Chapter 14 #2
I smile with pride as I take in the soapstone countertops and hardwood floors.
“Thanks. I did most of the work myself with the help of my dad and Gramps. I thought about opening this wall so the kitchen wouldn’t be separate from the living room, but that would’ve involved moving electrical and plumbing, and bringing in a structural engineer, which wasn’t in the budget at the time. ”
“Open floor plans are great, but you won’t find many of those in these older beach cottages. You know mine is set up similarly.”
“Right. And I’ll gladly live with this kitchen for the privilege of being this close to the beach.”
Her head swivels as she looks around. “I’m really impressed with the quality of your work. It looks like you hired professionals.”
“Hanging your shelves was a breeze after this reno,” I say, chuckling.
“I guess so. But in my defense, you’ve never invited me over, so how would I know?”
I tip my head toward her. “That’s true. But I never invite anyone over. I’m not much of a host.”
“That’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
We fall silent as we eat the pizza. It’s as good as ever, and I can tell Ginger feels the same.
She wipes her lips with a napkin and takes a sip of water. “You know, when I first saw you outside this morning, I thought I was hallucinating. It took my foggy brain a few seconds to process what I was seeing. I still can’t believe you shoveled me out.”
“It wasn’t a big deal.”
“Well, I think it was. That’s one of the nicest things anyone’s done for me.”
“I’m glad I could help.”
“Did you get any sleep?”
“Maybe an hour, but it was worth it.”
She looks down at her plate, but not before I see the smile curving her lips. “You’re crazy.”
“Yep, crazy for you.”
Her gaze leaps up to meet mine, and she shakes her head. “And every other woman in this town.”
Ouch. That hurts, but the truth often does. My past is making it hard for her to believe I’m interested in more than a fling. I’ll have to prove to her how I feel since actions will speak louder than any words I could say.
“I understand why you’d say that. My track record sucks, and I’ve earned all the doubts you're feeling,” I tell her.
She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, avoiding my gaze now. “I shouldn’t have mentioned your past. It was a low blow.”
“No. It’s okay. I have a history to live down. But time will take care of that.”
When the pizza’s gone, I clear our plates away and place them in the dishwasher. “Do you need anything while I’m up?”
“No, thanks.”
I return to my seat. “All right, it’s time to get creative.”
“Do you have any pics of what we’re supposed to be making?”
I grab some papers from the end of the table. “Here are some ideas for winter and holiday-themed signs.”
She takes them from me and looks them over. “This is cute.” She holds up a page with instructions for making a snowman welcome sign.
“That’s a good one because it’s not only for Christmas.”
“Good point. Now I’m making this for sure.”
We dive in, letting inspiration take over.
She picks a piece that’s the perfect size for a sign.
She starts sketching the snowman, the pencil moving confidently.
I grab a block of wood and use stencils to write JOY in big red letters that remind me of the sign the mistletoe was hanging from at the tree farm.
It doesn’t take long before I lose interest in painting and start watching Ginger instead. She’s so focused on each stroke her brush makes. Her bottom lip is caught between her teeth, and her golden hair looks so soft as it falls forward on her shoulders.
“You’re good at that,” I say after another minute of staring at her.
“At painting?”
“Yeah, and focusing.”
“I’m finding this oddly relaxing. You may have discovered a new hobby for me.”
“That’s great, and you have all this wood to work with.”
“It’s fun too,” she adds.
“I’m definitely enjoying myself,” I say, smirking at her. She doesn’t get my joke because she hasn’t taken her eyes off her project since she began.
“I can say with one hundred percent certainty I didn’t think I’d ever be doing crafts with you in your kitchen.” She snickers. “What other date ideas did you come up with?” she asks.
“Well, I thought of going snowshoeing but figured that’s something we should do during the day and on a weekend.”
She nods. “Sounds fun. I haven’t done that since I was a kid.”
“We could go on a sleigh ride sometime.”
“Another thing I haven’t done since I was little.”
“I guess we’ll need to remedy that soon,” I say.
She looks up at me and smiles. “I’d like that.”
“Last year I took Gramps on one, and when we were in the middle of the ride, he pulled out a flask filled with whiskey,” I say.
She laughs. “Sounds like something Pops would do.”
“They’re too alike.”
She nods. “I guess it’s to be expected when they’ve been best friends since they were kids.”
The next couple of hours pass like a flash with easy conversation peppered with some teasing on both our parts. And then she says the words I’ve been dreading since she arrived.
“I need to get going. It’s almost my bedtime.”
“You can leave your sign and finish it another night.”
She wrinkles her nose. “I don’t want to tie up your table for days on end, but we spent so much time talking, I didn’t get to finish.”
“It won’t be in my way. I eat in front of the TV most nights anyway.”
“Maybe after Travis and Nina’s party, I can come over and knock out the rest,” she suggests, standing.
“Is that your way of trying to come up with an excuse to sleep over?” I tease, pushing my chair back and rising.
“It wasn’t meant to be, but it’s probably a good idea since I may have a drink or two.”
I nod. “Seems like spending the night here is the responsible thing to do.” My blood pumps faster at the thought of having her in my bed.
“Tonight was a lot of fun.”
“Then we’ve officially had a successful first date.”
“Best first date ever.”
“Really?” I ask, my eyes flashing wider. I can’t hide my surprise.
“Absolutely. This was a lot more comfortable than a typical first date. I guess that’s one positive thing about dating a friend.” She collects the used brushes and washes them while I put the covers back on the paint jars. When I finish, I join her at the sink.
“What’s a negative thing about dating a friend?” I ask.
She answers without hesitating. “That we’re enmeshed in each other’s lives. If things end badly, we’ll be stuck seeing each other whenever our friends get together.”
“We’re both adults. I can’t imagine a scenario where I wouldn’t want you in my life in some way.”
She nods. “I feel the same. But life isn’t predictable, and anything can happen.”
“So what are you saying?”
She takes in a deep breath, and I already know what’s coming before she lets the words loose. “Should we take a step back and think about whether or not we really want to pursue something more?”
I know she’s trying to be responsible, but I’m annoyed just the same because I don’t want to go back. I can’t. There’s no shoving my feelings down inside my heart and pretending they don’t exist. If she’s having reservations, I need to try to allay them.
Exhaling slowly, I remind myself to keep my voice even before I begin. “Okay. You say you want to think about it, but isn’t that what we’ve been doing? I’ve been thinking about you for weeks, trying not to want this, and it’s not working.”
Her eyes widen slightly, surprise flickering in the light-green depths. “I don’t want to ruin what we already have.”
I shake my head. “We’re not going to ruin it. Yes, things will change, but in a good way. A fantastic way.”
She chews her lip, and something inside me twists. She’s always so careful, so methodical and measured. For once, I want to see what she’s like when she lets go and just feels.
I take a step closer. “You can keep thinking, if that’s what you need. But I already know what I want.” I reach out, brushing my fingertips against her cheek. Her breath catches, but she doesn’t pull away. “Tell me to stop,” I husk. She shakes her head once, and that’s all the permission I need.
The kiss starts slowly, allowing her time to change her mind.
When her hands slide up my arms, fingers curling around my shoulders, pulling me closer, thinking becomes impossible.
All I can do is allow myself to get swept up in her.
After all the stolen glances and fighting against this pull, of toeing the line between friendship and more, we both leap.
Ginger parts her lips, deepening the kiss. Her tongue slides against mine, and I’m lost in the sensation of her. My hands find her hips, pulling her closer until there’s no space left between us.
“I’ve wanted this for so long,” she whispers against my mouth.
“Me too,” I admit, trailing along her jaw to press a soft kiss to the sensitive spot beneath her ear.
She shivers in my arms, fingers tangling in my hair. “Why did we wait so long?”
I pull back so I can look in her eyes. “We needed to be sure.”
“I’m sure now,” she says, the absolute certainty in her voice stealing my breath.
I draw her back to me, our lips meeting with renewed purpose. This kiss feels different than the others. It feels like the beginning of something I’ve been waiting for my entire life.