t, he might wake up one day and wonder why he’d ever allowed himself to leave school. Why he’d allowed himself to accept second best for his life. Why he hadn’t just followed the advice of the most successful man he’d ever met.
But why did his family only define success for him in terms of becoming a doctor? He was happy here, doing what he was doing. They just didn’t understand. He really wished they would.
He rubbed the middle of his forehead. The whole thing was exhausting.
He pulled into a parking space outside his apartment building, put the Jeep in park, and turned off the engine, then sat there in the darkness.
If he just tried, he could finally put all the useless insecurity behind him, right? He was tired of the ridiculous waffling back and forth.
He wrinkled up his nose and sighed again. It sounded really dumb, but he missed the guy he used to be. The one who didn’t question himself all the time. The one who easily took action when it came to anything in life. The one who wasn’t afraid to get to know a nice girl and see where things would take him.
He climbed out of the Jeep and slammed the door. Maybe it was time to readjust his thinking.
Twelve
Courtney’s phone buzzed at nine thirty on Sunday morning. She picked it up as her stomach turned a little flip.
“Are you up yet?” Nick asked agreeably.
“Depends on who’s asking,” she joked.
“Oh, does it?” Nick said playfully. “Well, what if I were asking?”
“Well, then, yes, if it’s you, I’m definitely up.” She slid into a seat at her kitchen table. “Actually, I’m totally messing with you. I’ve been up since seven. Morning person.”
He laughed. “Oh yeah? Me, too. You busy this morning?”
Courtney had finished her story on The Farmstead yesterday and only planned on getting a little research done for her next assignment today. She thought she might go for a short run later, too. “Not really. What’s up?”
“I wanted to see if I could stop in and say hi? I’ve got a little time before I have to be at work. I start at noon. Taking out a group of high school kids on mountain bikes later.”
“Oh, fun. Yeah, come on over. I’m just hanging out.”
“Have you had any breakfast yet?”
“As a matter of fact, I haven’t.”
“Good, then don’t.”
Courtney’s smile was quizzical. “Okay.”
“I’ll see you soon.” Nick hung up.
Wow, Courtney thought. That was a pleasant surprise. She went to her room to get ready.
Nick sounded a little different, didn’t he? This wasn’t the same guy who’d first asked her out and then left her hanging for days, was it? This Nick was all action and in-charge. She liked it.
Half an hour later, Courtney opened her door to find him standing there holding a bag of bagels and two coffees from the West End Coffee Shop, the place where they’d first met.
“I promise not to splash it all over you, either.” He grinned.
Courtney’s mouth dropped open. “Aw, thank you so much! So sweet of you. Come on in.”
She was really impressed. She took one of the paper cups from him and leaned in to give him a quick hug with the other arm. “So does this mean I’m finally off the hook now for the whole butterfingers thing?”
“Yes, it does.”
His expression revealed a cute set of dimples.
“Good, because if this is some sort of creepy revenge thing…” Courtney joked.
Nick laughed.
After their late breakfast, they took the trail down to Mrs. Brady’s beach. A soft breeze blew, keeping the late-morning air fresh and cool. Courtney and Nick carried their shoes and waded in the gentle waves that lapped against the shore.
Nick grabbed Courtney’s hand as they walked. “So, how do you like it here, now that you’ve been in Heritage Bay a couple of weeks?”
Courtney didn’t hesitate. “I love it. Honestly, this place is so nice. The Wisconsin weather is so comfortable—I missed it. It was so hot in Australia!”
“You say that now, but just wait until late July. You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” Nick made a face and Courtney laughed.
“Forgot about the humidity. I guess June makes you forget. It’s so perfect.” She didn’t want to make it sound like she hadn’t enjoyed her trip, though. “Don’t get me wrong—Australia was great, but I really missed home after a while, and this is close enough to feel like home.”
Nick kicked at the wet sand. “You mentioned you’re from Madison, right?”
“Yeah. Lived there all my life until I moved to Chicago after college. Madison’s great. Have you ever been there?”
“No, I haven’t. I’ve heard good things, though.”
“So, have you traveled a lot?”
“A bit. But I’d like to see Australia someday.”
“Would you? Because you’d love it.”
He glanced over at her. “And what makes you say that?”
“Well, there’s a huge outdoors scene. Surfing, hiking, boating, diving—all that adventurous stuff you seem to like.”
“That does sound like me.” Nick grinned and looked at the horizon. “So, where else would you like to travel to someday? I mean—if you could go anywhere.”
Courtney gazed across the lake. “Hmmm. See, that’s a tough question because I want to go everywhere. But I guess if I had to pick just one place, it’d be somewhere tropical. An island maybe. With coconut trees and a jungle, white sand, quiet beaches with only a few people around—no crowds. A little hut to stay in—by the water.”
Nick listened with interest. “Sounds amazing. Let’s do it.”
“Yeah?” She knew he was only kidding around, but it was fun to play with the idea. “Okay, I’ll put it on my calendar.”
He laughed. “Deal.”
“Okay, your turn,” she said. “Where would you go if you could go anywhere?”
“Hmmm. Well, like you, I’d also have a hard time choosing. But, if push came to shove, I think I’d start with the Alaskan wilderness. See a moose. Climb a mountain. Watch the salmon swim upstream. Take out a canoe on a quiet lake. Hide out in a log cabin for a while.”
Courtney nodded. “Wow, I can tell you’ve thought that through.”
Nick laughed. “Guilty.”
“And it sounds like a great trip. Can I come with you?”
Nick grinned again. “Well, I sure wouldn’t want to leave you behind.” He squeezed her hand and stopped walking then grabbed her other hand. He gazed into her eyes then pulled her in close to his chest.
Courtney held him tightly in an embrace and closed her eyes. Something about this just felt right. Really, really right.
A few moments went by and Nick finally pulled back. He took his phone from his pocket to check the time. “We’d better head back. Time to go to work.”
A week and a half had gone by and Courtney had been doubling down on work.
The site’s hotel guide was keeping her busy, and she’d researched and written a few more blog posts. One was on the various sweets to be found around the peninsula.
That one had been a personal favorite for researching. Kira had joined her on a few stops to take pictures. Door County had great confectionaries, fudge shops, and artisan chocolate makers, and Courtney had made it a point to try something from each of the places she visited. It had meant running a few extra miles on the trail at night, but it had been worth it.
Another post, which she was working on today, would be about the sights and sounds of the village of Anderson Cove, which wasn’t much more than a stone’s throw from Heritage Bay.
The village had a wide, sandy waterfront beach and a notable music scene. It was also a popular foodie destination.
Courtney planned to highlight some of its most popular restaurants in her post. There were several.
Kira had already used the drone to get footage of the area and the hotspots. She and Courtney had made the trip to Anderson Cove together and were having lunch at a trendy cafe. They sat outside, under a shaded courtyard, with a view of the lake.
“So, Aussie, tell me—do you feel like you’re up to speed with the job now?” Kira took a sip of her iced tea.
Courtney no longer minded Kira’s affinity for half-insulting nicknames. She realized they were doled out with affection, most of the time. She grinned. “Yeah, actually, I do.”
“Cool. Beecham hasn’t asked me about you every five minutes lately so I figured you must be doing something right.”
Courtney laughed. “That’s good to hear.”
Kira took another sip from her glass. “So, what’s going on with you and Nick? Is it getting hot and heavy yet?”
Courtney almost choked on her water. “Kira!” She laughed and tapped a fist to her chest to catch her breath.
Courtney and Nick had spent some time together since their date. But the tourist season was getting underway and Nick seemed to be busy almost every day, either at the shop or taking out tour groups. Twice, he’d been called in for a rescue.
“You kiss him yet?”
Leave it to Kira to get to the point.
“Not sure where this line of questioning’s going, but yeah, li’l bit. We’re not rushing things.”
“Little bit—” Kira asked. “What does that mean—a peck on the cheek?”
Honestly, Courtney was wondering what was taking him so long, herself. She and Nick seemed to have amazing chemistry, but he had been moving things along at a snail’s pace. Which was fine, but it made her wonder. She shrugged.
There had been the morning walk on the beach a week ago. It was very romantic, but it hadn’t ended in a kiss.
“Okay, fine, Kira. Yes, a few times, on the cheek,” Courtney admitted.
Another evening, Courtney had stopped in at his shop while she was out running, but the store had been busy and he hadn’t been able to chat for long. Still, he’d given her a long, warm hug and a parting look that made the butterflies tap a pony keg in her stomach.
Last night, they’d met at the marina and grabbed a quick bite after Nick got off work. His shop stayed open an hour later now, so they’d strolled the docks as the sky turned a hazy pink and yellow.
Nick’s arm around her, they’d watched a couple of sailboats anchor further out while the fishing boats, tied up at the docks, bobbed about in the calm, evening waters. It had also been very romantic.
But there had been people around— families, other couples, a group of teenaged girls—so the timing hadn’t exactly been right for a first kiss. Courtney was actually glad he hadn’t made his move just then. She wanted everything to be right when he did. Not rushed or awkward.
Kira didn’t need to hear any of that.
A waiter arrived and placed sandwiches in front of each of them.
“Wow, so the Nickster’s takin’ it slow?”
Courtney chuckled. “Yes. He really is, but I’m okay with it. It’s a lot better than the opposite approach.”
Kira unfolded a napkin on her lap. “You mean like a hit-n-run? A grab-n-go, a love-em-n-leave-em?”
Courtney laughed again. “Oh, my gosh, you’re so obnoxious.”
“I know, right?” Kira didn’t bat an eye.
“But no, that’s not what I meant.” Courtney looked amused.
“I know. Just kidding. So you like him, though?” She took a bite of her sandwich and set it down. “Oh, my gosh, this corned beef is so good.”
Courtney picked at the coleslaw on her plate. “What’s not to like? He’s a great guy. You were right about him.”
Kira made a cutesy face and her dimples showed. “You do realize your whole face lights up when you talk about him?”
“Shut up.” Courtney said with affection.
Kira grinned big again.
“You know,” Courtney said, “I haven’t thought about my ex-boyfriend in days. I would consider that to be progress.”
“Oh, yeah? Wish I could say the same.”
Courtney gave her an emphatic nod. “Seriously, Austin used to pop into my head every day for one reason or another, like a curse. But his name hasn’t crossed my mind all week.” Courtney picked up her sandwich. “Until now. Thanks for that.” She rolled her eyes, grinning.
“Well, judging from my current obsession with Sam, I’d say that’s a good thing. I can’t stop thinking about him.” Kira played with the fruit salad on her plate. “Anyway, how long ago was this dude your main squeeze?”
“Eight-and-a-half months ago. We broke up a couple months before I went to Australia. After I found him cheating on me with my roommate.”
“Get out! No way?”
“Way.” Courtney sighed.
“Sheesh, some guys are really horrible. I’m glad Nick’s not like that.”
Courtney smiled.
“Anyway, seems like long enough to get over someone, eight-and-a-half months? Not that I want to think about that.” Kira looked serious.
Courtney sat back. “Yes, it totally is. So, uh, how is Sam?”
Kira had told Courtney that she and Sam were still talking and texting. Apparently, Sam liked his new job a lot.
“He sounds happy to be home. I guess I’m glad, for his sake. But for me, well, I’m not sure how much longer I can do this.”
Courtney made a sad face and wiped a napkin across her mouth.
“I might have to make a clean break. Because every time we talk, it’s like someone’s twisting the knife in my side.” Kira sat back.
“I’m really sorry, Kira. And I know you probably don’t want to hear this, but I have to agree with you. Sometimes a complete break is so much easier. You can’t move on, otherwise.”
Kira kept a straight face and played with her straw. “You’re right, Aussie—I don’t want to hear it.” She looked up at Courtney. “But I think you’re right.” Kira offered half a smile and went back to her plate.
Nick slid an insurance-release form across the counter to a father of three. “Just need your signature here, then you guys can head out.”
The lake trail, accessible from the docks where Nick’s shop was located, eventually met up with Headland State Park. So bicycle rentals made up a large part of Inlet Outfitters’ daily business throughout the summer.
The man signed the form and slid it back.
“Thanks. All right, so we’ll see you guys in a few hours.” Nick smiled and filed the form under the counter.
The young family finished buckling their helmets and adjusting the heights of their seats. “Let’s go, kids.”
A couple of minutes later, they were gone. Nick went to find his phone before another stream of customers wandered in.
Nick pulled up his brother’s number from his contacts list. The summer session at UC was already underway. He tapped out a text.
I won’t be back this summer, but I’m thinking about what you said. Thanks, bro.
He’d reached out to Kenny instead of to his father because Kenny had a knack for keeping the man calm.
Nick also wanted to let Kenny know where things stood. In retrospect, he’d really appreciated their ta
lk a few weeks ago.
Nick had realized, after several semi-sleepless nights, that if he wanted to find the old Nick, then he had to start acting like the old Nick.
He yawned and reached for his iced coffee. He knew for sure that he didn’t want to go back to med school, and he wasn’t going to leave Heritage Bay this summer. He had commitments and he wasn’t going to bail on anyone. But he had put returning to Chicago sometime in the future back on his list of possibilities. Maybe next winter, if things here weren’t going anywhere.
The door swung open and a customer walked in. She headed for the apparel section and started browsing through a stack of sweatshirts. He refocused his gaze on some paperwork behind the counter.
The more he thought about it, the more he appreciated his dad’s attempt at stepping in, regarding readmission to med school.
Nick chuckled to himself. At worst, the attempt said his dad was a control freak who wouldn’t take no for an answer. But at best, it said his dad still wanted him in his life—that he still believed in him, that he’d sacrifice a little of his pride to try to get his son back.
That was progress, right?
But Nick knew all the time for change stuff going through his head wasn’t just because of his talk with Kenny. If it had happened a few months ago, Nick probably wouldn’t have given it a second thought. Something had changed.
And that something was actually a someone. Courtney.
He had feelings for her. She was interesting to talk to, she lit up any room she walked into, and she was fun. She also brought out the best in him, and she saw the best in him. He glanced at the ceiling and sighed, crossing his arms. He wanted to measure up.
Saving lives really made him tick. He’d have to stop kidding himself about that. But not in the way his father and brother did it.
And just because he failed out of med school didn’t mean he was a failure at everything to do with medicine.
But he was just putting off until tomorrow what he should be figuring out today. He owed it to Courtney, his parents—and himself—to start focusing on the big picture again.
His brother was right. It was time to stop running. He should be working full-time as a paramedic and riding bicycles on the side, not the other way around. His mother was right. It had been long enough.
One Sweet Day I Found You: A Sweet Romance Book 1 Page 9