Chance Encounter

by Jerry Cole

  “I love that idea. I need my fill.” I sipped the coffee and glanced around the room. “I need to drag Hayden out of bed, though. He won’t want to miss it.”

  “I’m up. Give me coffee.” He stalked down the stairs, and Becca giggled as she poured him a cup. “What’s the plan?”

  “Pizza for breakfast because we’re classy that way. Walk on the beach, come back and load up cars… maybe grab food on the way out of anyone is up for it.” Mari counted on one hand before she looked around. “Cool?”

  “Very cool,” Amy said, stretching and rubbing her stomach. “I’m going to sleep hard in the car. I’ll even take a nap at home.”

  “You’ve been busy here, Ames. I’m proud of you,” Jackson said as she smiled.

  “I’m pregnant, not sick. Being active is good for me, and you’re so sweet to let me rest when I need it.” Amy kissed his cheek as Jackson grinned.

  “Preach it, girl.” Becca handed them each a plate of pizza and plated some more for us.

  We ate and went out to the beach. It was bright, and the air was crisp and clean. Ava ran ahead, as usual, making me a little sad that she wouldn’t be doing this tomorrow morning. “We’re coming back soon and bringing Gram with us.”

  “We are.” We locked arms and walked forward through the wind. Everyone was quiet as they took more pictures, grabbing more shells to pocket as we all took in our last moments here.

  “I don’t want to leave,” Amy said as she held onto Jackson’s hand. “Can we bring the baby here?”

  “Of course, but the baby won’t be walking for well over a year.” He laughed at her.

  “I don’t care. We need to show him the water early.” Her voice sounded dreamy, and Becca turned to look at her.

  “I agree with you,” she called back, smiling.

  We finished our walk, stalling until Becca told us we need to load up our cars. We were silent as we checked for things left behind, cleaning as we went. When the house was locked up, we all took a moment to look at it.

  We decided not to eat out since we had a lot of pizza in the morning. Becca and Mari were hoping that Ava would sleep, while Amy was looking forward to a nap. We took the keys back to the office, thanking the woman for such a great house. We were likely the last ones on the ferry, getting out and watching as the town moved further away. “I loved it there.”

  “So did I. Maybe someday we can move there.” I wrapped my arm around him, kissing his hair as I closed my eyes.

  “Maybe.”

  When we pulled up to the apartment, Hayden let out a long sigh. “Back to reality and work.”

  “You love work,” I reminded him as he shrugged.

  “I love Port Townsend more.”

  We unloaded the bags and started some laundry before going to see Gram. She offered to cook dinner for us that night, telling us that everyone else said yes. None of us wanted to cook after the trip and that amazing grill. “Sounds perfect, Gram. What time?” I asked as she told us to be there at five.

  We went home to settle in, assuming some people were taking naps. Hayden called to check on the theater, proving my theory that he loved work. I also checked emails and assured clients that I was back to work in the morning.

  We showered before dinner, arriving to find everyone gathered around the living room. Gram made her white chicken chili, fresh rolls, and salad, which we ate seated all over the room. We told her all about the beaches and Port Townsend, telling her that she had to go the next time. She said it was beautiful when she saw the pictures, smiling as she saw how happy Ava was. “Look at her. She loves it.”

  “She slept so well there,” Becca bragged as Mari laughed. “You have to come with us.”

  “I’d like that. You are such a close family and take care of each other.” Ava took a bite of a roll, screaming as we all jumped.

  “She does that now,” Mari said, leaning over to tell Ava to use her inside voice. We finished dinner, hugging before going to our homes for the night.

  I missed Hayden the second he left for work the following morning. I missed the sound of Ava in the morning and just talking to my cousin on the deck as we overlooked the ocean. I killed time drinking lots of coffee and catching up on work, settling into the old routine. This last weekend made me want to plan the wedding even more.

  Hayden walked in that evening, greeting me with a warm kiss. “I missed you today. I loved spending every day with you.”

  “I missed you. It was too quiet here,” I replied, pulling him into my arms. “Want to eat here or go out to dinner?”

  “Let’s do something easy here. I just want to be with you,” he said as I grinned.

  “Leftover chili?” Hayden nodded, heading back to change into something comfortable.

  We were home.

  We had sex like we were in a house without family, but living near them. We let go and even made a little noise. We got rough.

  After dinner, when we were relaxing, we looked up various resorts in Hawaii. We wanted something that would work for the family and a ceremony, all in one. Everything was gorgeous, of course. It was Hawaii and the surrounding islands, but we decided that Kauai was where our wedding would be. We just needed to choose where, but real life called for normal sleep.

  Hayden had a couple touring the theater the following Sunday to see if it was a good fit for them. He dressed in black slacks and a white button-up shirt. Hayden fixed his hair in the mirror as I watched with a smile. “You’re nervous.”

  “I know they’re not there for me, but I feel like I need to present myself as well.” Hayden looked at me with wide eyes.

  “Don’t worry about it. It’s obvious that you love that job and the theater. That’s going to show.”

  “I hope so,” He told me with one final look in the mirror. “I’ll see you later for dinner.” He kissed me longingly, and I wrapped my arms around him.

  “Okay. Good luck.” He walked out of the building, and I returned to work. I’d been trying to save some money for Jackson’s idea since he was serious about it. He hadn’t yet started looking for anything, but I wanted to be prepared.

  I headed down to dinner at five after a shower. Hayden should be here soon, and I tapped on the door before being called inside. Everyone was already there, and Ava ran over to me for a hug. “Where’s Hayden? Did he have an event?” Becca asked as she realized that I was alone.

  “He had an interested party that was getting a tour.” I smiled, walking over to kiss Gram on the cheek. “How are you?”

  “I’m good, Gray. It’s nice to see you.” Her blue eyes were bright, and I hoped that Gram would remain this healthy for years to come. “I made a turkey for dinner. I’ve made chickens in the past, but you boys eat a lot. I thought a turkey might be a better idea.”

  “It’s a fabulous idea. You know how much I love Thanksgiving.” I smiled, glancing at Amy. Gram didn’t quite understand the new rules from the doctor about food, and Amy didn’t bother her about it. Gram cooked so much food that she got by but always joked that she might become a vegetarian after this.

  There was a knock at the door, making me look over as everyone said to come in. Hayden walked in, still dressed for the theater as my mouth watered. “Look at you. I hope they booked it,” Mari said as he grinned, walking over to me for a kiss.

  “They did. It’s going to be a Winter wedding in December, but not Christmas. I won’t have that.” Hayden went to hug Gram, moving around to everyone else before carrying Ava over to me.

  “Good job, Hayden. You’re bringing new life to that place.” Gram smiled.

  “Jackson and Amy were the ones that started the idea, then pulled it off. I’ll be sending you a commission,” Hayden joked as I slipped an arm around him. “It smells like Thanksgiving.”

  “Gram decided that chickens were a waste of time. She now cooks a turkey for the men.” Jackson walked over to clap him on the back. “Save that commission for a house, buddy. We’ll have something by the summer.”

&
nbsp; We plated our food and took the usual seats as we filled the apartment with voices and laughter. Gram asked about the house plans, and Jackson filled her in.

  “We’ll have a place to go in the summer, Gram. Big enough for all of us, located on a beach, and it will have a chef kitchen for you.” She laughed. “You can go with your friends and party.”

  That made Gram laugh, and she dropped her head back. “How far will this place be?”

  “I’m hoping for a couple of hours at most,” Jackson told her as she nodded.

  “I think one of us could make that drive,” she mused as Jackson wrapped an arm around her.

  “I’ll hire you a car.”

  “How soon will you be going after the baby is born?” Gram asked, and he smiled at his wife.

  “Pretty quick. He’ll be in a car seat. Once Ames feels better, we’ll take short trips. We are going to Gray’s wedding.” He looked at me. “When is that being booked?”

  “We found a place that we liked. It’s in Kauai.” I pulled up the web page to the resort and showed everyone.

  “Look at that water. That pool is incredible.” Becca said with a smile on her face. “The ocean is right there.”

  “It is an oceanfront resort,” Hayden teased her as she threw a roll at him. “They have a few places that they perform ceremonies at, depending on the guest list. Ours is small, so we have our pick with an attached space for a reception. We’re thinking of a late afternoon wedding, with dinner and drinks through the evening. What do you guys think?”

  “I think it’s beautiful and perfect,” Gram said as I kissed her cheek.

  “It won’t be a wild, late night. Just family. We can have a great meal and just enjoy the day.”

  “We’re thinking of booking five rooms. A week for you all and two for us. You will have a suite with a room for Ava since she’s getting so big now.”

  “Yeah, well, she likes to sleep with us right now. We go to sleep in separate rooms, and like magic, she’s there in the morning. We don’t even hear her come in.” Mari explained with a wry smile. “You never know what might happen. Thank you. She’s going to have fun.”

  “We’ll watch her so you can have fun, too.” Amy smiled as Mari looked at her.

  “You’ll have a baby to look after.”

  “Why not add a toddler to the mix?” Amy asked as Becca widened her eyes in horror.

  “You don’t know what you’re saying. The idea of a newborn both terrifies me and fascinates me.” Mari laughed as she looked at Ava. “She was a bigger baby when we… we got her. She already did a lot of the milestones.”

  “I’ll be a zombie. You can help him.” Amy smiled, and the girls collapsed into laughter.

  We went home that night and took one final look at the resort before booking the rooms. We made sure we could get refunds should anything happen, but reserved our wedding venue for the date and time. I’d call the resort tomorrow to talk to them with Hayden since he was off.

  “We’re getting married,” he told me in bed as I chuckled.

  “You’ve known that since I proposed, I hope?”

  “Of course, you ass. We just picked a day, a time, and a gorgeous place. It’s official now.” He smiled and kissed me.

  I got a call from a fellow editor the next day, asking me if I’d like to tour a new building with him. It was just opened and set up for every kind of media that one could need. It had studios for what we did that had all of the equipment, and it all came at a monthly cost that included an office for me to work in.

  The best part is that it is a couple of blocks away from the apartment. He wanted to split the cost and share the double office, and we could separate work from home.

  “What do you think?” I asked Hayden over dinner at our favorite Thai place. “It’s a hundred a month for six months, and I can cancel or pay a bit more to stay. Many of my clients already work there, and I could just use better equipment and work faster.”

  “What are the hours?” Hayden asked as I tilted my head.

  “I’m still self-employed. I just won’t clutter the apartment as much, though I can still work here. I have the option this way.” I gazed into his eyes. “It’s like I’ll have an office to go to now.”

  “Try it. I just don’t want to become that couple that is always working opposite shifts, passing in the hallway. It’s hard enough on Becca and Mari, but they have a kid.” Hayden was honest.

  “I don’t want that, either. I want to tell them to both work days and get daycare sometimes. They’re making it, though. I’ll give them that.” I smiled, feeling my excitement rising and falling in my chest. “We’ll make it.”

  “I want you to try this. It might be a big step for you, and the place sounds incredible.” Hayden sipped his tea.

  “You need to come check it out. They have places that podcasters film, a green screen, and so much more. I think it’s going to be great.”

  “Just say when,” Hayden told me, stabbing some salad with his fork. “I might be at work more with weddings and events, though that’s exhausting. Not everyone is as easygoing as Jackson and Amy. There are crazy women out there getting married, and I won’t talk about some of the guys.”

  “Are you there helping because you’re needed, or is it that you feel obligated?” I asked as he raised a brow. “You have an event planner and a staff that’s willing to help you?” He nodded. “It sounds like the caterer and bar service know what they’re doing.”

  “Are you suggesting that I stay away from the events?” Hayden asked, watching as I scrubbed a hand through my hair.

  “You already run the theater and it’s normal events. You head a staff, and they’re good. You don’t need to take on more.” Sadness crossed his face, making me realize that I hit a nerve. “I just don’t want you to burn yourself out. It was a big step taking that promotion, and here you’ve taken on another one.” I leaned over to kiss him. “I don’t want us to lose each other in life.”

  “We won’t,” Hayden promised, kissing me again.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Hayden

  I kept my day shift at the theater and hired staff for the events. I would still oversee the details as it was planned, but Gray was right. I didn’t need to be at every single event for hours on end after working my normal shift. I still worked some nights if we were too shorthanded sometimes.

  Gray started working at what he called his home away from home. He got the work done there quicker and seemed to be more productive, though he was gone a lot. He tried to keep it to when I was working, as best he could, but sometimes nights were required of him. Gray told me a while back that he didn’t want more clients, but they just materialized, and he took them on.

  I knew that Gray wanted to go in on a summer house with Jackson, but his cousin was considerably richer than we were. We’d contribute, but probably never match, and that didn’t matter. Jackson was doing this for everybody.

  I was at Becca’s one night on her day off, watching Ava while Mari went on to a work dinner. Gray was working like he did a lot right now.

  “He’s gone a lot. I support his career and love him. I do. I just want to see him.” I sipped my beer and looked at Becca. “How do you do it with separate shifts?”

  Becca smiled at Ava. “For her.” She shrugged, sipping her beer. “We could work the same hours and have daycare. A lot of people do that, and we could afford it. Even Amy has offered, but she does have a job, and she’s growing a baby. So, we do this and appreciate every second together and the time with our daughter. It’s our life.” She looked at Ava. “Gray is working to make a future for himself, I think. I’d imagine that freelancing like that sometimes feels like an uncertain thing, and he’s thinking of you. It might be a pain in the ass, but since that trip to the beach house, he’s full speed ahead. He wants that for you.”

  “We’ll never put in as much as Jackson,” I reminded her as she shrugged.

  “Nobody will. He owns a fucking construction company
in Florida that he worked his ass off for. We’re not putting in any money, but I know Jackson is okay with that.”

  “I do, too. Do you think it’s like this obligation thing? They’re like brothers. Gray seems to be taking on more clients and everything. I know we’re planning this wedding and all, too. I just don’t want to have the time pass and realize that we’ve spent an hour together. I cut my hours back at the theater after he pointed out that I wasn’t responsible for everything there. Now, I feel like he just took on more of his own.” I leaned back, smiling as Ava crawled toward me on the couch. She’d been yelled at way too many times by her mothers about walking and running on it.

  “So, you’re running a theater. More or less. You have a staff to delegate things to, and a damn good one if you ask me. Use them for that, and getting a separate staff for events was brilliant. They’re good at what they do.” She looked at me to see if I were listening as her daughter babbled to me. “Gray is self-employed. He does not have a staff to turn to, so he does a lot on his own. He’s in a place to make more money with more work, and that’s part of his motivation. He also has to do everything on his own, and that demands more hours.” Becca shrugged. “Maybe he can make a compromise like you did. You should ask him. You guys can afford the apartment fine and have some leftover, right?”

  “Totally. It’s rent-controlled. I like the idea of saving and a vacation home, but I don’t want either of us to burn out. I’m going to marry this man.” I smiled, and we beamed at each other.

  “I never thought we’d find our people and stay together like this. We live in the same fucking building, and we’re all so close. It’s perfect.” Becca smiled and shook her head.

  “What if someone decides to move?” I asked, and she stared at me.

  “I don’t want to think about that. We need you too much.” Becca smiled and blushed. “We’re thinking about another baby after the wedding. Mari has been crazy watching Amy, and she wants a newborn of our own. It’s a few steps but so doable. What do you think?”

  “Wow. That would be three kids in the family.” I stared at her with wide eyes. “I love it. Would you stay here?”