24. Chapter Twenty-Four
Asmile the size of Texas spreads across my face like wildfire through a dry field when Rose’s name flashes across the screen of my phone.
“Hey, I’m all done for the day. Feel like starting our adventures a little early?” she says.
“Absolutely. Where do you want me to meet you?”
“Let’s meet at the old clock tower downtown in an hour. Just make sure to wear something comfortable,” she says, and I can almost see her shaking her head, given that my entire wardrobe consists of nothing more than blue jeans, plain white T-shirts, and long-sleeved button-downs in every shade of plaid known to man.
“Copy that. See you in an hour.” I hang up and immediately start rifling through my limited wardrobe for something that might be considered ‘city-appropriate,’ but nothing fits the bill. I might need to improvise.
When I arrive at the clock tower, Rose is there, looking every bit the part of a city girl with an eye for adventure. She’s wearing jeans that hug her curves in all the right places and a blouse that flutters in the breeze. As for me...
“Whoa!” Rose’s eyes grow to the size of saucers when she sees the brand new matching tracksuit I just dropped three hundred bucks on at the Nike Store up the road. “Okay, I know that’s not something you had just lying around when you decided to pack?”
“What do you think? I feel light as a feather in this thing. Oh, and check out my new shoes. Who says white men can’t jump?” I hold out a leg, and Rose’s eyes fall on a pair of bright yellow Air Jordans. “The guy behind the counter said they’re ‘retro,’ but I don’t know. Maybe we should go shoot some hoops and try them out?”
“Oh my gosh!” This one makes Rose laugh so hard she has to wipe tears from her eyes. I silently congratulate myself.
Henry – One. Rose – Zero.
“Alright, alright. Don’t go giving me a complex now. So where are we going first?”
“First thing’s first. I vote we find some food. You game?”
“You know me,” I shrug. “I can always eat.”
With food trucks on every corner, we sample everything from spicy tacos to frozen yogurt, with Rose laughing at my expense as I bravely battle the heat of an LA-style hot dog doused in ‘ghost pepper’ sauce.
“And here I thought you called yourself a ‘True Texan,’” she teases, handing me a napkin and a bottle of water. “You’re gonna have to build a better tolerance than that.”
“I think I’ll just stick to jalapenos,” I retort, but given the smile on her face, I don’t tell her how I’d go back for seconds and thirds just to keep it there a little longer.
As the afternoon wanes, Rose talks me into boarding a small boat that promises a tour along the coast. Minus the salty air, it’s not much different from being on a Jon boat back home—only I’m floating on a bigger body of water with someone who’s a heck of a lot easier on the eyes than Larry. I watch Rose’s hair dance in the breeze as she leans against the railing.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” she asks.
“Sure is,” I say, unable to take my eyes off her.
As the boat cuts through the water, we fall into a comfortable silence, and I think about how the simplest moments can become the most memorable ones.
The sun begins to dip lower as we step off the boat when Rose tells me she has one more surprise.
“Lead the way,” I say, ready for anything as long as it’s with her.
We walk to a nearby beach, and she pulls me onto the soft sand that stretches out toward the water. All I can think about is how good it might feel between my toes.
“Shouldn’t we take our shoes off?”
“Not here,” she says. “The sand is hot. I was down here on Sunday, and I almost burned the soles of my feet. It’s cooler by the shore.”
As we reach the shoreline, she plops down on the sand to remove her shoes and roll up her pants, and I do the same. Once we’re barefoot, we walk out so our feet are in the water.
It’s surprisingly cold despite the surrounding temperatures, and it’s all I can do not to pull Rose in to warm her up when I see her teeth start to chatter.
“You okay,” I ask.
“Yeah, but let’s keep walking.”
She heads down the shoreline, and I fall into step beside her, the water occasionally lapping over our feet.
I want to reach out, intertwine my fingers with hers, and feel the warmth of her palm against mine, but I hesitate. This isn’t about what I want. Rose needs me to respect her boundaries, and that’s exactly what I intend to do.
Just as I resign to keeping my hands to myself, she slips her hand into mine. My heart flips in my chest, and I grip her hand back, hoping I’m not holding on too tight or too loose, then wonder if there’s a handbook somewhere on the perfect pressure for hand-holding.
“Nice, right?” she asks, squeezing my hand gently.
“Yeah… yeah, it is.”
We tread along the edge of the water, and I can’t take my eyes off her profile. As her eyes reflect the sunset, I realize then that all my old feelings for Rose are back with a vengeance, and the thought of her leaving only makes me hold her hand tighter.
“You’re too quiet, Carter,” she teases, bumping my shoulder with hers. “Still having fun?”
“Always when I’m with you,” I confess, earning another beautiful laugh that settles deep in my chest.
“Good answer,” she says with a lingering smile.
It’s at this moment that I know, no matter how many miles are between us, I’d cross every single one to hear that laugh, see that smile, and feel her hand in mine—just like this.
“Rose,” I start, my words feeling heavy all of a sudden. “I’ve been doing some thinking.”
“Have you now?” She turns to me with blue eyes that make it hard to concentrate.
“I want you to know that if you decided to move here, I’d come visit you. You know… if you wanted me to.”
“Really?” Her lips curl into a suspicious smile. “Even though you hate planes?”
“Even though I hate planes,” I chuckle, shaking my head. “I don’t even know how to book my own flight, but I reckon I could learn. Or maybe Gemma could help me out. My point is that you’re important to me, and I want to prove it to you.”
“You’d do all that just for me, huh?” Something shifts in the space between us, making her expression hard to read.
“Absolutely. I’ll have you know, you’re worth every bit of the hassle.” I smile and give her a wink, hoping to lighten the mood.
“Geez, Carter. Don’t sound too excited about it.“ Rose laughs and rolls her eyes, and for a moment, we just stand there, watching each other with the sound of waves lapping against the shore. It’s like we’re both holding our breath, waiting to see who’ll make the next move.
“We better get back,” she says. Breaking the tension, she slides her arm through mine, guiding me away from the ocean’s edge, and I grin like a dog with a bone.
Rose is quiet on our walk back toward the parking lot, but it’s a comfortable silence. I take in the way she looks with the sea breeze ruffling through her hair, and how right it feels to be by her side. I can’t help but think that Rose is the only woman who could ever make me feel whole again after Camille. But then again, she’s the only woman who ever made me feel whole even before Camille came along.
“Thank you, Henry,” she says, just before we reach the pavement.
“For what?”
“For this. For being here. For being you.” Her words are simple but carry weight, and I pull her in close under my arm.
“Always.”
We reach the parking lot just as the street lights come on, and Rose fumbles with her phone. Her hands move quickly over the screen, and after a minute, she tucks it away in her back pocket. “Our Uber will be here in seven minutes.” The soft glow illuminates her face as she pulls me in for a hug. “Guess you’re stuck here with me for a little longer.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.” I grin, and she tilts her head back, inviting me to get lost in those beautiful blue eyes. “Rose, can I kiss you?”
She rolls her eyes and lets out a huff that reminds me of how cute she looks when she’s pretending to be annoyed. “Clearly, this is why Gemma had to hire you a professional. You never ask a woman permission if you want to kiss her. If you really want to shoot your shot, you should just—“
Before she can finish schooling me on the rules of courtship, my hands find her cheeks, and I pull her into a kiss that says everything I haven’t found the words for yet.
When we break apart, Rose is breathless and wide-eyed, and her lips curl up in a dazed smile as she stares up at me. “Can you do that again?”