Chapter 7 #3
“I do worry, especially when Jordan does things that make your blood pressure go up.”
“Don’t fret about me. I want to talk about you and the handsome Riley McCarthy, who came running when he heard you were back.”
“It wasn’t quite like that…”
“Wasn’t it?”
“He said he thought of me after I left and was sad that I had gone.”
“This is the best news I’ve had in longer than I can remember.”
“You’re not getting ahead of yourself, right?”
“I’m old. I can do what I want. Now tell me… When will you see him again?”
“Seventy-two is not old. And he asked me to go to a get-together at his cousin Janey’s house tonight.”
“She’s Mac and Linda’s daughter. Nice girl. Worked for the vet, Doc Potter, for years. I used to take Lillian in to see her.”
Her grandmother’s border collie had been a fixture in their lives until she passed away five years earlier. Evelyn had refused to consider getting another pet.
“There’s something else…”
“What’s that?”
“I was thinking about doing some work to the house while I’m here. Maybe updating the kitchen and bathrooms? Riley offered to help, but I wouldn’t want to do anything without checking with you first.”
“Do it! I’d love that. I’ve been thinking about doing it for years. That’d be a huge help.”
“Really? You wouldn’t mind?”
“Of course not. The place needs a freshening up, but the thought of tackling that on an island was daunting to me. Do whatever you want. It’s your house.”
“Riley’s cousin Mac has the inside scoop on materials and getting things on the ferry.”
“Yes, he would, as his brother-in-law owns the ferry company.”
“Riley mentioned that.”
“Do you have pictures of this young man of yours?”
“He’s not mine, and no, I don’t have pictures.”
“What does he look like?”
Thinking of him, Nikki felt her face—and various other parts—get warm. “He’s tall with dark wavy hair that’s often unruly. He wears a knitted cap a lot of the time that keeps it in check. He has blue eyes and is quite… um, well, muscular, I guess you could say.”
“Mmmm,” Evelyn said, sounding dreamy. “Tall, dark and handsome. Just the way I like them.”
“Gram! Stop.”
“What? Your old granny was young once, you know. I had a type, and your Riley fits the bill. You’ve seen the pictures of your grandfather as a young man.”
“Yes, I have.”
“He was so handsome and sexy.”
Nikki’s heart broke for her grandmother, who’d lost her beloved husband far too soon. “Do you still miss him?”
“Every day.”
“Do you ever think you would’ve been better off if you’d never met him?”
“Not for one second. The fifteen years I had with him were the best years of my life. I wouldn’t trade them for anything, even knowing how it would end. There is nothing—and I do mean nothing—quite like the feeling of being with the one you were born to love.”
“What if I wasn’t born to love anyone?”
“That’s utter hogwash. Someone with a loving heart like yours was absolutely intended to love someone, and to be loved in return.
Love is the only thing in this life that truly matters, Nik.
The rest is just… well, details. The people we love are what give our lives meaning and purpose, and the idea of you closing yourself off to that because of what one person did makes me incredibly angry. Not at you, of course, but at him.”
“I’ve begun to think you’re right about that.”
“Of course I’m right. When have you ever known me not to be?”
Nikki laughed. “Not once ever.”
“How’s the anxiety been?”
“A little more active than usual, but I’m dealing with it.”
“I know the subject of men and dating is fraught with anxiety for you. But it’s all about finding the right person, sweetheart. If your Riley might be that person, please don’t do what you do and put up walls around your heart to keep him out. That’s no way to live.”
“He wants to help me take down some walls,” Nikki said. “In the house anyway.”
“You should let him take down all the walls standing between you and the possibility that this young man could mean something to you. If he’s anything like his uncle, he’s a gem. Will you promise me that you’ll give him a real, honest chance to show you who he really is before you decide anything?”
“Yes, Gram, I promise.”
“This makes me happier than you could ever know. For so long, I’ve wanted to see you try again.”
“I haven’t met anyone who made me want to.”
“Until now?”
“Until now,” Nikki acknowledged softly. Until Riley had come along and made her wish for all sorts of things she’d thought she’d never want again.
“Sweetheart,” Evelyn whispered.
“Are you crying?”
“Maybe a little.”
Nikki laughed as she dabbed at her own eyes. “Stop it. You’re making a mess of us both.”
“This is happiness, my sweet. Pure happiness. You’re going to have to give me every detail, so I can live vicariously through you.”
“You should be out there dating yourself.” Though men frequently sought out her company, Evelyn remained stubbornly single.
“Ack, no, thanks. I’ve had my great love. Now I want you—and your sister—to have yours.”
“No pressure or anything.”
“None at all. Let’s talk renovations. I want to hear all your ideas.”