Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Corey stood in front of his closet, suddenly feeling that there was something decidedly wrong with every shirt he owned.
“Not that one,” he muttered, pushing a short-sleeved blue shirt out of the way. “It looks like I’m going to work in an office or something. And I can’t just wear a t-shirt, can I? That would be too informal.”
He pressed his lips together, staring at a gray sweater and wishing it was cool enough to wear that. Then he shook his head. That wasn’t right either, it would make him look much too boring.
He was getting ready for his first date with Olivia. He’d asked her to go see a movie with him and then walk along the beach with him afterward. He felt terribly out of practice at dating—he was breaking into a sweat just thinking about how he would keep up a conversation with a woman for that long. What would he ask her? Would she expect him to talk a great deal as well?
He cleared his throat loudly, feeling nervous. He was also tingling with excitement, however, and he paused to smile to himself, imagining Olivia walking beside him on the beach, talking excitedly about something.
I don’t need to have this all figured out , he thought, feeling reassured. She’ll help me figure it out as we go. We’ll create this date together, like a team.
“Are you excited, Dad?” Haley appeared in the doorway of his room, grinning like a pixie. “For your date with Miss Olivia?” She practically squealed her last words.
He grinned back at his daughter. “I am excited. But I’m also feeling pretty nervous.”
She nodded solemnly. “I don’t blame you. Miss Olivia is pretty awesome.”
He laughed. “She is. She’s so awesome I’m having trouble deciding what shirt to wear. Would you help me?”
“Yeah!” She scampered over to his closet, looking excited. “How about the black t-shirt? That will make you look cool.”
“Wow, that was fast,” he said, impressed. “You think a t-shirt is okay? Shouldn’t I dress up more?”
“Well, it’s kind of cool by the lake now, and the movie theater will probably be air-conditioned,” she said, frowning a little in concentration. “So if you pair that t-shirt with a light jacket, it will look perfect.”
He chuckled, finding her adult-like tone adorable. “You’re right, that’s a great idea. Thanks, Haley.”
“You’re welcome. This date is very important.”
He smiled. “It is, huh?” Privately he thought that he couldn’t agree more.
She nodded emphatically. “I really like Miss Olivia. I think you two should date.”
“Me too. Why do you think we should date?”
She grinned at him. “You two look cute together.”
“We do, huh?” He laughed. “Well, I think there’s more to it than that, but I’m glad you think so.”
Haley nodded sagely. “Looking cute together is the first step. After that comes all the other steps.”
“What are those?” he asked, curious and trying not to laugh.
“The next step is love, and then getting married. And then having more babies.”
Corey’s jaw dropped.
“Bye, Dad, have fun getting ready!” Haley said, skipping out of the room.
He felt like he was blushing as he finished getting ready for the date. Haley’s words had thrown him, definitely, but he couldn’t deny that he’d briefly entertained the idea of marrying Olivia—at least at some point. He wouldn’t be dating her if he didn’t think that their relationship could turn into a very serious one.
Cool it, Corey, he told himself as he put on a lightweight tan bomber jacket. She’s an amazing woman, but just take it one step at a time. Don’t start thinking too far ahead.
At that moment, he heard the doorbell ring, and his heart did a somersault. He quickly smoothed down his hair in front of the mirror one more time, and then hurried out of his room and down the stairs.
“I’ll get it!” Max yelled, racing toward the front door. He ripped it open just as Corey was reaching the bottom of the stairs. “Hi, Miss Olivia!”
She was standing on the front step, wearing a long-sleeved yellow t-shirt tucked into a pair of jean shorts. Her curly hair was tumbling around her shoulders, and Corey’s heart skipped a beat when he saw her. He thought she looked absolutely beautiful. “Hey, Max,” she said to the little boy, winking at him.
“Hi,” Corey said, walking toward her and giving her a gentle hug. “How are you?”
“Pretty nervous,” she admitted, laughing breathlessly. She was speaking more quietly than she usually did, and she crossed her arms as if she couldn’t quite hold still. “I changed my outfit three times.”
He grinned at her, instantly feeling more at ease now that he knew he wasn’t alone in feeling jitters. “I did the same thing,” he confessed. “Well, actually it was even worse for me—I didn’t even try anything on. Haley finally rescued me and suggested this.”
“Looks good,” she said, winking. “I like the jacket.”
“You look amazing,” he told her, meaning it sincerely, and she blushed.
“When is Aunt Marsha going to get here?” Haley asked, sounding a little worried. “You’re not going to leave us here alone, are you?”
Olivia turned to her, smiling reassuringly. “Never. She just texted me that she’ll be here in four minutes. I’m early. Do you want to help your dad show me around your house while we wait?”
“Yeah!” Haley said.
Corey was very impressed by how breezily Olivia had handled his daughter’s discomfort. But he pretended to grimace about showing off the house. “It’s messy,” he said. “Miss Olivia doesn’t really want to see our house. Why don’t you guys show her some of your toys instead?”
“Oh yes, I do want to see your house!” Olivia laughed. “Come on, Haley and Max, give me a tour.”
Haley took Olivia’s hand and Max raced ahead, both of them chatting eagerly about the house as they began the tour. Corey knew they were still excited about the house because it was new, and they were eager to tell their favorite teacher about it. He followed at a distance, chuckling quietly to himself. Olivia looked over her shoulder and winked at him, and he grinned.
When the tour of the downstairs had nearly concluded, the doorbell rang again.
“Aunt Marsha!” Haley said and raced for the door. Max followed, excited to meet the woman that he’d heard a lot about from his twin.
Marsha was wearing a lovely floral dress and beaming. “You have a beautiful home, Corey,” she said, shaking his hand warmly.
“Thank you again for coming to babysit,” he told her. “I really appreciate it.”
“Well, of course! I’m thrilled to be able to spend time with Max and Haley.” Marsha didn’t say it out loud, but the brightness in her eyes seemed to imply that she was also thrilled about the fact that Corey and Olivia were going on a date.
“Well, I guess we should get going, then,” Olivia said shyly. “Bye, kids. Bye, Aunt Marsha. We’ll see you later!”
“Bye, everyone,” Corey said at the doorway, feeling his heart rate pick up as his jitters intensified again.
“Bye, Dad! Bye, Miss Olivia!” Max and Haley called, grinning gleefully.
Corey and Olivia slipped out the front door and started down the steps. They were walking down the sidewalk in front of the house when she touched his arm.
“Look,” she said, laughing.
He turned and saw Max and Haley watching them from the picture window, their heads peeking over the top of the couch. As soon as they realized their dad had turned around, their heads popped out of sight.
Corey laughed. “They’re excited about this.”
“So am I,” Olivia said, her eyes twinkling. “And I’m glad they’re excited too.”
“We seem to have my kids’ approval,” he joked.
Her face lit up when she heard his words—she looked as if she’d just won the lottery. Her reaction made him like her even more. It was clear that she was very touched about having the kids’ approval, and it showed him what a sensitive and affectionate heart she had.
“That’s good,” she said, a little breathlessly. “I want them to be glad that we’re dating.” She glanced at him shyly, and her smile widened when she saw him grin at her.
“So do I,” he said, feeling a growing excitement about getting to spend time with her for the next several hours. “But I know they’re not more glad about it than I am.”
“That was seriously such a great movie.” Olivia beamed at Corey as they stepped out of Blueberry Bay’s quaint movie theater, back into the sunlight. “I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time. I am so sorry again for spilling popcorn all over you.”
“Don’t mention it.” He grinned at her. “I thought the way you were laughing so hard was—well, I like it.”
Her heart beat faster as she smiled at him, wondering what he had been about to say. Had he been about to tell her that he thought it was cute?
“Where next, fearless leader?” she asked him as they strolled along the sidewalk. The sun was beginning to sink toward the horizon, and the edges of the sky were starting to blush with a rosy pink. “The beach?”
“To the beach,” he joked, winking at her. “But first, would you like to stop and buy some ice cream? My treat.”
“Ice cream sounds great. But this time let me buy—you got the movie tickets. And the popcorn.”
“Mmm, we’ll see about that.”
She made a face at him and he laughed. For the next couple of minutes, as they strolled toward the beach, they both seemed to be lost in their own thoughts.
He’s so nice, she thought, feeling butterflies dancing in her chest. Even nicer than I already thought. It’s so easy to get along with him.
“So, tell me more about yourself,” she said as they turned a corner. In the distance, the beach was visible, and the water sparkled with golden light in the waning sunlight. “What do you like to do for fun?”
“Fun?” he said, chuckling wryly. “Uh, reading to my kids? Setting up magnets on the display board in the gift shop? Going on dates with amazing women?”
“Oh, so you do this often?” she teased.
“Woman. Amazing woman. Singular,” he corrected, and they both laughed.
The wind picked up, blowing a sweet-smelling wind in their faces. She felt another rush of excitement, anticipating what it was going to be like getting to know him better. She already admired him as a father, but it was fun to get to see more of who he was as an individual. Now that the initial jitters had smoothed themselves out for both of them, he seemed relaxed around her. She liked how easily jokes and conversation seemed to flow between them.
There was an ice cream trolley located near the edge of the beach. They stopped there, and she chose a rainbow sherbet cone and he chose a dish of mint ice cream. While she was being handed her cone, he quickly swiped his card to make the purchase for both of them, and she dropped her jaw into a scandalized “O,” pretending to be furious.
“I’m going to get you back,” she said as they continued along the sidewalk. “I’ll pay for the next one. I’ll sneak a twenty-dollar bill into your wallet. I’ll do something.”
“Not a chance,” he said, grinning, and plopped a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.
They continued to walk along the sidewalk until their ice cream was finished, and then they stepped onto the sand and took off their shoes. The sand was cool and rough against Olivia’s feet, and she wiggled her toes in it in satisfaction.
“May I hold your hand?” he asked as they started to walk toward the water together.
“I would love that,” she said warmly, and he slipped his fingers around hers. She liked the way his hand felt—big and strong, holding onto hers with a gentle pressure.
“I had a great time today,” she said slowly, glancing at him. “I loved seeing the movie with you and laughing so hard with you. Thanks for buying everything today.”
“You’re welcome.”
“But my revenge shall be swift.”
He laughed. “I like buying things for you. It’s a way for me to show you that I—well, that I think highly of you.”
She beamed at him, feeling warmed by his words. “I think highly of you as well. I’ll have to think of other ways to show you, since you’ve stolen the option of paying for things,” she teased.
“I think you’ve already shown me that,” he said sincerely. “The way you’ve shown care to me and the kids has been amazing. You’ve been looking out for all of us, and I’ve noticed it. I know they’ve felt the effects of it too.”
She beamed at him, and he smiled back warmly. For a moment neither of them said anything, but he held her hand a little more tightly.
“I have to admit, I was nervous about today,” he confessed. “I’m out of practice when it comes to dating. I was worried I was going to bore you or something.”
She shook her head emphatically. “You’re doing great. Besides, I just enjoy your company. Being out on a date with you when you’re being all romantic is great, and so is standing in your house with you and doing random tasks like handing out snacks to the kids.” She felt herself blushing a little as she told him how much she liked him, but the look he got in his eyes showed her that her courage had been worth it.
“Thanks,” he said softly. “I feel the same way about you. I—this is the first time I’ve been able to imagine moving forward with someone since I lost my wife. Moving on from the pain of the past.”
She nodded, squeezing his hand. “I’m honored. I don’t have any kind of past relationship that held that much weight for me, but I understand as much as I can what you’re going through. I know how hard it is to start out on a whole new journey, especially when you thought your life was going to end up in a very different direction.”
“Thank you for saying that.” He smiled at her, but his eyes still held a troubled look, as if he was thinking about the past. “But the truth is that even before my wife died, I was expecting to live without her. I told you we’d been talking about getting a divorce.”
“Can I ask why?” she asked gently.
He sighed. “No relationship is perfect, and I regret not putting more work into our marriage. But it would have been an effort made for the kids and because I made a vow to her. I didn’t feel the way about her that someone should feel about a romantic partner. We got married much too young and too fast and then grew apart. They say you always become new versions of yourself within a marriage, but the two of us didn’t even really know our own identities when we got married. We just weren’t the people we thought we were, and we ended up being married to strangers.”
“It must have been hard to feel like that,” she said gently. “You must have felt torn in a lot of directions at once.”
“Oh, I did, for sure. And we reached the decision about the divorce mutually, but it was still a difficult decision to come to. And now that she’s gone, I’m struggling with her loss just as much as if we hadn’t been planning the divorce at all. I have… a lot of unresolved emotions about it. I feel guilty about things. I feel sad. I wish it hadn’t happened. I feel terrible for my kids, who’ve lost their mom, and…” His voice trailed off, and he stared ahead into space as they continued to walk together.
“It must be hard to raise the kids on your own,” she said after a few moments of silence.
“It had been.” He sighed. “And they’re harder to raise right now because they’ve had to deal with emotions that no kids should have to deal with. And the move made things easier in some ways, but obviously harder in others.”
She understood what he meant. A fresh start was often a good thing after loss, but it was far from being uncomplicated.
“Changes are always tough,” she said. “Even when you’re not dealing with grief on top of it. I understand, Corey.”
He smiled at her. “You’ve dealt with a lot of changes recently too, it sounds like.”
“I have,” she said, smiling back, “but it’s all worked out beautifully. I bounced around for a while, going from job to job, and I felt pretty directionless. My aunt Marsha helped me choose my career, showing me that what I really want to do is work with kids.”
“Which you do very well.”
“Thank you.” She grinned. “Being unsure of what life path I was going to follow made me feel like I was behind in life. But I don’t feel that way anymore. Now I’m so happy I ended up where I am. I feel like I’m right where I’m supposed to be.”
“I feel like that too,” he said softly, his eyes shining at her. “I feel like I’m right where I’m supposed to be.”
Their walking slowed down and they paused at the edge of the water. He bent his head down toward hers gently and kissed her. She felt a rush of happiness, and she knew that it was because she felt close to him. She loved that he’d been so open with her—it showed her that he trusted her.
“I’m glad we went on a date,” she said, grinning at him. “Finally.”
He laughed, grinning back at her. “I’m glad we finally went on a date too. I want to have many more nights like this with you. Would you be good with that?”
“Yes please,” she said, feeling her heart swell. “I would be more than good with that.”
They continued to walk along the beach holding hands as the sun sank below the horizon, and stars came out and peppered the sky with pinpricks of light.