Chapter 15
Luke
That same tremulous feeling from our pizza date settled into my gut as I got out of my truck in Mina’s driveway the next evening.
I swiped my clammy hands over my jeans and tried to tamp down the feeling.
This case of the nerves both made sense but didn’t.
It wasn’t our first date. Not really. Maybe our first official one but considering we’d had pizza together and I’d touched and kissed every square inch of her body while we blew each other’s minds, tonight should be a cake walk.
But there was a lot riding on this date. Our entire future hinged on tonight.
Reaching her front door, I swiped my hands down my pant legs once more, then knocked on the crisp white wood.
Seconds later, it swung inward, and just like that, Mina stole my breath.
Dressed in khaki shorts and a dusky pink shirt, she had her dark hair pulled back from her face. A bright smile graced her lips. “Hi.”
I felt an answering smile spread over my mouth. “Hey. You ready?”
“Yes. Just let me—”
“Mrroww.”
The chirp of a cat interrupted her words. We both glanced down at the orange cat that curled around one of her legs.
Mina heaved a soft sigh. “Joe, you can’t come.”
The cat chirped again and ignored her, twining between her legs.
I leaned down and held out a hand.
“Careful. He’ll bite.”
Joe, however, did the opposite. He butted my hand with his head and purred.
Smiling, I scratched his chin. “Hey, bud.”
“What are you? Some kind of animal whisperer? First Pebbles and Betty, now my demon cat?” Mina shook her head, but a smile toyed with her lips.
I chuckled and straightened. “I just like animals. I guess they sense that.”
“Maybe.” She lifted a foot and nudged the cat back into the house. “Let me grab my purse, and we can go.”
When she stepped back, I stepped into the doorway to make sure the cat didn’t escape. “Why did you name him Joe?” It wasn’t a name I heard often, especially for a cat.
Mina picked up a gray backpack-style purse. “It’s short for cup of joe. I got him about the same time I opened my coffeeshop. I guess I had java on the brain,” she said with a quick laugh. “In reality, I should have named him something like Diablo or Ted, after the serial killer Ted Bundy.”
That surprised a soft chuckle out of me. “Why?”
“Because he lures mice and bugs to him, then murders them without compunction and plays with their corpses.”
I wrinkled my nose. “That’s, um, pleasant.”
She laughed and motioned toward the door. “It’s not, but at least my house is regularly pest-free, even if I do occasionally find a gutted mouse by the back door.”
I gave the cat one last assessing glance before I closed the door as we exited the house. I would do my best to stay on the cat’s good side, lest he attempt to slice my throat in my sleep some night.
“So, where are we going?” Mina asked as she hopped up into my truck.
Shutting her door, I walked around and got in before answering her. “There’s a great seafood place on the water in Juneau. I thought we could go there, then head down to the beach and hunt for sea glass.”
Her eyes lit up as she smiled. “That sounds fun.”
“Good.” I grinned. “I didn’t really have a backup plan, but I’m sure I could wing it if truly necessary.”
She laughed. “I’m glad I agreed, then, I guess, and that you didn’t have to overtax your brain.”
“Me too. I do enough of that at work.”
“How’s that been going? How’s your dad?”
Reaching up, I rubbed the back of my neck as I drove out of her neighborhood. “It’s going. Busy. Thankfully, not too many fires. Just… busy. And Dad’s doing great. We’re hopeful he’ll get to go home soon.”
“Really? That’s great.”
“Yeah. He’s ready. Says the nurses and therapists are pleasant people, but he’s ready to be back in his own space.”
“I get that. I’m a homebody too,” Mina said. “I like vacation as much as the next person, but I’m always ready to go home. I can’t imagine how much worse that feeling is when you’re somewhere you didn’t choose to be because you were ill.”
I nodded. “He’ll get there. Hopefully, he won’t drive us all crazy before that happens, though.” My sister and I had been taking turns spelling Mom, just so she could have a break from Dad’s orneriness. He wasn’t mean about it. Just fidgety and annoyed with it all.
Our conversation turned light as I drove us toward Juneau, and the trip passed quickly.
Turning into the parking lot for the restaurant, I parked, and we made our way inside. With the weather being warm, we opted for a table outside, and the hostess led us to a spot by the railing, overlooking the water.
“I’ve never been here. This is nice.” Mina peered out over the water as I held out her chair for her to sit down. She perched on the chair, and I scooted it in.
“You don’t spend a lot of time in Juneau, do you?” I glanced at the water as I rounded the table to my seat. The channel was busy for the hour as people took advantage of the extra summer sunlight and warm weather, staying out on their boats well into the evening.
She turned away from the view to look at me. “No. I’m from Hoonah, like Claire. This place”—she circled a finger in the air—“is too big for me.”
“Understandable.” Cities weren’t for everyone. “What brought you to Parker’s Landing? Why didn’t you stay in Hoonah?”
“Claire. She came over here because there were better opportunities for her real estate business. When I told her I’d like to open a coffeeshop, she suggested I come here to do it.
That Parker’s Landing was basically screaming for one, and I could capitalize on the summer tourist season.
” She lifted one shoulder. “I did some research and realized she was right. She helped me find the perfect location, and I never looked back.” A bright smile graced her face.
“It’s been a lot of fun. I love what I do. ”
“I can tell. Every time I’ve seen you at your busiest, you always seem happy.”
She grinned. “I get a thrill from the morning rush.”
I laughed. “That’s good, because I can’t imagine that will ever go away.”
“No. Not as long as we get all the summer tourists visiting Mendenhall Glacier. Even in the winter, we get a decent amount of people.”
She wasn’t wrong. In the summer months, the town’s population could triple. In the winter months, it stayed closer to normal, but there were always a few strangers milling around.
“What made you leave Parker’s Landing?” she asked. “Your parents still live there.”
“I wanted to go to college in Seattle, even though I knew I’d always come back here.
When I graduated, having my office in Juneau made more sense than setting up shop in Parker’s Landing.
So, that’s what I did. And it just felt natural to live close to work, so I bought a house in the city as well. ”
“Do you ever see yourself moving out of Juneau?”
I glanced out over the water, thinking about that. Up until recently, I would have said no. But with Dad’s health, moving to be closer sounded quite appealing. “Maybe. I guess it would depend on circumstances and if I could find the right place.”
A smile toyed with her lush lips. “You could always design your own and build it.”
I laughed. “True.”
A young woman, not much older than my sister, sidled up to the table, looking harried. “Sorry about your wait. I’m Trish. Can I get you started with some drinks?” She lifted a pad of paper and a pen from her apron.
I gestured to Mina, indicating she should go first.
“I’ll have an iced tea, please.”
“Sure.” The woman scribbled on her pad. “Lemon?”
“No.”
“Okay.” Trish looked up. “And for you?”
“Water, please.”
“Easy enough.” With a nod, she stuffed the pad and pen back into her apron. “I’ll be back in just a few minutes.”
We thanked her, and she spun on her heel, leaving us alone again.
“So, what do you like to do for fun?” I asked.
She snorted and laughed. “What’s that?”
I chuckled, understanding how she felt. “Good point. If you had time, what would you do?”
“I like to read. Spend time with Joe. Claire and I like to hike. I fly back to Hoonah when I can, too, and spend time with my parents on their homestead. They always put me to work, so a lot of my free time is spent repairing chicken coops and fences to make sure the animals don’t get out.”
“Are you an only child?”
She nodded. “Not for lack of trying. My parents just struggled with infertility. They had me in their early twenties but then were never able to have more kids.”
Our server returned with our drinks, then disappeared again when we asked for a few more minutes. Neither of us had even cracked open the menu.
Dinner passed quickly as the conversation flowed easily between us. Once we finished our meal, we got back in the truck and headed further south along the main road. After several minutes, I steered into a pull-off and we got out, heading down to the beach.
“Is this something you do regularly? Look for sea glass?” Mina asked as I helped her over some driftwood.
I didn’t let go of her hand once she was on the other side of the log.
It felt too good nestled in mine. “I used to. My mom likes to make windchimes and other art out of it. When I was young, she’d take my sister and me to the beach a few times a month in the summer, and we’d spend several hours combing the shoreline for sea glass and bits of driftwood. ”
“Really? Does she still make things out of all that?”
“Yes. I have some of her art at my house. I’ll have to show it to you.” I also made a mental note to ask Mom to make a piece for Mina, using anything I found today. Judging by the excitement on Mina’s face, she’d love it.
“So, where do I find the best stuff?” Mina glanced at me, then focused on the sand.
“It really depends on where you are. Some beaches get picked faster than others. Around here, we’ll probably be more likely to find things close to the waterline, where they’ve just washed in, or where the waves have recently uncovered them from the sand.”
Mina kicked off her shoes, then shook off my hold to peel off her socks, stuffing them down into the toes of her shoes. “Lead the way.”
I chuckled, but didn’t argue, taking off my own socks and shoes.
We left our footwear on top of a weathered log and headed for the wet sand.
Waves crashed, the cool water lapping over our feet. Time passed as we combed the sand, looking for treasures. It wasn’t until the light waned as the sun dipped low in the sky that I realized how late it was. Spending time with her was easy. Effortless.
Pockets heavy with sea glass, a few shells, and some pieces of driftwood, I led her back to our shoes. With our feet still sandy, we elected to walk back to the truck barefoot. Once there, we perched on the tailgate and brushed off our feet before donning our footwear.
Reluctantly, I pointed the truck toward Parker’s Landing and her house. I didn’t want our evening to end, but I knew it must. We both needed to get some sleep. Tomorrow was Sunday, but we both had to work.
Night was well on its way when I pulled into her driveway half an hour later.
“I had a lovely time tonight. Thank you.” Mina put a hand on her door handle as she looked at me.
I put the truck in park, but left it running. “You’re welcome. I had a nice time too.” I tipped my chin toward her front porch. “Come on. I’ll walk you up.” I opened my door.
She met me around front. I ghosted a hand over her shoulder and along her spine as we walked toward the house. I wanted to touch her in so many other ways, but I didn’t dare. We needed to slow down the heat building between us and do this right. I didn’t want our relationship to be just about sex.
On the porch, she turned to look up at me. “Thank you again for a wonderful evening.” A banked fire blazed in the depths of her blue eyes, warming my insides.
I bit back a groan. All I wanted was to sink into the pillowy softness of her body.
I’d have to settle for her lips.
Grasping her chin with my thumb and forefinger, I tilted her face up, then leaned down. “I’m glad we could find the time. I promise to do better about that. Finding time for you, I mean. I want this to work.”
That fire in her eyes grew, no longer banked. “Me too.”
Unable to resist her any longer, I closed the distance between us and kissed her. Long and deep, hopefully showing her I meant what I said.
Her hands came up to rest on my chest, curling into my shirt. When she moaned and pressed her body to mine, I gentled the kiss and lifted my head.
“Do you want to come in?” Her voice, low and sultry, threatened to destroy any willpower I had left.
Somehow, I held on and shook my head. “Not tonight. I want to do this right. Court you a little first before we take that step again.”
She pouted but didn’t argue. “Fine,” she said with a sigh. Standing on her toes, she whispered another kiss over my lips. “But I hope you dream about me all night and all the wicked things we did together.”
A groan ripped from my throat. “You’re evil.” Already, images of our night together played on a reel through my mind.
She laughed, low and wicked. “Maybe a little.” Taking a step back, she eased toward the door. “Goodnight, Luke.”
Swallowing around the lump of need in my throat, I responded. “Goodnight, Mina. Sweet dreams.” I knew mine would be.
Very sweet, indeed.