29. So Much Had Been Going Right
29
SO MUCH HAD BEEN GOING RIGHT
“A re you sure you’re okay coming with me?” Charlotte asked the following week.
She’d already made plans to visit Amanda for the long July Fourth holiday. She hadn’t mentioned Foster coming with her, but after their family dinner last week and the comment about maybe him meeting her family, he brought it up.
She didn’t have a problem with it, but getting a hotel last minute hadn’t been possible.
She was staying with Amanda and bringing Marco with her. It was hard enough to find a hotel on the island this time of year, then to find one that allowed dogs was almost impossible.
“Yes,” he said.
“We can leave and do our own thing,” she said. “But we are still staying in their house. Which is big. Don’t worry. We’ll have our own wing on the lower level, but it’s still in their house.”
“It’s fine,” he said. “I want you to visit with your family as much as you can.”
She would and wouldn’t feel guilty about it, but it was going to be nice to have a few days to get out and do things with her boyfriend.
They’d left last night to stay in Plymouth again so they could get on the first ferry this morning. Being the holiday, it was packed with people going to the island just for the day to hang out at the beaches.
“There is a party later tonight with fireworks,” she said. “If you need to leave or want to, you can.”
“I’ll be fine,” he said. “It’s not that many people, right?”
It was the grin on his face as he made his way closer to the ferry to board.
“It’s Drew’s parents, his brothers and their families. Bode and his wife, Sam, have a daughter, Gemma. She’s a little over a year old. You know about Drew and Amanda’s family, and then Coy is the youngest and his wife, Angel. She’s pregnant. I haven’t met her yet. She’s a dentist like Coy. They work together too.”
“Urgh,” he said. “I’m not sure I could work and live with someone.”
She reached over and pinched his arm. “Not funny. How about being neighbors with someone?”
“Oh,” he said. “That’s easy. I just send you back home when I’ve had enough.”
Charlotte wanted to be offended over those words, but he started to laugh.
A free laugh she’d never seen from him before.
Was it possible that he was changing who he was because of her?
She didn’t know if she liked that or not.
His family was thrilled, but she wanted him to be who he was.
She liked the gruff side of him and wondered where it’d gone.
“Can I ask you something?”
Might not be the time for it, but she felt she needed to get it off her chest.
“Always.”
“Are you trying to be different?”
“What does that mean?” he asked.
“Everyone is calling me a miracle worker. Saying that you’ve changed. I don’t know that I like what has happened. I didn’t think you were that bad before. I fell in love with the other Foster.”
His shoulders dropped. “I haven’t changed,” he said. “I think I’ve always been someone to joke with people, but when I’ve had enough, I just leave. Maybe I’m happy with you and my patience is better? I can’t explain it. But if it makes you feel any better, I was glad to have my bed back to myself on Sunday night.”
Her jaw dropped. She thought he might be joking, but he was serious.
“Why is that?” she asked.
“You ate a lot of those beans on Saturday night.”
Her face turned red. “Foster. That’s mean. You ate more than me.”
“Yeah, but I wasn’t farting in my sleep.”
She was mortified. She was waiting for him to start laughing, but all he did was lift an eyebrow.
“I’m not sure if you are serious or not,” she said. “I hope you’re joking.”
“Guess you’ll never know,” he said. “But I was happy to get my bed back. You don’t stay on your side either. You like to snuggle more than I thought.”
She’d asked for it and he was being honest.
“You keep the house colder than I like. And your body is hot.”
“I know it is,” he said. “I work hard to get it that way.”
She snorted. “You know what I mean.”
He closed one eye at her, not even grinning now.
The funny part was, he was acting free, but he was the old Foster and maybe she was making more out of this than she realized.
Was she looking for something to go wrong because so much had been going right?
She didn’t think she was that type of person, but it felt as if she was doing that a lot more lately.
“Maybe,” he said. “Listen, I don’t think I’m changing all that much. I’ve never been a dick, have I?”
“No,” she said.
“Don’t worry. I won’t talk like that in front of your sister’s family.”
She started to laugh. “You can. I think you and Bode will get along well. He’s always been the grouch of the family. Though I don’t see it as much. They say Sam changed him.”
“How does he feel about that?” he asked. “Everyone saying it?”
“I don’t know him that well. I don’t think he minds.”
“I don’t think I’ve changed, but if I have, I don’t mind either. Maybe think of it that way.”
He had a point. “If at any time you need space this weekend, just let me know. I’ll give it to you. Or you can leave. I’ve told Amanda how you are.”
He snorted. “I don’t think I’ve ever been afraid of saying what is on my mind, right?”
“No,” she said. And she wouldn’t let it hurt her that he hadn’t said he loved her.
She hadn’t said it again either.
Why do it when he wouldn’t return the words?
The last thing she wanted to do was put any pressure on him or their relationship when things seemed to be going well enough.
“There you go,” he said.
He pulled onto the ferry and parked.
“Do you want to stay in the car or get out and move around?”
He looked at all the people. The deck was getting more crowded than she’d seen it before.
“I’m staying in here, but if you need to take Marco out or want to, be my guest.”
She turned and smiled at him. That was the old Foster and it made her feel good.
And when they were pulling off the ferry forty minutes later, she had gotten out at one point and walked around with Marco, leaving Foster in the car alone.
They weren’t talking and the silence was getting to her more than him.
She liked being on the deck and if he wanted to sit in the car, she’d let him.
“How long is it to Amanda’s?” he asked.
“About thirty minutes. They are closer to the port in Boston, but it’s crazy to get through the city and the ferry drive is about ten minutes shorter I think. The drive to Plymouth is fifteen more than Boston, but the time getting through traffic there and the frustration isn’t worth it. It’d add an hour easily.”
“I’m not big on city traffic though I deal with it enough when I have to.”
“That is one thing I miss about living in the City,” she said. “I didn’t drive. I just got a taxi, or took the subway, or walked. I’ve had drivers before too.”
“Sometimes I use one of West’s drivers and just park outside the City,” he said. “He has two of them and one is there for any of us to use. Laken tends to use one the most because she is always on the road or now staying at Jamie’s and doesn’t want to drive in from New Jersey if she doesn’t have to.”
She found it nice that West shared so much of his wealth and resources with his siblings. But then learned they all gave so much back.
“There are no drivers on the island that I know of,” she said. “But I’m sure if Amanda wanted one, she could have it.”
They got to Drew’s house and parked, Drew coming out to help them unload.
“Hi,” Charlotte said, giving her brother-in-law a hug.
“Glad you could come for the holiday,” Drew said. He walked up to Foster and they shook hands. “I’ve met your brother once.”
“We are nothing alike,” he said.
“I say the same about my brothers and me,” Drew said, laughing. “Let me give you a hand. Charlotte can show you around, but you’ll have privacy to come and go downstairs. Amanda is just feeding the kids right now.”
“Sorry if it’s too early,” she said. It wasn’t even nine in the morning.
“Nonsense,” Drew said. “We know how life is here and with the ferries.”
Between the three of them, they carried in their luggage, Marco’s crate and food, and the few gifts she bought for the kids.
She did enjoy spoiling them.
“I’ll let you get set up and relax. Come up whenever,” Drew said and went up the stairs. The house had a lot of levels.
“We can stay down here for a bit if you want,” she said.
“I’m fine, Charlotte. You’re going to give me a complex soon.”
She cringed. “Sorry.”
“If you didn’t want me to come, you should have said something,” he said as he was pulling his clothes out of his bag while she did the same. She had drawers opened to put them away.
“I wanted you to come,” she said. “Why would you say that?”
“Because you didn’t ask. I did. Maybe you would have preferred I stayed home with the way you’re acting.”
Looked as if she was blowing it.
“Let’s take a step back. I wanted you with me but didn’t want to ask and put pressure on you. It’s simple. That’s it. But your family keeps talking about how much you’ve changed and I want to make sure it’s not for me. I don’t want that.”
“You’re changing,” he said.
“But I’m doing it because I wanted to. No one is changing me but myself. And you don’t know the other me. I did meet the other you,” she argued.
“I’m not changing,” he said. “I kicked you out of the car on the ferry.”
She laughed. “Sort of.”
He shrugged. “You know enough that I wanted to be alone and you wanted to walk around. If you’re okay doing those things on your own and giving me the space and I’m okay with it, then what is the problem? I can’t make heads or tails of what is going on. I’m the same guy as I’ve been most of my life. I just know how to manage it better as an adult and I’m lucky enough to find a woman who understands that and sees the signs so I don’t have to be a jerk and walk away or tell her to get lost.”
Her jaw dropped.
“When you put it that way, I’m the one that’s the idiot.”