Snowbird Season

by B J Phillips

  Andi sighed heavily and looked into Kelly’s eyes. “If you never make another one of those tables or a pretty box like you made for Shawn and Carrie or another rocking chair or even a stair bannister, I still want you. I just want you in my life. The only reason I showed you those pictures was to point out that you truly are an artist. I know you don’t think of yourself that way, because I’ve heard you put yourself down. I see what you don’t and your friends can see it. You have a load of talent.”

  “Right. And you want to sell things that I might make.”

  “No…I could, don’t get me wrong. Like I said, if you never made another piece like those, I still want to be with you.”

  Their conversation was interrupted by the waiter bringing their food. Each plate was decorated with little pirate flags and swords stuck in each half of their sandwiches. This time, the waiter only asked if they needed anything else, then disappeared.

  “Well, it looks good,” Andi said.

  “Yes, it does. Time to dig in.”

  The next few minutes were taken up with nodding and thumbs up as they took their first bites. Even the French fries got a thumbs up.

  After a few bites, Andi asked, “Are you thinking about what I said?”

  “Actually, I was thinking about how good this is. At the same time, I’m pondering what you said.” She put her sandwich down and looked at Andi. “I started caring for you a lot when you were here before. I held onto the hope that you felt the same way, even for some time after you left. As hard as it was to let go of that, I pretty much had to. It’s been rough having you walk back in after all these months and say you care for me and want me. Even a month after you left, had you done this, I’d have been ecstatic. Even now, there’s a part of me that wants to throw caution to the wind and pretend that nothing happened. I can’t do that. I just can’t yet. I’m still getting used to you being here and it’s going to take some time.”

  Andi nodded slowly. “I understand that.”

  “Plus, even if there is still some connection between us, there’s the whole you’re there, I’m here thing…even though I hate to keep repeating it.”

  “I know. If you’re willing, I know we could work that out. I know you’re not interested in moving to New York.”

  “No, I can’t. I don’t know if there can be anything more than friendship between us with that whole thing going on. I don’t think I could do a long-distance relationship. I don’t believe they work.”

  “Well, let’s just see how this goes. I’m sure if we can work out the rest of it, we can work out these other issues. Aunt Elise convinced me that nothing is impossible. I have some ideas about how to make it happen.” Andi smiled, picked up a French fry, and dredged it through the ketchup on her plate. “I’m willing if you’re willing.”

  Kelly took a deep breath. “I’m willing to try.”

  After a few bites of her sandwich and some ‘this isn’t half bad’ remarks, Kelly had a thought. “How’d you like to come to my house tomorrow for supper? I’ll grill steaks and the fixings, and invite Shawn and Carrie over. I’m sure they’d like to see you again.”

  Andi looked up at Kelly. “That sounds like fun. I’d love to see them.”

  Kelly grinned. “All right, then, supper at six it is. Don’t bring anything except yourself. We’re pretty casual around here, as you probably noticed, so don’t dress up any. It’s a cookout.”

  “I’m already looking forward to it. I haven’t been to anything like that in a very long time.”

  “I haven’t had a cookout for a long time. In fact, the last time I had one I spilled chocolate ice cream sauce all over Carrie’s shorts. Don’t wear anything you care about. Just warning you.”

  On their way, back Andi reached over and patted the back of Kelly’s hand that was lying on the center armrest. Without looking, Kelly turned her hand up and Andi put hers in Kelly’s. Kelly glanced over with a faint smile, then back to the road. They rode the rest of the way back that way, speaking very little. Once they got back to Elise’s to drop Andi off, Andi kissed Kelly’s hand, and then reached over and kissed Kelly’s cheek.

  “I had a great time. Thanks for inviting me. I’ll see you tomorrow. If you get bored in the meantime, you know where to find me.”

  “I had fun being with you, too. See you tomorrow at six.”

  Kelly drove away and found herself touching the place on her cheek where Andi’s lips had touched her. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Yep, Andi can still do it to me. Can we make this work? Her brain was going around in circles trying to figure it all out. She had only kissed her once, but she knew she wanted to try.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  “ALL RIGHT, GIVE! HOW did lunch go?” Shawn barked through the phone.

  “It was nice. The food was good. Have you ever tried their Grog?” Kelly laughed, opened the slider to the lanai, and sat on the lanai sofa. Piper jumped up to lie down next to her and put her head on Kelly’s thigh.

  “That’s not what I’m interested in…come on…”

  “Well, I’d say it was illuminating.” Piper was staring at her, so she scratched her ears.

  “Big word. Very little telling.”

  “Okay, then, she showed me some pictures of some woodworking type art items she has in her gallery. She told me some of what I do could fit right in. That it’s really art.”

  “What, she’s back to wanting you to make stuff for her gallery?”

  “Nope, she said she was trying to make a point. She said she doesn’t care if I ever make anything she could put in the gallery. She just wants to be with me.”

  “Wow. That’s putting it out there.”

  Kelly patted Piper before standing up and began pacing the room. “Yes, it is. I told her I’m still looking at the whole ‘you’re there and I’m here’ thing. I’m not sure it can work at all. I can’t move to New York if we get serious.”

  “Well, you could, I guess…”

  “No, I can’t. I’d never fit in. Plus, I love living here too much. I know where I belong.”

  “I suppose you’re right. It’s good that you have a solid sense of who you are and where you’ll be happy. Not everyone has that. Be careful, don’t let that cloud your feelings for Andi. You know you still care for her.”

  “Yeah. I do. When I saw her today, my first impulse was to throw my arms around her and hold her and never let her go. I wanted to kiss her so badly. I didn’t. I barely held her hand in the car. I’m so afraid of letting her in again and having her blow me off.”

  “It’s a whole new ballgame, now, buddy. She’s not married now. She’s free to be with you if you both want this.”

  “Right. I know. She’s only been free for a short time. I’m not sure if she really wants me or if she simply feels safe with me.”

  “Then ask her. Tell her that’s part of what’s bothering you. You told me to take a risk with Carrie…”

  “That was different. She didn’t do anything to you except love you.”

  “And feed me. She did that, too.” Kelly heard a little laugh from Shawn’s end.

  “True. I doubt if Andi would be doing much in the way of feeding me, other than lunch. She does do lunch nicely.”

  “See, there’s that. You could do worse.”

  “I really don’t see how your situation is like mine at all. Carrie liked you right away. Andi was an ice queen in the beginning. Carrie was the one that held you two together. Andi tore us apart.”

  “In your story, I’m thinking you’re Carrie. Sort of. Well, maybe not so much. You carried Andi around with you like a weight for months after she left.”

  “I know, I had a hard time getting over her.”

  “You know you didn’t actually get over her at all. You didn’t even go out with anyone else all that time. That wasn’t like you at all.”

  “No, I guess it wasn’t...” She sat back down next to Piper.

  “You mostly had your head down working, other than the times you w
ere over here, from what I could see.”

  “Except I did have lunch with Elise a few times.”

  “Right. I bet that helped a lot, didn’t it?”

  “No, not really, I guess. I thought being around Elise by herself would help me stop thinking about Andi. I have to admit now that it didn’t help at all.”

  “You still had that little connection to Andi through Elise. It kept that little spark of hope alive, I’m betting.”

  “I guess it did. Elise is a very nice woman and I enjoyed her company even without Andi.”

  “I’ve no doubt she’s as sweet as you say. She likes you, so she must have good taste.” Shawn laughed. “Aw…come on, you can laugh a little about this.”

  Kelly grinned, and then snickered. “All right. That was funny. I guess I’m trying to see this whole thing from a logical point of view. Just as I thought I was about to let go of my feelings for Andi, she shows up again with this story of hers and tells me she cares for me and has for months. I don’t know how to deal with it.”

  “How would you like to deal with it?”

  Kelly stood up again and resumed pacing. “My first impulse was to throw my arms around her, hold her close, tell her that somehow we’ll work everything out, and it’ll all be great.”

  “What’s stopping you from doing exactly that?”

  “What are you, now, a psychotherapist?”

  “Nope, simply trying to help. I was no good to myself, that’s for sure. I’m hoping I can help you the way you helped me. That’s all. So, answer the question.”

  “I forgot the question.”

  “What’s stopping you from throwing your arms around Andi, telling her you care about her, and working everything out from there?”

  “Is that what I said? Well, I guess that’s really what I want and I’m still scared.”

  “Of what? That she might leave again and not come back? Something tells me that’s probably not going to happen. Her aunt lives here. She’ll always come back.”

  “It’s more…that she’ll meet someone in New York that’s more her type and fall for her and then there’d be the ‘dear Kelly’ thing.”

  “Here we go again. Listen, have you thought about the fact that something could happen like that to you? I mean, what if you met someone else who was more suited to you, who lived here and wanted to stay right here and had no other ambitions? Then what?”

  “If I was with Andi, I wouldn’t be looking even if someone else fell into my lap.”

  “Okay, then, what makes you think Andi would feel any differently?”

  “I don’t know. I guess because…well…I…” Kelly groped for an answer. “I don’t know.”

  “Look, it sounds like your first date went well. When are you going to be together again?”

  “I told her I’d make dinner at my house tomorrow night. Oh, and you two are invited. I wanted to keep this casual, not a romantic supper. Tell me you’ll come.”

  “I need to square it with Carrie, of course. You can plan on us being there. About six, then?”

  “Yeah, the usual. I’m going to grill some steaks.”

  “What can we bring?”

  “Nothing. I’ve got it all covered. If you want, you could bring some ice cream. Carrie brought ice cream the time she came over while you were on your trip with AJ. Wait, I don’t think that would be a good idea. I spilled chocolate sauce all over her at that one. Plus, that cookout didn’t go very well for her and it might bring back some bad memories. Never mind. I’ll think of something else. Just bring yourselves.”

  “Tell you what, we’ll bring a bottle of wine to have with supper. Does that work?”

  “That works. I want to entertain you guys for once.”

  “Are you sure you aren’t showing off your culinary skills for a prospective partner?” Shawn laughed. “Hey, I’m all for that, by the way.”

  “Very funny. Just show up at six, okay?”

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  KELLY HAD MARINATED THE steaks all afternoon. The potatoes were baked in foil wrappers, waiting to be heated again on the grill. The ears of corn, still in their green leaves, sat in the sink in water, ready to be put on the grill as well. She had opted for some strawberries with vanilla ice cream for dessert, figuring that couldn’t cause as much of a problem as ice cream sauce could if dropped. A cooler with beer and soda on ice sat at the ready on the lanai, where they’d eat. All her bases were covered. Her company would arrive any minute. She was ready.

  She picked up Piper and while she scratched Piper’s ears she looked around at the house she had probably spent more time working on than any other she had renovated. She always tried not to get attached to any of them because it was her business to make them comfortable and homey, sell them, and move on to the next house. Somehow, though, she knew it was going to be hard to let go of this one and it was getting close to time to do exactly that. She snuggled Piper to her and realized that this was the only home Piper had known with her.

  She had her eye on the next one she was interested in taking on. It was in the style of the old cracker houses, except this one was built in the last thirty years or so. She thought the owners might let it go for a good price. Before she did that, she was going to have to sell the current project. It wouldn’t take long. She knew it would sell quickly. All her renovations did. For some reason, she found herself wishing she didn’t have to sell this one.

  She didn’t have long to ponder her next move as she heard a car in front of her house and so did Piper. Somehow, she knew Shawn and Carrie would arrive first. A look out the front window confirmed just that, with Andi arriving immediately after them.

  As Kelly opened the door, Piper ran out barking her greeting to their guests. Carrie had scarcely released Andi from a hug as Piper reached her and she quickly picked up the wiggly little dog. Andi started to take Shawn’s offered hand, however she reached to hug her as well. After an appropriate amount of dog kisses on Carrie’s face, Piper resumed barking her hellos as Carrie held her and Andi and Shawn both scratched her ears. Kelly watched all of them acting like old friends. Andi appeared to eat it all up like one of Carrie’s pies and Piper looked like she was in dog heaven. They seemingly hadn’t even noticed her yet.

  “I’m so glad to see you again,” Carrie said to Andi.

  “I’m very happy to be back. I had a wonderful time the last time I saw you two. Shawn, your book now occupies a much-honored spot on my bookshelf. I treasure that autographed copy you gave me.”

  “It was my pleasure to give it to you.” Shawn grinned. “And here comes our human host.”

  The other two saw Kelly at the same time. Andi was closest and at first stood back, apparently unsure of what to do. Carrie and Shawn both hugged Kelly, and finally, Andi came for her hug. Kelly felt her arms close around Andi and Andi’s body seemed to melt into hers briefly. If they hadn’t been in Kelly’s driveway, Kelly knew she’d have kissed her right there on the spot. To anyone else, it looked like a couple of old friends in a brief embrace.

  Shortly, they all settled into the lanai and everyone engaged in small talk before Kelly retrieved the steaks from the kitchen to put on the outside grill. In no time, the tantalizing aroma of grilling steak made its way into the lanai every time Kelly opened the door to check on them. The baked potatoes and corn went onto the grill and in seemingly no time dinner was ready.

  “So, you can cook, too,” Andi said to Kelly in between bites of steak. “This is amazing.”

  “Yeah, she can cook. Well, she can grill, anyway.” Carrie was chuckling. “I don’t know why I always think she needs to be fed by someone else.”

  “I don’t, either,” Kelly said. “But I like being invited to supper. I suppose I could grill a roast, but that might not be pretty. Besides, you’re a much better cook than I am.”

  “Ah, compliments will get you invited back for more meals, that’s for sure,” Carrie said. “You did a great job on this one.”

  “Why, thank you. T
hat’s high praise, coming from you.”

  “I agree, you did a great job, Kelly.” Andi picked up her corn. “Thanks for inviting me.”

  “Aw…you guys want me to cook for you again. I can see what you’re up to.” Kelly laughed. “Well, I’d be happy to, just as long as you don’t mind having whatever you eat come off my grill.”

  “I’ll have to admit it’s fun being cooked for,” Carrie said. “I do love being the chef. On the other hand, being on the receiving end is great sometimes, too. And no,” she looked pointedly at Kelly, “this isn’t a hint to invite us over more often. You know I like feeding you. So, Andi, what’ve you been up to? It’s been a long time since we’ve seen you.”

  “Well, I don’t know how much Kelly told you, so I’m going to jump right in. I went back to New York because I was getting a divorce.”

  “We were surprised to hear that, for sure,” Carrie said.

  “I hope you didn’t mind that I told them,” Kelly said.

  “No, I don’t. It’s all over now and to tell you the truth, I’m finding that I love being here in Florida.” She looked over at Kelly. “I’m thinking about buying a place here, in fact.”

  “Really?” Carrie glanced at Kelly before returning to Andi. “When did you decide that?”

  “Actually, I thought about it last fall. I sort of knew things were done between me and my ex by the time I came down here. I didn’t realize how done they were until she asked me for a divorce. I knew at that moment it was completely over and I could stop fooling myself. I couldn’t make any real plans until things were final. Once they were, I knew the next thing I wanted was to be here.”

  “Couldn’t have anything to do with our Kelly, now could it?” Carrie asked, smiling.

  “You could say that. You could say it has a lot to do with Kelly.” She looked back over at Kelly. “Aunt Elise has loved coming down here for ages and I guess I’ve also gotten the bug from her. Since she’s going to be living here full-time soon, I want a place to come to that’s my own. I don’t want to stay with her all the time, as pleasant as that is. So, I’m planning to engage an agent to find me the perfect home here.”