Chapter 13
Leo
“Ben, I gotta head out in a few minutes.” I call to him from the living room as I search for my wallet. It’s definitely bad form to be late for a date, but this day has been jam packed. I texted Chloe earlier to give her a heads up that I’m running behind.
After surf lessons, I prepped Airbnbs for new arrivals and then went straight to my meeting with Pastor Dave. The church renovation will be my biggest job to date. I’m grateful for the opportunity. I enjoy the challenge of breathing new life into a space, but today, it was hard to focus. Thoughts of Chloe kept floating into my mind.
I’ve been trying to put my finger on what sets Chloe apart from other women. I think it’s the fact that she’s so authentically herself. She’s a breath of fresh mountain air. Being around her feels natural, like I’ve known her for years…not days.
When I’ve scoured every inch of the kitchen for my wallet, I head to my bedroom to search my work clothes. I find it tucked in my jeans pocket. Then I stop at Ben’s door to tell him goodbye. He’s playing video games, but pauses when he sees me.
“Hey Dad, what’s up?”
“Mrs. Wilcox said she’s serving dinner at six, so make sure you’re on time.” Mrs. Wilcox is our neighbor who has become a bonus grandma to Benjamin. It’s been good for both of them. Benjamin gets spoiled with treats, and Mrs. Wilcox enjoys his company.
“I will be.”
“All right, I’m gonna head out. I’ll be back by eight.” I put my arm out to fist bump Benjamin. He returns the gesture.
As I turn to leave, he says, “One sec. I almost forgot.” Then he reaches for something on his desk.
I didn’t notice initially, but there’s a package wrapped in dark green paper. I let out a chuckle. “What’s this?”
“Dad, c’mon. You’re going on a date with Chloe right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then you gotta bring her flowers.” He shakes his head like he’s flabbergasted that I didn”t think of this myself.
“How did you pay for these?”
He crosses his arms over his chest. “I have savings.”
I squint at him. “Since when did you become a dating expert?”
“Dad, I’m nine and I’ve had more girlfriends than you. I figured you needed some help.”
“Hey now…” I’m about to share that I’ve had plenty of girlfriends before I married his mom, but I don’t want to breach that subject. Since Elena left, Benjamin probably has had more girlfriends. All he would need is one.
“I like Chloe. Bring your A game, okay?”
I tousle his hair. “I’ll do my best. Thanks for the flowers.”
I head to my truck, holding the bouquet. Dang, I’m really out of practice. What else have I forgotten when it comes to dating? My main focus today was getting a reservation at Pier 62, a restaurant on the water that I think Chloe will like.
When I pull up to the blue beach house, Chloe appears as I’m climbing out of my truck. Her long, black dress flows in the breeze, and I have to force myself to swallow. She’s stunning.
I hold out the flowers, and then wrap her in a hug when she reaches me. “You look beautiful.”
Her mouth drops open when she sees the bouquet. “Thank you. They’re so pretty. Is my outfit okay?” She steps back, holding her purse in front of her. “I was supposed to wear this maxi dress to my friend’s wedding, but it got canceled. It’s the beach-iest thing I own.”
I can feel my cheeks lifting into a smile. “It’s perfect.”
I follow her around to the passenger side and open the door. “Thanks again for taking Benjamin to paintball.”
“You’re welcome.”
I climb into my side of the truck and start the engine. “How was the drive? Did he talk your ear off?”
Chloe chuckles. “I had a blast. Benjamin is such a great kid.”
As I’m backing out of the driveway, I glance at her. She smiles over at me, and then peers out the window. There’s a comfortable silence between us. Before long, she asks about the church renovation. The rhythm of our conversation is easy. Just hearing her talk makes me happy.
After dinner, I grab her hand as we walk back to my truck. I smile thinking about how we both ordered a burger at a fancy seafood place. Apparently neither of us have elegant appetites.
If I had to sum it up, being with Chloe feels like I’m living out a country song. The joy is in the simplicity of our interactions, the little moments.
As my truck rumbles down the road, back to Sunshine Shores, I notice Chloe staring out her window. She’s absentmindedly touching the petals on a pink daisy. She takes a deep breath and lets out a long exhale. I’m not an expert on women, but that doesn’t sound good.
“That was a big sigh.”
“Yeah…I’m sorry, maybe I should have told you this right away, but I didn’t want to ruin our date.”
My shoulders tighten.
“A guy I worked with in Denver showed up at my aunt’s house today.”
Like a guy that has secretly been in love with her and realized when she left that he couldn’t live without her?
“He offered me a job working for an author, Mitch Landry. Have you heard of him?”
I breathe out a sigh of relief. “Ah…His name sounds familiar.”
“He’s a big romance author. One of his books is currently being made into a movie…Anyway, Mitch Landry wants me to finish editing his current manuscript, and then co-write his next book with him.”
I look over at her. “Chloe, that’s great. Congratulations!”
“Thanks.” She purses her lips and nods her head.
“Aren’t you excited?”
“I’d…have to move…back to Colorado.”
Her words sink my heart like an anchor. I can feel a knot forming in my stomach, but I force myself to ignore it. Chloe and I just met. I can’t expect her to stay.
When I pull into the beach house driveway, I shift the truck into park. “Are you going to take it?”
After a moment, she finally rips her eyes away from the flowers and meets my gaze. “I think I have to. I don’t know what I was thinking quitting my job and moving here. I mean, I don’t regret coming to Sunshine Shores, but it probably should have just been a vacation. My parents worked so hard and wanted me to have more financial stability than we did growing up. My job at MVP gave me that. Then, on a whim, I threw it all away.”
“Chloe, don’t beat yourself up. You wouldn’t have had this opportunity with Mitch Landry if you hadn’t quit your job and moved to Florida. Besides, I can tell you love writing. Maybe this will help you get your book published.”
She chews on her lip and nods. “That’s what I was thinking.” Letting out a sigh, she continues. “Mitch writes romance though. I mean, I know how to edit it, and I can probably learn how to write it, but my passion is adventure fantasy…which is ironic considering I’m the least adventurous person in the world.”
I reach across the seat and grab her hand. “That’s not true. You moved across the country and you took a surfing lesson.”
She lets out a laugh. “I didn’t even get in the water.”
“There’s still time.”
“Mitch wants me there next week…”
My stomach clenches. I really don’t want Chloe to leave, but I care about her too much to tell her that.
She looks me in the eyes, and I want to lean over and kiss her again. But, the fact that she’s probably moving to Colorado in a few days makes me hold back…and it’s killing me.
I rub her hand with my thumb. Neither of us says anything. After a moment, Chloe nods and moves to open the door. I let her.
Meeting her at the front of the truck, I walk her to the front steps. All I can think of is that I’m losing this amazing woman, although I don’t know if the term ‘losing’ fits. I barely had her.
She”s holding her purse with both hands and staring at the pavement. Finally, she looks up at me. In the moonlight, I see a sheen in her eyes.
Leaning in, I kiss her on the cheek. With a pause, I hover near her ear. “Good night, Chloe.”
She stays still, and I can feel the warmth of her skin. Then she turns and walks inside.