CHAPTER 12
The roses arrived just after noon.
Randi hadn’t been expecting anything, and for a moment she simply stood in the doorway, staring at the bouquet as if it might vanish if she blinked. It was a beautiful bouquet of yellow roses the female delivery girl held out for Randi to take from her.
The woman smiled and tilted her head as Randi stood stunned looking at them.
“Are you Randi Cabel?”
Randi’s response was simply a nod as she continued to stare, each petal soft, vibrant, filled with a warmth that felt almost personal.
“Glad I made your day delivering these beauties.” She extended the bouquet and winked. “Enjoy them.”
Randi carefully accepted them, balancing the vase against her hip as she maneuvered them inside, her movements slower than they once were but far more controlled than even a week ago.
She placed them on her kitchen counter and noticed a card was tucked neatly between the stems. She pulled it free, her pulse already shifting before she read the words.
Thank you for saying yes. Formal attire required. See you tonight at 7 sharp.
A quiet breath escaped her, something between amusement and disbelief.
“Here we go, Mom. Wish me luck, “she silently murmured, shaking her head slightly.
That evening, she stood in front of her mirror longer than she had in years.
Formal attire.
The phrase alone felt unfamiliar, almost unreal.
The only time she had come close to anything resembling it had been the gallery showing - the one she never made it to.
Her gaze lingered on her reflection on the dress she had chosen after far too much deliberation.
It was simple, understated, but elegant in a way that felt like her…
or at least like the version of herself she had once known.
Her eyes drifted briefly to her hand, the hesitation still present, still something she had to push through instead of ignoring.
Apprehension settled in—not about the evening itself, but about what it might mean.
A soft knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts.
She opened it.
Brew stood there, and for a moment, he said nothing at all. His gaze moved over her slowly, not in a way that made her feel exposed, but seen, completely and without judgment.
“You look … wow! Stunning,” he said finally, his voice quieter than usual, as if the words carried more weight than he intended.
Something inside her shifted.
“Thank you. You clean up rather dapper yourself. I like this more than scrubs,” she replied, softer than she meant to.
“Then we’ll do this often,” he offered his arm. “Shall we begin?”
Dinner unfolded with a kind of ease that caught her off guard. Conversation flowed naturally, as he asked her questions about art school and the form of painting she favored. The exchange between them was without effort and flowed easily.
He was attentive without overwhelming her, thoughtful without being cautious, and there was something disarming about the way he moved through the evening with quiet confidence.
When he pulled out her chair or opened the door, it didn’t feel rehearsed or obligatory.
It felt like something he simply did, without thought, without expectation.
And that made it matter more.
Randi noticed immediately the attention he drew from the women in the restaurant. She couldn’t deny he was an extremely handsome man, not just his looks, and how he carried himself, he could dominate the pages of a GQ magazine.
She felt special being the one to accompany him.
By the time they left the restaurant, the tension she had carried with her had softened into something lighter, something she hadn’t allowed herself to feel in a very long time.
The drive home was just as easy. Music played softly in the background, conversation drifting in and out of comfortable silence. She found herself watching the passing lights, aware of a quiet sense of contentment settling in her chest.
The thought entered her mind.
If that console wasn’t in my way, I’d scoot right over and rest my head on his shoulder right now.
She gazed over at him and couldn’t believe what she was thinking.
Thank, God! I didn’t think that out loud, she exhaled nervously. Hold it together, girl, she warmed herself.
She couldn’t believe how joyous the date had gone and how much they had in common – music, food, activities, and diehard Twins fans.
When they reached her cottage, he walked her to the door.
Of course he did.
She struggled for a moment to retrieve her keys from her clutch purse.
He noticed but didn’t interfere.
She turned to face him, aware of the moment shifting into something more uncertain.
“Thank you,” she said. “For tonight.”
“Thank you for coming,” he replied. “For trusting me. I’d like this to continue … between us. That is, if you would too.”
The sincerity in his voice caught her off guard.
Take the chance. Say yes. Her inner voice chanted.
Silence settled between them—not awkward, but expectant.
Her pulse pounded in her ear, and she was afraid her voice would tremor in reply. She inhaled and exhaled slowly before responding with a smile.
“I … I had a wonderful time tonight, Brew. I’d like that, yes.”
“May I kiss you?”
The question was direct, but gentle.
Randi’s breath caught. She looked away, uncertainty rising quickly beneath the surface. It had been so long, and the vulnerability of it felt unfamiliar, almost overwhelming. She didn’t answer, and she didn’t move.
Brew read her hesitation immediately.
He stepped closer, lifting his hand to her chin with a touch so light it guided rather than insisted. Just enough for her to meet his gaze again.
Then, instead of what she expected, he leaned forward and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her forehead.
The warmth of it settled deep, unexpected and steady.
When he pulled back, there was the faintest hint of a smile on his lips.
“Next time,” he said, his tone light but certain, “your turn.”
Then he stepped away, turning with an easy confidence that felt almost deliberate, leaving her standing there as he walked off, a quiet whistle following him down the sidewalk.
Randi remained where she was for several seconds, her fingers lifting instinctively o her forehead. A small, unguarded smile found its way across her face before she even realized it.
The next morning, her phone buzzed.
A message from him—a simple, playful gif. that made her laugh out loud, surprising even herself. A second message followed.
Thank you.
Hope to do it again.
She stared at the screen for a moment before replying.
I’d like that.
Nearly a week passed before she saw him again.
The children’s ward welcomed her back with the same warmth she had come to expect.
Laughter filled the room; drawings scattered across the tables as the children proudly showed her what they had created.
She had spent the better part of the morning sketching a caricature of them, her movements still clumsy, not perfect but more confident, and her presence easy among them.
“You made me look better,” one little boy said, holding up his drawing.
“You are better,” she replied, smiling.
It was time for her to leave though. The two hours she had been there had passed by quickly.
“Do yew gots ta go,” he asked, noticing as she began to collect her drawing pencils.
She patted his head tenderly.
“Yes, I must. But I promise I’ll be back in a few days, okay,”
His big brown eyes were sad but he nodded in reply.
The other goodbyes came with the same promises she fully intended to keep.
“I’ll come back,” she told them.
“You better,” another child said.
She laughed softly.
“I will.”
She stepped into the corridor and stopped.
Brew stood a short distance away, watching her.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Recognition, warmth, something deeper passed between them without a single word.
Then movement broke it.
A woman approached quickly from down the hall, her expression lighting up the instant she saw him.
Brew saw her and his expression changed to one of joy.
“Brew!”
“Sabrina! What are you doing here?”
Before Randi could fully process what was happening, the woman closed the distance and wrapped her arms around him and placed a tender kiss at the corner of his lips with a familiarity beyond friendship.
“I’ve missed you.” She offered warmly.
He responded without hesitation, returning the embrace naturally.
Randi’s steps faltered.
The moment lingered just long enough for something inside her to shift—sharp, immediate, and unwelcomed.
They pulled apart, the woman smiling brightly as she spoke, her voice carrying an easy closeness that Randi couldn’t ignore.
It didn’t take more than that.
It didn’t take an explanation.
Her mind had already filled in the space.
Of course.
Heat rose behind her eyes, embarrassment and something far more personal tightening in her chest.
“Randi—” Brew started, turning toward her.
“I should go,” she said quickly, her voice steady only because she forced it to be.
“Wait—”
She didn’t.
Her steps quickened, her body moving before her thoughts could catch up.
“Randi, stop—”
She lifted her left hand behind her in a brief, dismissive wave goodbye and kept walking.
Leaving him standing in the corridor, confusion settling in as the moment unraveled faster than he could stop it.