He desperately wanted to feel like he truly deserved Courtney.
In the meantime, it wouldn’t be exaggerating to say that his heart ached to see her.
He paced around the store, stopping to check on the shopper with the sweatshirts.
“You doing okay?”
“Fine, thanks.” She moved on to something else. He returned to the counter, found his phone again, and pulled up Courtney’s name on his message app.
What are you doing Wednesday? I want to take you somewhere.
The new schedule came out on Mondays, and he’d been amped to see that he had a full day off this week.
Another couple of customers came in and asked about a compact bicycle pump. When Nick finished with them and finally had the chance to check his phone again.
I’m in. Where are we going?
He messaged back.
It’s a surprise. I’ll be your tour guide. Bring a notebook and a change of clothes for dinner.
Courtney replied with an emoji beside her text. Smiley face with hearts for eyes.
Can’t wait.
Thirteen
“What is this place?” Courtney slung her turquoise duffel bag over one shoulder and climbed out of the Jeep. Nick’s black Jeep had a roof so she tucked her purse and a bag containing a change of clothes and a pair of wedge sandals into the shaded area behind the seat.
Sliding her phone into the back pocket of her khaki short shorts, she scanned the area as Nick got out and shut his door.
Nick wouldn’t even give her a hint on the drive over. The parking lot seemed far from any town, by Door County standards at least. They’d driven for twenty minutes through fields and clusters of trees until they’d reached the eastern edge of the peninsula.
Maybe they were going hiking? Courtney glanced around, trying to figure out where he was taking her. Spiky lemon and yellow blossoms sprouted on tall leafy stems at the edge of the trees that surrounded the parking lot. It was a warm day, and the humidity made the air heavier than usual. But she saw few markers and only parking signs.
Nick rounded the Jeep, grinning. “Patience, my dear. You’ll see.”
Nick grabbed her hand.
They walked for a minute or two and came out of the forested lot upon the gentle shores of Lake Michigan. Courtney gasped when she saw a small section of land, separated by a short causeway, standing a few hundred yards in front of them. It had the appearance of an island. She looked at Nick, her hand over her open mouth.
Leafy trees blocked the view of most of the island, but Courtney spotted it right away—black and white, majestic, towering above the trees in the distance. “A lighthouse.” She sighed. “Wow.”
“Yes, but not just any lighthouse. Door County’s most iconic.”
“Really? Beecham did mention that I needed to do a post on some of the popular lighthouses on the peninsula this summer. You saved me from coming here alone, too! Nick, you’re the best.” She grabbed his arm with both of hers. That was why he’d said to bring her notebook.
He pulled her in tight and put his arm around her. They walked closer until they reached the edge of the water.
A few other tourists had parked in the lot and were showing up behind them. Everyone seemed to be standing around soaking up the beautiful scenery.
Courtney pulled her sunglasses down her nose then looked up at Nick, whispering. “Are we waiting for something?”
The shimmering, translucent causeway was only about two feet deep in the middle, but there was no getting around it—the entire extent of it was entirely underwater. Still, Courtney saw nothing around to indicate how to cross.
“Do we have to walk across?” Courtney studied the quiet surf lapping against the shore.
“We can, if you want to. But there’s another option, too.”
Just then the unmistakable sound of a noisy engine filtered across from the island, and a tractor, pulling an open-air wagon full of people, rolled out from between the trees.
Nick smiled at Courtney. “The shuttle.”
Courtney’s mouth flew open and she gasped again as the tractor left the island and began to rattle across the shallow causeway toward them, partly submerged. “Okay, this is one of the coolest things I have ever seen.”
The tractor reached their side of the water and the visitors exited the wagon. The newcomers lined up for their turn to board, with Courtney and Nick at the back.
Once across, they climbed off the large wagon shuttle and bought tickets to see the lighthouse. The foot of the tower, which had once been the home of the lighthouse keeper and his family, had been restored as part of a local maritime history museum. Courtney was excited to see the inside.
Only a set number of people were allowed to go in and visit the keeper’s quarters and the tower at one time so the facility wouldn’t become overcrowded. Courtney and Nick waited their turn outside, mulling about the manicured grounds, reading the stone monuments and the educational displays.
Courtney jotted a few notes in her notebook so she could remember her impressions of the place later when it was time to write the post.
“Hey, it’s our turn,” Nick said. He pulled out the tickets, which contained a timed entry, and they headed for the entrance. Inside, after they checked out the keeper’s residence, Nick started up the long expanse of spiral stairs. Courtney followed, and he turned around, grinning.
“Ninety-seven of these suckers. Think you can make it?”
Courtney laughed. “You’d be surprised, Bingham. I can walk circles around you.”
At the top, Nick took Courtney’s hand and they walked outside onto the gallery deck. The wind was blowing hard at the top and Nick took off his baseball cap so it wouldn’t blow away.
Courtney pulled the windswept hair from her face and marveled at the sweeping views of Lake Michigan and the surrounding landscape.
The only other two people out on the lighthouse deck climbed back down through the doorway, so they had the place to themselves for the moment.
Courtney’s eyes followed the miles of green fields, rows of trees, farmhouses, and barns. She turned to take in the deep-blue waters of the lake.
“It’s always amazed me how much the Great Lakes look like the ocean,” Nick said.
“I know, right? And it’s mesmerizing to watch it from up here.”
Nick’s eyes were on the water. “It really is.”
Gratitude didn’t begin to express the way she felt. He was just so amazing. She gazed at him, yearning to throw her arms around him. “It’s so beautiful, Nick. Thank you for taking me here. It was such a great surprise.”
Nick turned to face her.
The sun was warm but the cool breeze blew steadily. Nick reached out gently and took some of her hair, which was flying wildly around, and tucked it behind her ear.
“You’re beautiful.”
He moved closer and cupped her face in both hands. He gazed into her eyes. It was finally happening. Courtney’s heart quickened. Nick reached down and kissed her softly on the lips.
She responded with soft kisses and he returned them with more. She put her arms around his neck as they stood there, and he pulled her closer. Her heart felt like it might explode.
Back on the ground, without the aid of the breeze that blew wildly on the platform at the top of the tower, Courtney once again felt the heat of the afternoon. She wiped the sweat from her forehead.
They wandered down to the water’s edge on the far side of the lighthouse where the island faced the magnificent expanse of the lake.
A twenty-minute break in the shade saw them hopping the rocks along the water’s edge. They stopped for a quick selfie with the lake in the background and another on the grass with the lighthouse.
Nick held out his hand, and Courtney grabbed it as she fell into step with him. It was time to make their way back to the side of the island where the tractor had brought them in.
Reaching the entrance, they saw the wagon idling near the ticket booth, wai
ting to fill with tourists before it made another return trip to the other side of the causeway. But only three people had come for the ride so far.
“Looks like it’s gonna be a while,” Nick said.
Courtney glanced over at the causeway and watched as a few daring visitors, who’d rolled up their pant legs, began to wade across the shallows.
“Look!” she said, taking Nick’s arm.
Nick turned. The bed of the lake along the causeway, covered in not just round pebbles but plenty of sharp stones, made the short journey more difficult than it otherwise might have appeared. Apparently, it was wise to take it slowly. But the people looked to be enjoying the trip nonetheless.
“Let’s do it!” Courtney shrieked.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah! It looks like so much fun.” Courtney’s khakis were already short enough not to get soaked. “Plus, it’s so hot out! I want to cool off.”
“Me too. Okay, I’m in.” Nick rolled up the bottoms of his shorts and they both took off their sneakers. He put his sunglasses back on and Courtney did the same. The sun was bearing down on them with full force.
Nick stepped into the cold water. “Oh, my gosh, so good,” he said, his eyes rolling back inside his head.
“Yes!” Courtney cried, laughing.
With shoes and duffel bag held high and dry, they made their way slowly through the sparkling blue shallows to the other side of the causeway.
An hour later, Courtney stepped out of an elegant ladies’ room lounge into the lobby of the Anderson Cove Resort, a popular waterfront facility with a hotel and restaurant. She twirled the skirt of her sundress playfully for Nick.
Nick sucked in a breath—wow. He had been leaning against a wall, a few yards away, waiting for her, and now stepped forward to meet her.
Her fitted floral-print dress fell several inches above the knee. The spaghetti straps hugged her shoulders, and she’d slipped on a pair of tall wedge sandals.
His heartbeat quickened. She could’ve just stepped out of a magazine, as far as he was concerned. She was beyond sexy.
“You look gorgeous.” He laid a quick kiss on her lips and took her softly by the hand.
“Thanks,” she said, with a spunky bat of her lashes. “You clean up well, too.”
Nick had changed into a pair of dark cargo shorts and a collared shirt. He wore a pair of classic navy flip-flops on his feet. The dress codes even in the fine dining restaurants in the area were generally resort-casual.
He’d made a reservation for dinner on the property. But first, he wanted to grab a drink at the bar.
Courtney threw her extra bag, now containing her sneakers and the day’s outfit, over one shoulder.
“I can take that to the car for you. You want to wait here?” He held up his own gym bag and pointed to a cluster of cozy but elegant sofa seats, situated around a large tabletop fire pit. Flames danced quietly among the blocks of tempered blue glass.
The bar hopped with fashionable happy hour patrons. A small group laughed and exchanged stories around the fire, sipping drinks from martini glasses and tumblers.
Courtney took in the inviting scene. “Sure! I’ll save you a seat. Thanks.” She handed over the extra bag, tucked her purse over her shoulder, and headed toward the fire pit, where she claimed a pair of seats.
Nick walked back to the parking lot with a swing in his step. The day had gone even better than he’d hoped. He couldn’t get enough of Courtney. The list of things he loved about her had doubled or even tripled today. She was always willing to try new things and she just had a huge, overall enthusiasm for life. Everyone that met her couldn’t help but adore her, including himself. He just wanted to make her feel special tonight.
He thought she probably already had a pretty good idea about how he felt. He was taking it slowly, but she could tell, right? He’d sent her all the signals.
But tonight, he was finally ready to talk—and tell her what he’d been holding back about.
He had taken Tom’s advice and asked her out, several times over, just to see if, under the surface, she was everything she seemed to be. And he’d been right—each time they’d gone out had been better than the last. He knew, now, that she was someone he wanted to spend a lot of time with, someone he wanted to keep seeing. And he knew she liked him, too.
Would anything change when he told her about med school? Like it or not, tonight, he would find out.
Fourteen
The restaurant had a lively but sophisticated vibe. White tablecloths, flickering candlelight, all of the servers in smartly pressed, black-and-white uniforms. Nick and Courtney’s booth sat against a wall of windows that overlooked the shimmering lake. Courtney wanted to pinch herself.
The waiter stopped by to fill up their ice waters. Nick poured more wine from the bottle of white they were sharing into Courtney’s glass. The waiter had already taken their orders.
She took a sip. It was delicious, fruity. She gazed across the table at Nick. She was so impressed by him. He seemed so smart and so even-keeled, often quiet. He seemed so deliberate about the things he did—a good complement to her occasional impulsiveness and frequent spontaneity.
She set down her glass and sat back. “So, Nick, I feel like I still don’t know that much about you, even though we’ve been hanging out more lately.”
Nick shifted in his seat and looked up at her with just his eyes, his head still angled toward the table.
He was a hard nut to crack. She’d have to be conversational enough that it didn’t feel like the Spanish Inquisition, but she really needed to know more about him if she were going to allow her heart to get involved. She plowed forward with the interview, the reporter in her taking the reins.
“Like, for instance, you told me you went to the University of Chicago. But—how did you like it there?” She couldn’t deny it made her a little nervous to start in on him. She couldn’t help but chatter about her own experience to avoid putting him on the spot. “Personally, well, I had a blast in college.”
“You went to U Madison, right?”
He was also very good at answering a question with a question. Noted. “Yeah.”
“Well, yeah, I had a great time, too. You know what they say—best four years of your life. It definitely rang true for me.”
“Me, too. Onward and upward though, right? I’m certainly enjoying life right now.” She looked around at the lovely setting. “I mean, look at this place. Thank you for bringing me here.”
He reached across the table and placed his hand on hers, then softly stroked it with his thumb. “You’re welcome. I’m really enjoying things lately, too.” He looked a little nervous. “And you’re so cute, by the way.”
She curled up her nose at him, grinning. “Thanks. So, do you still keep in touch with friends from college?”
Nick pulled his hand back and leaned against the seat. “Yeah, actually, I do. Bunch of good buddies. Oh, and we had a good time. I definitely got my four years’ worth,” Nick crowed. “I talk with those guys every once in a while. I see them online, too. We’ve all spread out.”
“Right. Same here. Cheers to that.” Courtney held up her glass.
“To the good old days.” Nick clinked his glass with hers.
“To the good old days—of three years ago.” They both laughed ironically. Courtney sipped then set down her glass and leaned forward, crossing her hands on the edge of the table. “So, what was your major in school?”
Nick hesitated, then sat back, stretched out his shoulders, and looked her in the eye. “Uh, so—I was pre-med.”
Courtney looked surprised. “Really?”
Nick sat up straighter. “Yeah, and, uh, that’s actually something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.”
Courtney sat up, her interest piqued. “Oh. Okay.”
“Yeah, so, my dad’s a surgeon, in downtown Chicago. Cardiology. My older brother, Kenny—he’s studying to be one, too. Orthopedics.”
Nick fidgeted with his
silverware and grinned. “Bunch of overachievers.”
Courtney laughed. “Wow. I’ll say.”
“I thought I was going to be one, too. Did my first four years. Got into med school. And, well, you’ve probably heard how that goes. Insane amount of work. No sleep. No life.” He rolled his eyes. “Typical sob story. Blah blah blah.”
Courtney snorted softly. “Totally.”
He took a long sip of his wine. “I managed to do all right the first year. But by my second year, things started going south.” He hesitated again. “I fell behind. My grades dropped.” He tapped on the stem of his glass. “By the end of the spring term, I, uh—I dropped out. Said goodbye to the life of a physician for good.”
“Wow. Really?” Now she was even more intrigued. It took a brave person to make difficult choices, and to tell her all this right now. “And when was that?”
Nick lined up his fork and knife on the table. He looked anxious. “Last year.”
“Oh.” Courtney sat back, taking it all in.
Just then the waiter came by and made a show of dropping off their salads. When she left, Courtney pushed hers gently aside and leaned in. “That must’ve been so hard to do. I mean—that’s life changing. Was your dad upset?”
Nick raised a brow. “Oh, you can’t even imagine. He still is.”
Courtney crossed her hands and rested them in front of her. “So, that explains the search-and-rescue thing? How you decided to volunteer and do all that?” The big picture of Nick was starting to come together.
“Yep.”
“Okay, because I was wondering how someone—just out of nowhere—decides to go saving people out in the woods, just to ride his bicycle more often.” She flashed a smile. “This makes a lot more sense.”
Nick gave a nervous little laugh, but he seemed to be studying her face. Searching for something.
One Sweet Day I Found You: A Sweet Romance Book 1 Page 10