19. Chapter Nineteen #2
I bite my lower lip, working hard to hide the fact that, despite what brought about the circumstances, she is the most feisty and self-secure woman I’ve ever met. My lip aches, and I can’t hold it in any longer. Laughter breaks free, bringing a deep scowl to her face.
“It isn’t funny, Koa.”
My laughter cannot be contained, even as I bend over and try to compose myself. “No…you’re right…it isn’t.”
“Then why are you laughing at my expense?” She steps closer. I worry she might still have that taser, so I stand and back up a few steps, arms up.
“I’m suddenly very grateful you only threw donuts at me.” Working to stifle my laughter does no good.
Evalina groans, but behind it is a chuckle that leads to full-blown laughter.
“You should have seen him! He went stiff as a board and just…toppled over.” She makes a falling motion with her arm and laughs harder.
“Face smashed every branch of that big old shrub on the way down. The paramedics had to detach the thorns from his clothes before they could drag him out.”
“You have no idea how much I wish I could have seen that.” I double over again, working to compose myself.
“Shh, you’ll wake Dustin.” She swats my shoulder, shoving me a few inches away. “But I do mean it. Thank you for coming when he called. I didn’t think he was awake.”
She sighs again and maneuvers around me to get to her sofa, where she flops.
“I was out at The Salty Dog with some friends, so it was no big deal. I was worried, though. The whole eight minutes here, all I could think about was whether you were okay or not.” I sit beside her, taking advantage of the fact she hasn’t thrown me out.
I’ve no intention of pushing anything, not even an inkling of my feelings for her, but I want her to know I truly am her friend. This is what friends do.
She rolls her head to the side to face me.
“It’s a big deal to me.” Shifting up on the sofa, she pulls her legs beneath her and turns sideways.
“The fact that Dustin even called you says a lot about you. He trusts you, and he doesn’t trust men easily.
I think Coach is the only other man he really likes.
His little friend, Camden, has a nice father, too.
I’m just…just really grateful, that’s all. ”
“I like him a lot. He’s a good kid, but that’s all thanks to his mother.”
She huffs and shakes her head. “Sometimes I think in spite of me. I don’t know what I’m going to do, Koa. He needs more than I can give him, but I don’t know where to begin filling those holes.”
“Lean on your friends. You have them, you know. Me, Andrew, Annie. We’re here for you, okay?”
She quirks her head to the side, eyes me, and smiles. “Why you? I mean, I understand Annie and Andrew, but what’s got you sticking around?”
“I thought I was clear on that, but if you need me to say it aloud, it’s because I think you’re incredible, and I adore your son. Do you need more than that?”
Evalina’s cheeks redden, and she lowers her gaze. “There’s nothing all that incredible about me. I’m doing my best, that’s all.”
“Your best makes other people’s best seem so mediocre.
” My hand gets away from me, and I tuck her hair back, cup her cheek, and lift her face so I can see her eyes.
“Don’t sell yourself short, Evalina. You intrigue me, frankly.
No one sasses me like you do, no one challenges me, no one calls me out like you. ”
“I annoy you? That’s why we’re friends?” she laughs but leans into my touch.
“I did not say that. If anything, I annoy you.”
Her laughter grows again, but so does the late hour. She needs sleep if she’s going to get to work in the morning. I don’t doubt she’ll want to shower and wash the day away as well, and I’m keeping her from that.
“I’m going to head out unless you need me to stay.”
Her eyes haze over and she stands. “No, I’m fine. Thank you again for coming. No more dates for me, that’s for sure.”
Standing to meet her, I grasp her chin, catch her gaze. “I hope that’s not true. You owe me a pizza and more games, remember?”
“What? When did I agree to that?” She doesn’t wiggle free.
“I asked you and Dustin to go out with me again, but you chose this date instead. It wasn’t a no, exactly, so I’m assuming it was merely a postponement.”
“It’s not a date if Dustin is there now, is it?”
“You’re a package. I don’t expect you to leave him with a sitter to go out with me. I want you both there. Besides, the games are more fun with him. You’re a poor loser.”
Her mouth falls open. “Koa Keaton, you big, fat liar!” She smacks me repeatedly until I duck away from her. I could do this for the rest of my life, truly. “Fine, we’ll go have pizza and games with you again soon. Now go home so I can sleep and get up dreadfully early.”
“Do you need a ride?”
“Nope, Annie is coming and Dustin asked to come to the bakery tomorrow, so feel free to stop in if you’re in the area.”
Admittedly, I’d love to spend the day with her son again, but I get it. She doesn’t want to change his routine that much. Caution is her middle name.
“I will, thanks.” Man, I want to kiss her, but that would be a jerk move after the night she’s had, so I settle for a brief goodbye hug and shut her door behind me. Once I hear the deadbolt slide into place, I head to my car.
An idea hits me. I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of it before now. Yanking my phone from my pocket, I call Andrew. After a few rings, he picks up, groggy and annoyed.
“It’s one in the morning, Koa. You better be dead or in jail.”
“Ah, man, sorry. I wasn’t thinking about the time. I’ll call you in the morning.”
“It is morning, and now I’m awake. What’s going on?” I hear his bed creak and assume he’s heading out of his bedroom to talk without disturbing his wife.
Wife.
Man, for the first time in my life, the word doesn’t scare the snot out of me. I’m thinking in terms of commitment, long term, maybe even forever.
“You know how Evalina has to move her donut shop, right? I was wondering…I mean, I know it’s not the same thing that Layne is doing with the food truck in Charleston, but what if…could they possibly want to expand?”
“What do you mean? Bring Evalina in on it? They don’t have a bakery truck.”
“I know, but…” Suddenly this one in the morning inspiration doesn’t feel so genius.
“You want to help her. I get it. Let me call Layne later and float the idea. There might be something there. We’ll see, but in the meantime, go home and get some sleep and never, ever call me this early again unless you want to suffer the wrath of Lottie.”
“Got it,” I chuckle. “Let me know what they think.”
“Night, you lovesick goon.”
“You were there first, my friend. Night.”
I hang up a little lighter than before. On the way home, I send up prayers to God to lead me, help me navigate the rapids ahead.
I’m growing too attached to both Evalina and Dustin to ever let them go, and there’s a part of me that wonders if this is God’s plan.
Is He guiding me to this because it’s what we all need?
I have to be cautious, ensure this is right for all three of us before diving into the deep end.
It isn’t just adult hearts that risk getting broken, and the last thing I want is to hurt a young, impressionable boy who has already been hurt enough by a man’s actions.
With that in mind, I pray for God’s guidance. I can’t navigate this one on my own.