13. Living In The Calm
13
LIVING IN THE CALM
T alk about frustrating!
For such a great panty-wetting kiss, Foster hadn’t reached out or talked to her in eight days and now she was driving to the hospital on Amore Island.
The only good thing she did was leave after work last night and drive to Plymouth to spend the night and get on the first ferry. Marco was better in the car than she thought and she settled him at Amanda’s in his crate, then left.
“You made it,” Amanda said in her hospital room.
“I did,” she said. “It ended up being easier to drive than fly and now I know that.”
“I’m glad,” Amanda said. “Have a seat.”
Her sister was in the bed looking more comfortable than she should be considering she was going to have a baby soon.
“How come you’re not cursing and swearing at your husband?”
Drew walked in with a coffee in his hand. “She’s not in labor yet. But once the drugs kick in, then I’ll be the bad guy.”
She smiled at the man that her sister fell in love with. If only she could get that lucky to have a man look at her as Drew did Amanda.
“You’re never the bad guy,” Amanda said. “At least not now. When the kids are older, that gets to be you.”
“I’ll take it,” Drew said. “Can I get you something to drink or eat, Charlotte? I’ll let you visit with your sister. I’ve got a few things to deal with work-wise that I can do in the waiting room.”
“You don’t need to leave,” she argued.
“Yes,” Amanda said. “He does. Because if he stays he starts to fret and that makes me nervous. This is a way for us both to have peace.”
“My wife knows me well,” Drew said and exited the room after she said she didn’t need anything.
“Did you want him out of the room?” she asked. “Or you thought I did?”
“No,” Amanda said. “I really did. Talk to me. Distract me.”
“So you are nervous too?” she asked.
Amanda reached her hand over and laid it on hers. She pulled the chair over and sat next to her sister. “Of course I am. I can’t get everything else out of my mind from before.”
The first baby as a teen, then the miscarriage after Liam.
Charlotte looked at the monitor. “Heartbeat looks to be strong,” she said of baby Harper.
“It is,” Amanda said. “But you know, the past is the past and sometimes as much as you try you can’t block it out.”
“Tell me about it,” she said, snorting.
“So distract me, as I said. Tell me what is going on in your life. How is the house? The job? Any issues from Landon? Meet any new guys?”
“Wow, you want a whole book,” she said.
“And because you said that, it tells me there are a few chapters,” Amanda said. “Read to me.”
She laughed. “Okay. The house is good. I’m floundering there a lot, but it’s not horrible. I’ve had some help, but I’ll get to that.”
“That sounds like it might be the good part of this story,” Amanda said.
“I don’t know about that now.” Last week she would have said yes.
“Go on,” Amanda said.
“Work is great too. I went into the city over a week ago for the first time since I moved. It took me longer than I thought, but I wasn’t late. Just thought I’d be early.”
“Do you miss it?”
“You know, I drive in and park and then get a taxi to the office and I’m thinking, wow, it’s like I never left.”
“That could be good and bad.”
“It was both. Or more good. I had a great time. Went to lunch with a few coworkers, left and thought to myself, this sucks. I just bought this house and now maybe it wasn’t a good idea. Then the minute I picked Marco up at doggie daycare, got my kisses on the face, and pulled into my tiny driveway…my body almost sighed with relief.”
“There is the great part,” Amanda said. “Why do you think that is?”
“The calmness. I was so used to the craziness that I learned to live in it. But now I’m living in the calm and it’s so much better.”
“Exactly,” Amanda said. “That is why I moved here. I’m not sure if it’s the water, the people, or the small town vibe. I will admit I didn’t think you’d like it there.”
“I love it,” she said. “So I can get my fix when I go into the office but then return home and be happy.”
“Happy is what it’s about,” Amanda said. “Move onto Landon. Have you heard from him? You said he’s been texting you on and off, but you don’t reply.”
She sighed. “He texted me last week again. More of the same. Saying he misses me and wants me back.”
“You’re better off without him by the sounds of it. Why did you finally break up with him? You never said unless it was just a buildup of everything?”
“It was a buildup of everything and then it was talking to you that night.”
“Me?” Amanda asked. “What did I say?”
“Nothing and everything. It was the joy and laughter in your voice when you talked about Drew and Liam. Your business. The island. I just thought to myself, what you’ve been through and yet, you found what I’ve been searching for. I wanted to find it too and the longer I stayed where I was, the less likely it was going to happen. It was the best decision of my life now.”
Amanda squeezed her hand and it was a bit more forceful, letting her know the drugs might be kicking in on her sister. “You’re going to find what you’re looking for. I just know it. The last chapter of this story was if you met a guy. You said you’ve had some help around the house. Are they the same person?”
“This is the confusing part. I don’t know if I’m coming or going.”
“That is the start of it,” Amanda said, smiling. “Trust me, I know. Start at the beginning and just talk. I want to see your face as you do.”
“Huh?” she asked, frowning.
“Just do as I say as your big sister. Trust me. I’ll explain after,” Amanda said.
She told her sister about Easter morning and tripping over the ladder and Foster stopping to help, then being grouchy but explaining the right way to paint and she did so much better after.
The lawn mower all but blowing up and how he saved her once again, then showed her what to look for next time.
Finally dinner at his house.
“Sounds like a slow burn to me,” Amanda said. “You haven’t said his name once.”
“Oh,” she said. “Foster.”
“Last name?”
“I don’t know it,” she said. “I just realized that. It’s just Foster to me. I never said mine either.”
“I want to say I don’t like the sounds of that, but it also tells me you know what you need to. You know where he lives. He told you what he does for a living. You’ve seen his house. If there was any woman around, you’d see a sign of them, so can’t be he’s lying there.”
“No,” she said. “I’m not worried about that. He’s talked about his family and his siblings. He’s only said one by name and that is fine. The youngest is a girl. I don’t know. I guess it is a slow burn. He’s probably as slow as me. I’m not sure his reason, but he knows mine.”
“And yet he keeps coming back,” Amanda said. “Maybe he’s giving you space because you’ve been so open with your past.”
“I didn’t think of that.” Why hadn’t she thought of that? “There is one more thing.”
“What’s that?”
“He kissed me the last time I saw him. Which was over a week ago. We’ve had no contact since so it’s frustrating.”
Amanda laughed. “Maybe he’s waiting for you to make that move. Or he’s busy. Could be he thought you were busy. You said you told him you were coming here this weekend.”
“He offered to watch Marco for me,” she said softly.
“And there is another sign,” Amanda said. “Your face and voice.”
“What about them?” she asked.
“You just got this tender almost in love look in your eye. Your voice softened as if you were ready to sing a ballad.”
“No,” she argued.
“Yes,” Amanda said.
Her shoulders dropped. “He loves Marco. He said he never had a dog growing up and didn’t realize he’d like it so much. I told him to get one now, but I know he works a lot. Then he said his boss would let him bring a dog to work.”
“Maybe he’ll consider it,” Amanda said. She felt more pressure on her fingers but held back the wince. “Or he’ll wait and spend more time with you and Marco.”
“The end,” she said.
“What?” Amanda asked.
“The end of the story. Now I should get Drew. You’re having contractions.”
“I’m fine,” Amanda said. “There is time yet. For both of us. Because it’s not the end for you. It’s only the beginning.”