Chapter 2
Chapter
Lennon
The moment I saw Vivian, my intuition had pinged. She was special. Very special.
She wore a one-piece swimming suit in a shimmery turquoise that exposed one lightly freckled shoulder. Bright pink toenails peeped out of the sand while big, soft silver eyes met mine. Her bangs tickled her eyelashes, and she brushed them back into that tangle of loose reddish-brown curls tumbling down her back.
She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever met, and my attraction to her was deep, strong . I had to hope it was mutual.
“So…a drink?” I asked once we’d reached the boardwalk. Kids and seagulls shrieked while parents washed sand from their bodies and kids’ toys. The sky was bright blue and the sun hot enough to make me sweat.
She nodded, offering me a shy, partial smile. “I’d like that.”
“Let me know what looks good.”
“Oh, um, you sure?” She tucked a few loose strands of hair back and blinked.
I hated missing even a second of staring into those gorgeous eyes. “Absolutely. I want you to be comfortable.”
Her smile lit me up from the inside. “Okay. Well, how about there?” She pointed to a café tucked down at the end of the strip. Its little blue awnings rustled in the breeze. It was more than half full but not in the main action.
“Great choice,” I said.
We walked down the wooden path. “So, what do you do, Vivian?” Not my greatest conversation starter, but then, I hadn’t planned on meeting a beautiful woman today. I’d thought I’d read my book, take a dip in the lake, have a couple of good meals. Then, Sunday evening, I’d fly back to Houston and kick my training into high gear.
Already I was rearranging my schedule so I could spend another day, maybe two, with Vivian.
“I’m an oncology nurse,” she said. “That means I work with cancer patients. Mine are mainly older adults, but I get some younger people in the mix. Too many,” she said with a sigh.
“Wow. That’s got to be emotionally tough. My friend’s wife is an art therapist for kids who suffered trauma. I must say, I’m as impressed by your choice as I am Ida Jane’s. Compassion and an iron will.”
We entered the café’s outdoor seating area. I looked to Vivian when the hostess asked where we wanted to sit. She nibbled her lip. “Is inside okay? I think I’m on the brink of a sunburn.”
“Whatever you want,” I said.
Once we were situated in a booth at the back, we returned to our conversation. I tensed when Vivian asked me what I did for a living. Moment of truth . Some women wanted to hook up with a professional athlete. Others were turned off by the schedule.
“I play hockey for the Houston Wildcatters.”
Her eyes widened. “I don’t know what I expected you to say, but that wasn’t it.” She smiled at the waiter who brought us water and menus. “Do you like it?”
“I love hockey. I’ve been playing since I was ten, and the moment I strapped on skates, took the stick in my hands, I was home.”
“Wow. That’s amazing. I wish I had that type of connection to my work. Though I don’t like the potential for concussions. We’ve heard so much about those in recent years. Didn’t some football star mention a Parkinson’s diagnosis related to hits to the head?”
“Yeah, he did, and it’s something the team and each player takes seriously. I’ve had one concussion, about five years ago, right after I started playing for Houston. I was a mess for days—hallucinations, headaches, unable to focus, light sensitivity… You name it, I had the symptom.”
Vivian bit her lip. “I just wish sports weren’t so dangerous, that you could enjoy your career without such big inherent risks.”
“Everything has risks. Even nursing, though maybe not the type you do. But I know an ER doctor, and he has some crazy stories.”
“I bet he does,” Vivian said. “Substances like drugs and pain are a rough combination.”
“You sound less than enthused about your career choice,” I said, leaning back against the cushion. “I thought that was a calling.”
Vivian’s face fell, and she sighed. “I chose to be a nurse, and to go into oncology, because my mother died of ovarian cancer five years ago.”
I reached across the table and touched my fingers to the smooth, cool skin on the back of her hand. “That’s tough. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
Her expression turned wistful. “Me, too. My mother was an amazing woman, and I miss her.” Vivian’s teeth sank into her lower lip. “I’m actually here because of her.”
“Oh?” I sipped my water.
“My mom was from here. She talked about her hometown a lot, and I wanted to check it out. I’m kind of finishing up my farewell tour, I guess you’d say.”
My respect for this woman kept increasing. “I bet she’d love that.”
“I hope so. This was my last place to go. Today was my final goodbye.” She picked up her water and took a long drink. When she set it down, her eyes were bright, maybe with tears, but her face was relaxed. “That’s a bit deep for a get-to-know-you drink. Sorry.”
I leaned closer. “Please don’t apologize for being you. I happen to like what I’ve heard and what I see. You’re a thoughtful, compassionate woman, Vivian.”
She chuckled even as she shook her head. “Well, I’m all right, I guess. Tell me more about you.” She cupped her chin in her palms, those silvery eyes focused on me.
We sat in that booth for hours. At first, we simply ordered drinks—Arnold Palmer for her, iced tea for me—then appetizers, and finally a late lunch. As the waiter heaved a sigh while filling our glasses, Vivian glanced around. Her eyes widened and a flush worked its way up her neck and stained her cheeks. “Wow. It’s nearly dinner time. This place has filled up. I guess we should give up the booth so a family can have it.”
I nodded reluctantly. “I have to admit, I don’t want our time here to end. I’ve so enjoyed getting to know you.”
She grinned. “And I you. But I’m not suggesting we go our separate ways.” She tugged out her wallet and riffled through it.
“I got this, Vivi,” I said quietly. I pulled out three hundred-dollar bills and set them on the table under the saltshaker. Vivian gawked at me.
“We hogged one of the best tables all afternoon. The least I can do is leave Joseph a decent tip.”
“That’s so generous,” she stammered.
I smirked. “Maybe I’m just showing off, trying to make you think I’m a better person.”
“Are you?”
She’d collected her items, so I set my hand at her lower back as I led her out of the restaurant. We stepped out into the late afternoon, and I raised my eyebrows. Vivian pointed to the right, so I turned that way, falling into step beside her.
“Nope,” I told her. “My mother was a waitress when I was little. She worked her way up to a high-end place that even offered health insurance. That’s how I was able to get skates. I’ll never forget how excited she was after one generous businessman doubled his check. Mom had told him about me playing hockey and how I was a natural, but it was hard with me and my two sisters. That guy was a regular at the place, always asked for my mom, always left her a big tip. He’s the reason I was able to do summer camps and get a scholarship in Michigan. Without Brendan, I wouldn’t be a starting D-man for my home team.”
“So you’re a pay-it-forward kind of guy.”
“When I can be.”
“I like that,” she said. We walked in silence until we came to a small, quaint Victorian in pastel blue with yellow accents. “This is me,” she said. Then, she laughed. “Well, it’s me for the next two nights.” She tucked her hair back again. “I had a great time today, Lennon. And I’d love to see you?—”
“How about in an hour, hour and a half?” I asked. I rocked back on my heels, shocked by how much I didn’t want to leave her, even for that short amount of time. Is this what falling in love feels like? Can it hit this fast, this hard?
I wasn’t sure, but I knew I liked these emotions bubbling up in my gut and chest, and I really liked how Vivi made me feel.
“I-I?—”
I frowned. “I came on too strong.”
Vivian shook her head. “It’s more that I’m worried about taking up too much of your downtime. I just… I don’t want you to regret this weekend.”
I leaned in a little so I could smell her shampoo. “There’s one thing I know for sure, Vivi, and that’s that I could never, ever regret meeting you.”