Chapter Nine #2
Andrea gave him a funny look. Was there more to her reaction than just the conversation? Did she see something in him she wasn’t quite ready to confront?
Dale returned with their drinks. “You talking about the election?” he said and shook his head. “I’m not usually one to talk politics with my customers. No use giving someone a reason to find somewhere else to get a drink. But I gotta say, that was a real letdown.”
“Amen to that,” said Seth. He glanced back at Andrea, who flashed him a quick grin and held up her glass. Maybe he’d read her wrong.
Dale returned behind the bar, and Seth folded his hands in front of him on the table. “Forget about Marty for a few minutes, if you will,” he said. “Andrea and I have been working on something together you might be interested in hearing about.”
Andrea and I. He liked how it sounded—natural, as if they were already a team. A couple. The thought warmed him in a way he wasn’t quite ready to unpack. He could feel her presence beside him, steady and reassuring, as he went on to explain the details about the park and his idea for a dig.
“What’re your thoughts on all this?” Brent said to Andrea. “You think people would come all the way out here to visit a park like that?”
“Depends,” said Andrea. “The dino exhibits at the museum were always the most popular. Families swarmed them, and there was a constant influx of school groups. Now, that was in the city, so more accessible, but given the fact that this park would be right on the land where fossils have been discovered, I think that would be a real draw. A day trip, or even an overnight or two, depending on the scale.”
Seth could tell Andrea was excited about the park, much more than she’d seemed to be after he’d floated the idea by her.
“And you think there are more bones to be found?” said Barrett.
Andrea nodded. “I mean, there are no promises. But given where we are and what’s already been discovered—”
“There’s a good chance we’ll find more. But we have to dig,” Seth said.
“And that’s where we come in?” Brent said.
“Something to think about,” said Seth. “We could really use your public support of this. As long as Marty doesn’t get in the way. He might have his own plans for some kind of town project.”
Barrett and Brent looked at one another.
“The first thing you’re going to want to do is get the people of Tenacity on your side,” Brent said.
“Public opinion matters to him. He’s not going to block something if more than half the town—meaning the very percentage who might elect him again when the time comes—is supportive of it.
But you’ve got my support. This sounds promising. ”
“Glad to hear it,” said Seth.
They chatted for a few more minutes about other town business, plans for the holidays. After paying their bill, Seth and Andrea returned to his SUV, the back now empty.
“Listen,” Seth said as he slid behind the wheel, glancing over at her. “If you’ve got a few extra minutes, there’s something I’d like to show you.”
Her curious look made him want to explain more, but he held back, letting the mystery linger.
“It’s a bit of a drive,” he added, watching her for a reaction. “If you’re okay with that.”
He hoped she was. There was something about the way she looked at him, something in her easy smile, that made him want to take her places—physically and maybe, in some deeper way, emotionally.
“Why not,” she said. “I’ve had a great time today,” she said, a faint smile playing on her lips.
“Glad to hear it,” said Seth. His phone buzzed in his pocket, a response to a text he’d sent as they were settling up the bill and confirmation he could show Andrea something that he hoped would keep her smiling.
* * *
The sun had just slipped behind the horizon as Seth drove them along the highway toward Bronco. It wouldn’t be long before the clear night sky was inky black, and perfect for where he was taking the stunning woman in his passenger seat.
He switched on the stereo, letting the warm hum of the local radio station fill the car. Their conversation was sparse but easy, punctuated by Seth pointing out familiar landmarks and Andrea’s occasional questions about the area. It was a comfortable quiet.
With the road stretched out before them, Seth couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation. He didn’t know exactly what he was hoping for, but something about the night, the company and the destination made it feel like the perfect moment to share with Andrea.
When Seth finally pulled into Wonderstone Ridge, just about half an hour north of Bronco, anticipation stirred in him.
The site hosted an aquarium and a science center, but what he wanted to show Andrea was the newest addition they’d recently built.
Seth’s sister Charlotte, a marine biologist, worked there, and he’d texted her just before they hit the road, asking if she could pull some strings to get them access.
He knew it would mean explaining to his sister whom he was bringing, but when he looked over at the passenger side to see Andrea, he realized he’d be happy to tell his sister. Proud.
The parking lot was mostly empty by the time they pulled in. It was after operating hours, but Charlotte told him that the manager would be there and could open the building for them.
“An aquaruim?” Andrea said as Seth brought the SUV to a stop in a parking spot. “Is there a dino exhibit here or something?”
“I think there is,” he said. “But that’s not why I brought you here.”
A man in a plaid work shirt exited the main building and waved them down.
Seth and Andrea exited the SUV as the man approached. “Seth Taylor?” he said.
“Yessir,” Seth said, extending his hand. “And this is Andrea Spence.”
“I’m Ken Fellows,” the man said, shaking both of their hands. “Welcome to Wonderstone Ridge. We’re proud of our aquarium, especially our new addition. Follow me.”
Ken led them down a gravel path away from the main building toward a white circular structure about fifty yards away.
“Okay, you have to tell me now,” Andrea whispered. “Where are we?”
“You’ll find out in a minute,” Seth said, admiring the twinkle of curiosity in her blue eyes.
Ken removed a set of keys from his pocket, then led them through the doorway into a small room dominated by a large telescope mounted on a solid tripod.
The walls were lined with star charts, manuals and telescope accessories, and there was a workstation with a computer and controls for operating the telescope and capturing images.
“An observatory!” Andrea flashed a wide grin as she turned to look at Seth.
“With a Sky-Watcher Dobsonian Series telescope,” Ken said.
“All thanks to a joint donation from the Abernathy families in Bronco and Rust Creek Falls. We’re running small-group workshops out of here in the new year.
I’ll show you a couple of things, then you can feel free to play around with it for a while. ”
Ken explained how to locate popular objects in the sky, like the moon and Jupiter, and what he called “star hopping,” or how to use the star charts or to locate a bright star and navigate to nearby celestial objects.
Seth watched as Andrea absorbed every word, her curiosity evident in the thoughtful questions she asked about the telescope’s operation. Her face practically glowed with excitement, and the small grin she’d worn since they’d entered the observatory hadn’t faded for a second.
“Well, I’ll leave you to it,” Ken said, stepping back with a satisfied smile. “Just make sure to pull the door shut when you’re done—it locks automatically.”
“Thanks, Ken,” Seth replied. Ken gave them a quick wave before disappearing into the cold night.
Seth turned to Andrea, a teasing smile on his face. “So, ready to give it a shot?”
“This is amazing,” she said softly, her voice tinged with wonder. “Thank you so much for bringing me here.”
“Happy to,” Seth said. It was an unfamiliar feeling, this deep desire to make someone happy.
He’d always been generous with past girlfriends—gifts for birthdays, thoughtful gestures during the holidays, always quick to pick up the check—but this was different.
With Andrea, it wasn’t about obligation or routine; it was about wanting to surprise her, to see her eyes light up in a way that made him feel like he’d done right by her.
For the next fifteen minutes, they lost themselves in the constellations, picking different ones from the chart and taking turns peering through the scope. Each time Andrea found something new, she’d glance up at Seth, her eyes sparkling, as if she couldn’t wait to share the sighting with him.
“What are you looking for now?” Seth asked. He joined her at the star chart, where she was running her hand over the laminated legend.
“Here,” she said, her finger coming to rest on a small cluster of stars. “The Pleiades star cluster. Located in the constellation Taurus.”
“Is that your star sign?”
Andrea smiled and shook her head. “I don’t believe in that stuff.”
“Hah. Me neither,” said Seth.
“It’s also called the Seven Sisters. But usually only six are visible to the naked eye. The missing seventh sister represents an unattainable love or an absent lover.”
The word ‘unattainable’ hung in the air.
There had always been something about Andrea, a wall, a distance, that made her feel off-limits.
She was guarded. Careful. But now, under the vastness of the night sky, something had shifted, and Seth found himself, for the first time ever, with a woman he yearned would let him in.
“Well, let’s have a look, shall we?” he said, but it wasn’t the stars he was focused on, it was the space between them.
Seth watched as Andrea fiddled with the telescope, then peered through the viewfinder, making slight adjustments as she scanned the sky overhead.
“Okay, so if the moon is here, that means…” She looked back at the chart, then back into the viewfinder.
“Downward toward the horizon, then just a little further up…” she murmured.