Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
W hat had she been thinking? Going out with Cody would be a huge mistake. They lived in a small town. People would see them, and they would talk. Mia reached for her cell phone sitting on top of her dresser. She’d just text him that the date was off.
“Knock, knock!” Dani called from the front of the house. When Mia had asked her cousin to babysit, she’d sworn her to secrecy. Dani had promised but couldn’t quite eradicate the twinkle in her eye.
Mia heard Dani greet the kids, who were watching an episode of Sesame Street on YouTube, before coming down the short hallway. Dani rapped a knuckle on the open doorway. “Can I come in?” Without waiting for an answer, Dani moved into the room. “What are you wearing?”
Mia glanced down at her cutoff shorts and graphic tee. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”
“Everything.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m not going anyway.” She looked down at her phone, trying to summon the right words for her Dear John text message.
Dani put a hand to her hip. “You most certainly are going.” She dropped her hand and strode to Mia’s closet. After riffling through it for a minute, she tugged out a yellow and blue floral sundress and shoved it at Mia. “You can never go wrong with a sundress.”
Mia splayed a hand over her churning stomach. “But what if people talk?”
“Let them!” Dani tossed the dress on the bed then began rummaging through Mia’s shoes. Grabbing a pair of white sandals, she pointed them at Mia. “Look. No one is going to judge you for going out on a date. Your husband has been gone for two years. And, even if they do, let them! You aren’t doing anything wrong or sinful. Just enjoying an evening with a man. You need to let go of what other people think of you and cling to what God says about you.” Dani placed the shoes on the floor next to the bed. “You are forgiven. You are loved.” She speared Mia with a look. “But we both know that’s not the real problem here.”
Maybe Dani knew her a little too well. “Fine. You’re right. I’m also a little scared of falling in love again.” Just the thought made her queasy.
“And I get that. But life without love is no life at all.” Dani gave her a hug. “Now get this dress on and wow the socks off your man.”
“He’s not—” But Dani had already left the room.
Constance, Lily, and now Dani had basically all said the same thing. Love is worth a risk. Mia took a few deep breaths and then slipped into the sundress. She had just finished tying a ribbon around her hair when she heard Cody at the door.
“Cody!” Finn’s voice echoed down the short hallway.
“Hey, buddy.” The thrill of Cody’s voice went straight through her and down to her toes.
She walked out to the group in front of the door. Cody straightened and gave her a long look.
A smile worked its way across her lips. The sound of the kids’ chatter faded away as she took in his red button-down shirt, gray slacks, and boat shoes. His strong jaw and intense eyes made a devastating combo. Why did she want to cancel again?
A few minutes later they were on their way.
Cody led her straight to the front of the old Hansons’ house.
“Did you need to check on something here?” She motioned to the house.
Cody reached for the doorknob but paused before opening the door. “I hope this is okay. I know you wanted to move slow, and I figured that meant not alerting the whole island to us being out on a date, so I set up a spot for us here.”
The tension in Mia’s gut uncoiled. “Thank you, Cody. This means a lot.”
On the floor of what used to be the Hansons’ living room, in front of the new fireplace, he had laid out a blanket. A lamp stood nearby, alongside a cooler and an insulated bag. A small portable speaker was playing soft music.
“I stopped by Kelley’s right before coming over and picked up some burgers. I don’t think they should be soggy.” Cody led the way to the blanket. Mia sat as he began doling out the food. He flipped on the fireplace before settling next to her.
Mia searched for a topic to talk about. Come on. This is Cody. Where did this shy streak come from? “What’s the update on overhauling your boat engine? Did you get it running?”
“I finally found the part I needed, but I’m still negotiating the price.” He fiddled with his fork.
She took a deep breath, blew it out. “You look nice tonight.” Cody’s russet red shirt accentuated his strong shoulders, and he must have gotten a haircut. It looked good on him.
“Thanks, you do too. Look nice, I mean. Beautiful, actually.” His eyes traveled over her in a slow appraisal. “How was your day?”
“What did you do today?”
Their voices jumbled over each other as they spoke at the same time.
Mia laughed. “I don’t know why I’m so nervous. We see each other all the time. We talk all the time.”
Cody leaned forward. “Look. We don’t have to feel pressured here. Our relationship isn’t dependent on tonight’s date. We can just enjoy the food. We don’t even have to talk.” He took a big bite of his burger. A dollop of ketchup oozed out the back of the bun and plopped onto his shirt.
Mia couldn’t tamp down the giggles. “Good thing you’re wearing that color.” She reached over and dabbed the spot away with her napkin.
He caught her eye. “Uh, Mia, you don’t have to do that. I can get my own spills.”
She felt her face flame and dropped back onto her side of the blanket. “Sorry. Hazard of being a mom.”
He winked at her. “Not that I mind having your hand on my chest.”
Her cheeks heated again, and she bit into a fry, the salty treat exploding with flavor. “What’s something you’ve never told anyone?”
He choked on his drink. “What?”
“It’s just that we know each other so well, I’m not even sure how this is supposed to work. I thought maybe we could take turns asking questions.”
“Okay by me.”
“Sooo…what’s something you’ve never told anyone?” She ate another fry.
A strange look passed over Cody’s face. But then it cleared, and he said, “I don’t like fudge that much.”
“Cody! Your family owned the fudge store!”
He shrugged before shoveling a handful of fries into his mouth.
She pointed at him. “Don’t think you’re getting away with making that statement and not following up. I’ll wait for you to swallow.” She crossed her arms and sat back. He took a long drink of water, and she raised her eyebrow at him.
“Fine.” He grinned at her and set the cup down. “I never told anyone in my family, and you are totally sworn to secrecy, but I would pick fruity candy over chocolate any day. Maybe it was a byproduct of always having fudge around. Give me Skittles.” He pointed at her with a French fry. “You cannot tell my mom. Or Lily. Or anyone.”
She mimed zipping her lips and then threw the key over her shoulder. “Your secret is safe with me. Hey, remember Gushers?”
“I haven’t thought about those candies for a long time.”
“I used to love those things. Like an explosion in your mouth when you bit down. I don’t think Doug’s sells them anymore.” Huh, when had that happened? It was like a bit of her childhood had disappeared without her noticing.
“Too bad. I bet Finn would love them too.” He crossed his arms and gave her a long look. “Tell me about a time you felt unsafe.”
That was a loaded question. She looked around the plain white walls of the living room as she thought back. “Do you remember our trip to Washington DC in eighth grade?”
“The one we had to sell chocolate bars door to door to raise enough money to go? Of course.” He fake shuddered.
She kept her gaze on her plate. “And we had to pair up with two other kids—our trip buddies?”
“I wish they’d let us choose our partners. You, me, and Troy would have had a blast together. Instead, I had to hang out with Lily and one of her friends.” He rolled his eyes.
“I got stuck with two ninth graders. We got separated and I got lost. I ran around trying to find them, but I finally had to figure it out by myself.” She paused. “Anyway, I took care of myself and found an adult. They had a cell phone, but as they were calling our group leader, I spotted your neon green backpack.”
He popped a fry into his mouth. “I don’t remember this at all.”
“That’s probably because you only had eyes for Lisa Miller.” She took a big bite of her burger.
“I never?—”
She held up a hand. “Don’t deny it. You picked her as your lab partner every time.” The music changed to a rock ballad.
“Only because you and Troy always picked each other.” He pointed a fry at her.
“Only because the teachers would never let us have three in a group.” She countered.
“What happened to the ninth graders?”
“They denied that they had ditched me. Said it was my fault.” She shrugged.
“I’m sorry that happened.”
“It was a long time ago. Anyway, I’m glad you had such a bright backpack.” Huh. She hadn’t remembered that before. Cody had always been there for her even when he hadn’t meant to be. It was just how their relationship had always been.
And she’d taken it for granted. Taken him for granted.
Cody stood. “Wanna take a walk? I have a surprise for you.”
“Oh! I love surprises.” He held out a hand and helped her up, his palm warming her fingers.
Cody led her out through a door in the kitchen to the backyard. Outside, Mia threaded her arm through Cody’s. The sun was sinking in the sky, painting the scattered clouds pink and golden.
Mia gasped. Set up in the backyard were two makeshift easels with a posterboard on each. She looked up to see Cody smiling at her.
“I thought we could do some painting,” he said. “I know these aren’t high quality supplies, but they were the best I could do on short notice—they didn’t have much selection at Doug’s Market.”
“This is amazing, Cody. Thank you.” A warmth spread through Mia. “Look at how the sunset is making that birch tree look like it’s lit from inside.”
“Lead the way, Madame Monet. Let’s get that tree on paper.”
Maybe her friends were right. Being with Cody was worth the risk.
* * *
Cody put his hand over Mia’s tucked into his elbow. He never wanted this night to end.
He let go of Mia when they reached the easels.
“So, did you ever kiss her?” Mia picked up a yellow paint pot and uncapped it.
“Kiss who?” He opened the blue pot.
“Lisa Miller.”
“Are you still on that? No, I never kissed Lisa Miller. Didn’t her family move away after that trip?”
A frown line had developed between her eyebrows as she concentrated on making a few strokes with her paintbrush. “Who was your first kiss, then? I can’t believe I don’t know this already.”
“I don’t think I like this game anymore,” he growled.
She laughed. “Too bad. You agreed to play. And it was my turn to ask a question.”
Did she really not know? “You.”
She stood up straight. “What?” She searched his face.
“I know you want to move slow, and I respect that, but Mia, you should know that I’ve never kissed anyone but you.” He met her gaze. Her mouth opened into an O. He wanted to kiss it shut but held back.
“Well. That’s unexpected. I know you dated a few girls.” She held her paintbrush aloft and a yellow drip fell onto the grass.
“I didn’t want to kiss anyone until I was sure of the relationship. Our school and this island are so small, it would have gotten awkward fast if I dated around.” May as well jump in with both feet. “Plus, none of them were you.” Sure, he’d tried to date other girls, but gave up after high school. It wasn’t fair to keep comparing them to Mia.
He looked at her painting. Somehow, even while using the goopy grocery store paint, she’d managed to create something amazing.
Overhead, the sky darkened to a velvety navy and the stars began to twinkle.
“Code. I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything at all.” He looked deep into her eyes for a heartbeat then shifted to look at her painting again. “How did you get your painting to look like that? Mine looks like a four-year-old did it.”
Mia leaned over to inspect his work. “I have bad news for you. I think Finn can do it better than that. Let’s call it impressionism.”
“Want to sit out here for a minute? I can run in and grab the blanket.” At her nod, he headed inside and picked up the blanket. When he got back outside, she’d cleaned up the paints, but she must have taken a minute to add a little to his painting, because instead of a blob of yellow, green, and purple paint, it looked incredible. “You made that mess look like a masterpiece. Mia Franklin, you are a marvel. You keep making things better in my life.”
She smiled up at him. “You had the right idea. I just tweaked it a little.” She shivered.
“Let’s sit.” He laid a portion of the blanket on the ground, and after they sat, he wrapped the top part around their shoulders. “Is that better?”
“Yes. Thanks.” She nudged him with her shoulder. “I think it’s your turn for a question.”
In the low grass around the edge of the yard, lightning bugs winked at them.
“What’s something from your childhood you wish you could have back?”
She went silent. Then, “My relationship with my dad. I used to be his shadow. He was the first person to let me use a paintbrush.” She laughed. “Granted, it was to help him paint the porch, but still. Then Nora came, and things changed. I love Nora, of course, but being the middle child is nothing like being the baby. Then of course, everything with Troy and Finn…” She raised one shoulder then let it drop. “That sounds really self-centered. Wanting all of my dad’s attention.”
“No. I know it’s not about that. I get it. Losing things you love is hard. I know that too well.” May as well admit the rest. “I always lose what I love.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Because it’s true.” He braced an arm behind her. “Do you remember my puppy, Cheezit?”
“A little. You only had him for a short time, right?” Crossing her slim legs in front of her, she leaned against him, settling in.
He picked up her hand and laced his fingers with hers. “I had begged Dad for a dog for years. Finally, he brought home Cheezit.” He could still recall the joy of that day. The squirming puppy in his arms.
“I don’t think I like the direction this story is going.” Mia shuddered.
“Yeah, it’s not a happy one.” He gathered his thoughts. “I had promised to walk Cheezit every day, and I kept my word.”
“I remember how smart he was. You taught him tricks, right?” She snuggled in tighter.
A shooting star raced over the sky, he pointed to it.
“Make a wish,” Mia said.
Why would he? He had everything he needed right here.
“Better finish your story.” Mia poked him in the side. “It will be good. Catharsis.”
“You already know sort of where this is going. One day I walked Cheezit, and I put him in the backyard, but I didn’t latch the gate.” Cody swallowed hard. “I ran inside to watch some show I didn’t want to miss, and Cheezit got out. It wasn’t until bedtime that I realized he was even missing. We looked for him for several hours but didn’t find him.”
Mia was stroking his knuckles now. “I remember how frantic you were. You even came to our house way out on the tip of the island.”
“A few months later I saw a dog that looked like Cheezit walking with someone else. I tried calling to him, but he wouldn’t come.” A lump grew in his throat, but he swallowed it away. “I ran up to the man he was with and tried to explain that Cheezit was my dog. The man said he’d found his dog badly injured and had cared for him since then.”
“Oh, Cody.” Mia rested her head on his shoulder.
“My dad said that losing Cheezit was typical of me. And that I always lost important things. My mom tried to tell him that I was only a child, but he said I couldn’t be trusted with anything important.”
“What a terrible thing to say to a child.”
He squeezed her shoulder. “I suppose. And he probably was speaking in the heat of the moment. But he wasn’t wrong. I do lose everything that is important to me. Cheezit was a little thing compared to the loss of Troy and now, maybe, the fishing business.”
“Okay, but loss is a part of life. You’ve got your focus wrong. Instead of always looking at the things you’ve lost, fight for the good things you’ve gained.”
Seemed like everyone in his life was telling him something similar lately. “I can do that.”
“Besides,” she tipped her face up to him, “you haven’t lost me.”
Her skin looked like porcelain in the moonlight, and he noticed a few freckles sprinkled across her nose.
Darn that promise to go slow.
He dropped a kiss onto her forehead. “I’ll take that good thing any day.”
And Mia was right. He’d done far too much focusing on the bad things in his life. It was time to focus on the good.