Chance Encounter

by Jerry Cole

  “Did Ryan have a family?” I asked one night before we were going to bed.

  “Nobody close that he mentioned. Are you worried about someone trying to take Ava away?” Hayden asked as I shrugged one shoulder.

  “I’d hate to see the truth come out that way,” I said as Hayden frowned.

  “I doubt anyone knew about her, even if he did have a family. He signed his rights away. The adoption is final.” The girls went all the way with it, though they kept Vivian’s last name as one of the middle names with their names following that. It was complicated, but they didn’t know what name they’d take in marriage at the time. Anything could be changed down the line, though they’d never take her mother’s name away.

  “I just want them never to know about him. Becca hated him, and he pulled too much shit toward the end.” I sighed, considering the possibility. “Everyone hated him.”

  “He was an asshole, but his kid is beautiful. She’s so happy.” Hayden smiled. “Not like him at all.”

  “She has a loving family,” I said, hugging him to me. “They’ll never know.”

  “I learned in an article. What if they ever get curious?” Hayden brought up a new point as ice washed through my veins.

  “If they haven’t yet, they won’t. They haven’t even asked about Ryan.” I hoped that I was right.

  We snuggled together to sleep, and I smiled as he kissed my hair.

  It was announced weeks later that the baby was a boy at Sunday dinner. Amy was beaming while Jackson looked proud. Everyone hugged them and cried again, talking about baby showers and the nursery.

  Amy looked good with a small bump that she complained about. She wore loose clothes even though Jackson told her she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. She had a natural girl next door look and never looked bad, but pregnancy did weird things to women. She made a few trips back home with Jackson over the last several weeks, spending time with family and friends.

  We talked about doing something before it was too far into Fall. We decided on a coastal trip for a long weekend, for the seven of us. Gram declined since she had plans with a friend. I rented a house with five bedrooms and three bathrooms for us, excited about the large deck that overlooked the beach. With the right weather, we could grill outside and enjoy some sun. I knew the girls hoped for that so Ava could see the ocean, but you could never tell where we lived.

  We left Friday in August with the sun in the sky. Since it was a short trip, we just took our cars, and I planned to get the keys before anyone else arrived. We decided on Fort Worden since it was in such a gorgeous area. We could spend time on the beach as well as in Port Townsend.

  We got out of our car on the ferry, standing at the railing to look over the water. Our destination could be seen, and I grinned as Hayden leaned against me. He’d never been here before, and I couldn’t wait to show him how beautiful it was. When we pulled off of the boat, I took a turn to the right to get to the office where the keys to the house were. The agent handed them to us with a smile, and I drove quickly to see a two-story house in a soft blue nestled several feet away from the beach,

  “This is gorgeous,” he said as we parked in the driveway. We got out with our bags, unlocking the door to set them down just inside of the foyer. We surveyed the spacious, open kitchen and living room. There were two bedrooms downstairs and three upstairs. They were all large and roughly the same size, so we picked one of the upstairs ones and placed our bags inside. The bedroom windows all had views of the ocean, making the house wider than longer.

  “I could get used to this,” I said, looking through the glass slider doors at the blue water and long stretch of sand.

  “Me, too. Ava is going to lose her shit,” Hayden said, grinning.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Hayden

  Everyone else arrived about forty-five minutes after us. We helped them with their bags, smiling as they exclaimed how gorgeous the house was. The girls picked the downstairs bedroom for them and Ava with hopes she shouldn’t run up and down the stairs all day. Jackson and Amy picked one of the upstairs ones, and we all unpacked quickly.

  It was still early, so we walked on the beach for a while. Ava screamed as she ran through the water with Becca and Mari on her heels. I let Gray lead me by the hand as I inhaled the ocean air, and watched the waves rolling against the sand. We were here for three nights, and I could see how relaxed everyone already felt.

  We left Becca and Mari on the beach with Ava and went to the grocery store with a list. There was a grill on the deck, so we bought supplies for a barbecue. There was also an indoor grill. We also got some snacks and plenty of drinks to stock the fridge with. We figured we’d have one night out to eat, maybe two. It depended on the weather and what we ended up doing.

  When we got back, Ava was sleeping in the bedroom. We all unloaded groceries and set up the kitchen with everything that we’d need. Gray told us about the town as we had some coffee and relaxed, piquing our interest.

  When Ava woke up, Amy was taking a nap with Jackson. They were cute together, and he was by her side every minute. I knew that Gray was proud of his cousin for being the man that he was with Amy. He’d be a great father.

  We decided just to make dinner at the house tonight since it was getting late. The girls took Ava to the beach again as we fired up the grill. We decided on steak and chicken, along with some veggies the girls would roast when they got home.

  I watched as Becca leaned over to scoop Ava up, running toward the house. She was happy. I always wanted that for her, and she had everything she wanted right now. Ava laughed as they came back, with Mari taking her to the bedroom to get into some dry clothes while Becca helped with dinner.

  Amy woke up as we were finishing, apologizing for sleeping so long. We told her not to worry and got everything plated and set up on the counter buffet style. Everyone plated their food and sat at the large dining room table, laughing as we ate. We watched a movie after dinner on the huge TV, all of us tired from the excitement of the day. When that was over, the girls took a sleeping Ava to the twin bed in the bedroom beside theirs. They went to sleep afterward, and everyone followed suit.

  We looked out at the moon shining over the water from our window for a moment. We cracked the window to hear the waves, smiling at the sound. “We need a beach house.”

  “I know,” Gray said, kissing the corner of my mouth. “We’ll work on that.”

  We made love quietly before falling asleep. Our plans the next day includes walks on the beach, and possibly a trip into town to see some sights. We weren’t locked onto anything specific.

  We woke up in the morning to sun shining in the windows. I smelled coffee and heard voices downstairs, stretching to wrap my arm around Gray. “Who is that?”

  Gray laughed before kissing me. “We’ll take a trip alone if you want.”

  “I love this, to be honest. I just need coffee to feel it.” We held each other for a while before rising to dress and head downstairs. Ava was munching on toast and watching a cartoon while the girls sipped coffee. “Morning.” Mari smiled at us, looking perfect as always. “Sleep well?”

  “Nothing is better than the sound of the ocean for sleep,” Gray replied as he poured coffee. “You?”

  “It turns out that a lot of beach time wears out little miss,” Becca said with a wink. “She slept hard until eight. It was wonderful.”

  “Do you want to be tourists today or stay at the house?” I asked as Ava giggled at something.

  “I’d like to see the town. Maybe we can do lunch out today,” Mari suggested as Becca nodded. “There’s probably more beaches around.”

  We made breakfast when Jackson and Amy woke up, showering, and getting ready after we cleaned up. We managed to fit into two cars, parking in the center of town. We made our way down the main street, taking in the architecture and small-town feel. It was gorgeous here.

  Amy and the girls walked into shops, deciding to leave Ava with us in one she coul
d do no damage in. They bought a few souvenirs, and we decided to go to a nearby beach and park. It was more for the view than a walk with a rocky area, but Ava was happy running around.

  We grabbed lunch at a fish and chips place before heading back to the house. Ava was tired, and Amy admitted to needing a nap as well.

  We sat out on the deck to take in the water while the girls all slept. It was cooler than this morning, but the view was too good to ignore. We sipped beer and talked about life. The fact that we were all settled down was surprising to all of us, but we were happy. Jackson admitted to being nervous about the baby, but we told him that he’d be fine. Becca and Mari were pros now, and they’d help out, even though they got Ava when she was older. Gram had a lot of experience, and they were parents. They would understand their baby.

  “I could get used to this. Imagine just waking up and walking to the beach. We should look into a timeshare or a vacation home. Something like that,” Jackson said as I shared a look with Gray. “If we had something this size, we could be here together and be fine.”

  “We’re not doing as well as you are, but we might be able to manage it. I’ve been doing good at my gig, and he’s raising the bar at the theater,” Gray said, nodding at me.

  “Even though I don’t live there, my company is fine. I could look into getting a house for us at home too, but I like being close to Gram.” Jackson frowned and sipped his beer. “Living this close to her has been great.”

  “She’s happy. I feel like I should have done this before rather than moving away, but she wanted us to live our lives. She did fine, but once she was alone, I knew I needed to be here.” Gray smiled, and I squeezed his hand.

  “I like that I can take care of her and not worry about working a lot here. I can let Amy relax even if she doesn’t want to.” Jackson laughed, and we nodded. Our girls were busy, even the smallest one.

  “What do you want to do for dinner tonight?” Gray asked, and I took a mental inventory of the fridge.

  “We bought that shrimp. Let’s grill that and steam the crab legs. We can make a bunch of veggies and throw some rolls on a plate. There’s that cake that we could have for dessert. With some wine and beer, it will be perfect.” I smiled before I felt Jackson looking at me with a raised brow. “She can share Ava’s juice. Slow down, Daddy.”

  “That sounds great. Can you throw some chicken on there too? Do we have any left? Amy is supposed to watch how much seafood and fish she eats.” Jackson asked as I shook my head.

  “Of course. She’s been great about watching what she eats,” Gray said as Jackson shrugged with one shoulder.

  “You won’t say that when she sees that cake. She likes sweets a lot more in pregnancy,” Jackson said as we heard the door open behind us.

  “Jackson. Are you talking about me?” A voice rang out, and he winced.

  “Baby, I was kidding. They have an incredible chocolate cake for dessert.” Amy walked forward to kiss him, sitting on his lap as he wrapped his arms around her.

  “Uh-huh.” Amy winked at us, looking fresh and beautiful.

  The other girls woke up, and we walked on the beach for a while before dinner. After tonight, we only had one more before returning home. I didn’t mind going back home, but it was beautiful here. It was relaxing.

  We ate dinner outside at the table, lit by the deck lights and some lamps. It was a good feast, and Ava played with her toys after she finished, while the girls talked before her bath. We talked about going to another part of the town the following day to have lunch and look around. It seemed easier to go out to lunch and have dinner with the ocean view where we could relax.

  We ended the night with cake and one last beer after the girls got Ava to bed. Gray and I locked up the house, headed upstairs to get some sleep. “This is incredible,” I said as I shut the kitchen lights off.

  “I think Jackson is onto something. We should look at a beach house. This isn’t too far, and Gram could travel here.” She’s willing to travel for the wedding, so this was just a car ride.

  “That’s true. It’s an easy enough trip for all of us.” I smiled as I took his hand. “Are you tired?”

  “I want to listen to the waves for a while and just be with you,” Gray said, closing the door as he turned to me. “I want to kiss you and feel you, Hay.”

  “You won’t get any complaints from me,” I said, reaching a hand around his neck to pull his mouth to mine. I kissed him, feeling all of the love from everyone in the house in his lips. I felt all of the love in the world in his kiss.

  We went to bed with the windows open, making love quietly. When we finished, we rested together in the large room and listened to the wind and water.

  When we got up the following morning, the girls were making breakfast and coffee. “What a great way to wake up,” Gray said, catching Ava as she ran to him. “Did you make breakfast?”

  “Uh huh. Fruit!” She smiled, and he hugged her.

  “Perfect.” He surveyed the kitchen, seeing everyone busy as I got us both coffees. Jackson came down and grinned as Amy plated eggs.

  “Hi, baby.” She kissed him as he pulled her close. “It’s almost time to eat.”

  “I’m starving,” he told her, kissing her again.

  We sat down to eat outside and took a walk on the beach when we finished. It was a beach that was only accessible by the tenants along that stretch of the beach. Ava ran along, chasing seagulls through the water. Becca and Mari followed, picking up shells as they watched their girl run ahead.

  “She’s happy here,” I told Gray as I watched a few feet behind. We were holding hands with Jackson and Amy walking behind us.

  “Ava is a water girl. They should get her in swimming lessons soon,” Gray told me as I nodded.

  “I don’t know about her swimming in this.” He waved his hand, and I shook my head. I appreciated the ocean from a distance.

  We made our way back to the house after a while to get ready to go. Today's adventure included more beaches and a walk through another street that offered art galleries and boutiques. The girls had just as much fun shopping as they did the previous day, and Ava loved the two beaches that we found.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Gray

  We found a cafe for lunch that served a lot of seafood as well as the standard American fare. We were all ready for sandwiches and burgers after last night and inhaled everything.

  Ava yawned when we finished. That made us decide to head back for naps before deciding what to do from there. We needed to have the keys to the house again by eleven tomorrow, so tonight was the last hurrah.

  We decided that if everyone were up to it, we’d eat out. We made so much for breakfast and dinners that we only had some snacks left. A house with this many adults put away the food, especially the men. Jackson and I could always eat a lot.

  When everyone was awake, we decided to order pizza and eat it at the house. We were blessed with good weather and ate it at the back table just before the sunset.

  Ava didn’t pick up on it being our last night as she ran along the sand, but all of the adults were a little quiet. We didn’t want to go home, back to work, and responsibilities. We did want to see Gram. The girls put the leftovers away for breakfast, cleaning the kitchen up before we gathered outside again.

  We lit the fire pit, keeping a close eye on Ava as we sipped beer. She went to bed after a quick bath, and Mari and Becca came back out holding hands. “Our last night,” they said as they sat in the cushioned chairs.

  “I want to see Gram and my bed, but can we take this view with us?” Jackson asked, looking a bit reminiscent. Their old condo in Florida had a great beach view, but Jackson also thought that Seattle was gorgeous.

  “We’re thinking of looking into a timeshare kind of deal. Did you like it here?” Jackson asked Amy as she smiled.

  “Port Townsend is amazing. I could live here!” She replied as we all nodded. “I know that Gram is the glue that holds us all together. I’d ne
ver break that but down the line? I could live here.”

  “I hate that she won’t be here forever, but it’s true. I just hold onto every moment I can.” I said as Hayden stroked my hair.

  Jackson and Amy went to bed first, with Mari and Becca following shortly. I leaned back and looked at the stars as I listened to the waves, “This is perfection.”

  “It is. I could almost sleep here, but that bed is calling my name,” Hayden told me with a chuckle. I knew exactly what he meant, grinning at him. We stayed out for a while before locking up the house and heading to bed.

  I held onto every moment of that night as we lay in the dark after making love. I imagined our room in Hawaii for the wedding, and my heart surged with joy. We’d all be there together to celebrate, including Gram. I would marry the man of my dreams in paradise.

  I fell asleep with that in my head, dreaming about it until the shriek of a toddler at our bedroom door woke us up.

  “Jesus. She found the stairs.” Hayden mumbled as he turned into me.

  “Ava, come back here. Let your uncles sleep!” Becca called out as I started to laugh.

  “It’s eight. We should get up and have some food before we leave. I want one more walk on the beach.” I kissed Hayden’s hair as he murmured something unintelligible. I could smell coffee, and that got me to sit up in bed. “I’m going.”

  Ava was gone as I slipped into sweats, pulling on a t-shirt before going downstairs. Everyone was there, eating pizza and drinking coffee as they lounged around the room. “Good morning,” Mari told me before handing me some coffee. “We’re going to take a long walk on the beach before we leave so that little Missy will sleep on the way home.”