Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Amber
T he last of the barbecue crowd trickles out, and the smoky smell of grilled food lingers in the air as twilight slips into a deep starry sky. My nieces and a few other kids are sprawled out in the living room with contented, sleepy smiles, and I’m about ready to call it a night myself when Sofia sidles up to me with that unmistakable spark in her eyes.
“Hey, what do you think about going out?” She nudges my side. “The kids are settled, and the night’s still young. We should head to The Rusty Anchor.”
I laugh. “The Rusty Anchor? I haven’t been there in years!”
“Exactly.” She grins. “Jayla and her friend Cait are watching the kids, and Teddy and I can actually relax together for once. Plus, it’ll be fun to let loose a little. It’s a whole production for Teddy and me to be able to go out, so you have to say yes.”
Jayla catches wind of Sofia’s plan and waves her hand in agreement. “Go on, you all deserve it. We can stay all night with them.”
Cait raises her glass with a wide grin. “Yeah, go have a blast! A little night out never hurt anyone.”
I glance over at Sofia, who’s already plotting, her eyes scanning the yard for Teddy and Derek. Teddy’s talking with a few stragglers by the grill while Derek leans against the fence, looking like he’s one step away from disappearing into the shadows. Sofia sighs, hands on her hips.
“This might take some persuasion,” she mutters, shooting a look at Derek. “But I’ll leave that to Teddy.”
When she finally corrals them, Teddy’s on board right away, throwing his arm around Sofia with a grin. But Derek raises an eyebrow, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else.
“Come on, Derek,” Teddy says, clapping him on the shoulder. “It’ll be good for you. How often do we have a babysitter?”
Derek sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. “You know that’s not my scene. I don’t really want to leave the kids…”
“Jayla and Cait offered to keep an eye on Eric and Casey, too.”
“Dad, we’re fine. You’re allowed to go out and have fun.” Eric sighs, but he’s not looking at his dad. No, his eyes are focused on Jayla.
I think someone has a tiny crush.
“It’s just The Rusty Anchor, not a club in the city. You’ll survive,” Teddy says, clapping his friend on the back.
“Fine,” Derek finally mutters, eyes rolling. “But don’t expect me to stay too long.”
Sofia beams, clearly pleased with herself. “Alright, let’s do this!”
* * *
The Rusty Anchor is just as I remember it—dimly lit with rustic wood paneling and a mix of old-school rock and country playing from the jukebox. The crowd is lively, and a wave of nostalgia hits me as we find a booth near the bar. It’s been too long since I’ve done anything like this.
Back in Connecticut, even while dating Tommy, we never went out. I’d always go to his house, and we’d stay in to watch movies. Our time was so limited that I never wanted to share him with anyone else anyway, so I didn’t mind that we’d stay hidden in the house.
“Teddy, do you remember bringing me here for my twenty-first birthday?” I giggle.
“Yeah, we did a little bar crawl, but you didn’t get very far.”
“Is that the night you puked in your parents’ bushes?” Sofia laughs.
“Yes, one of the nights anyway,” I answer. “If our parents only knew half the stuff we did as teenagers, they never would have let us out of the house.”
“I’m not looking forward to those days when Hazel and Cassidy are of age,” Teddy groans.
“Meh, we’ll be able to figure out all their tricks because we did them already.” Sofia laughs.
Teddy orders drinks, and within minutes, we’re laughing, clinking glasses, and letting the worries of the week slip away. I catch up with old friends who’ve wandered over to say hello, the familiar rhythm of small-town gossip and laughter filling the space.
Meanwhile, Derek’s presence hasn’t gone unnoticed. It doesn’t take long for a few single women to sidle up to him, batting their eyelashes and leaning in a little too close. He’s polite, smiling occasionally, but he doesn’t acknowledge them past that.
I don’t like the bit of jealousy I feel when I see them talking to him either. I can’t date one of my student’s dads, so I shouldn’t have any feelings for him.
Although, right now, I can’t stop wondering what it would be like to be here as his date, to feel his arms around me or for him to kiss me again.
He gets up to go to the bathroom, and an older woman in a tight black dress corners him.
Sofia nudges me with a smirk. “See those vultures? They’ve been circling ever since Sharon’s death. He hasn’t paid any of them attention, though. Not like he does you anyway.”
I laugh awkwardly, taking a sip of my drink. I roll my eyes and shake my head.
“He only pays attention to me because I’m his daughter’s teacher.”
“Oh, please.” She shakes her head. “You’re delusional if you think that’s all it is.”
I raise an eyebrow, but Sofia just shrugs with a knowing smile. I glance back at Derek, watching as he extricates himself from another overly friendly woman. He’s polite, but his face barely registers a flicker of interest. As he makes his way back to our table, he grins at me. I realize Sofia might be onto something, but I’m not quite ready to admit it out loud.
* * *
An hour later, the crowd thins a bit, and the energy in the bar settles into a warm, comfortable buzz. Teddy and Sofia are swaying to the music near the jukebox, arms around each other, lost in their own little world. Derek and I are left alone at the table, and there’s a brief pause in conversation as we watch them.
“They’re disgustingly adorable, aren’t they?” I say, laughing softly.
He cracks a smile, nodding. “They always have been. Kind of refreshing, though, in a world like this.”
We fall into an easy conversation about music, listing bands and concerts we’ve attended over the years.
“I love Casey’s bracelet, by the way. She’s pretty proud of it. I was surprised when she told me you were a Bob Marley fan.”
He chuckles as he takes a long drink from his beer.
“Why surprised?”
“I’m not sure if you know this or not, but, uh…you’re kind of grumpy, and Bob isn’t.”
He throws his head back and laughs. My stomach flutters, and I find myself grinning back at him. He has this amazing dimple on the right side, and my breath actually catches in my throat when I notice it.
As we share more stories, I realize how much I enjoy this—finding common ground, swapping memories of favorite songs, and laughing at the bands we used to love. The rest of the bar fades away, and it feels like it’s just the two of us. I barely notice when Teddy and Sofia slip out the door, leaving us alone at the table.
“Those jerks.” He chuckles.
“Agreed. I should get going. This is way past my bedtime.” I smile as I scoot out of the booth and stand.
He does the same. His hand gently goes to the small of my back as he helps lead me out of the bar.
Whooooo, I’ve never had a man do this before, and I…kind of like it.
As we step outside, I let out a contented sigh when I look up at the stars, brilliant against the dark sky. It’s been so long since I’ve seen a sky like this, so far from the city lights.
“Look at those stars,” I say, almost to myself. “I lived in a small town in Connecticut, but I never felt like the sky was the same as it is here. I know that’s crazy, but…there’s something about home.”
He looks at me, a softness in his eyes that I’ve never seen before. “You’d see them even better from my place. Got a view up on the ridge that makes you feel like you can reach out and touch them.”
I glance over, smiling. “That sounds incredible. What do you think, should we go?”
I have a moment of panic as I realize how forward my question was.
What am I doing?
He raises an eyebrow. “Right now?”
I chew the inside of my lip and decide to go with it.
“Why not?” I laugh, the thrill of spontaneity giving me a jolt of energy. “I’m serious. Let’s go see those stars. We’ve already blown through our curfew, so we might as well make it worth our while.”
He hesitates, but there’s a glint of something playful in his eyes. “Alright,” he says, a slow grin spreading across his face. “But only if you’re up for some horseback riding. That’s the best way to get up there.”
I shrug, acting nonchalant even though my heart skips at the thought. “I think I can handle it.”
We walk toward his truck, a flirty tension hanging in the air. The silence between us isn’t awkward but charged, like we’re both aware of the pull that’s been building all night. As we climb in, I feel the thrill of uncertainty.
Is this about to be a mistake or a memory?
When he starts the truck, an old-school Eminem song pours through the speakers, and I look at him with wide eyes.
“This is my absolute favorite song.”
“What do you know about Eminem?” He chuckles.
“Oh, let me show you.” I giggle as I reach over and turn up the radio to sing every word.
He joins in as he steers us toward his house. An old-school rap song comes on next, and we’re both doing our best carpool karaoke.
Man, there’s nothing better than driving with the windows down and the radio turned up loud.
We laugh hysterically as we drive, and it feels like the car ride is only a few minutes long. My stomach hurts from laughing when we finally arrive.
“I texted one of the guys to saddle these two for us.” He smiles as he gestures to two gorgeous horses standing patiently near the fence under the moonlight. “You’ve ridden before, right?”
“Yeah,” I answer. “Camp Lakeshore horse camp every summer for ten years.”
“Impressive.” He chuckles.
He helps me onto one, and we start a winding trail leading to a ridge above his property. The soft clop of hooves on dirt, the smell of pine and cedar, and the wide, open sky create an almost unreal scene.
“This is beautiful,” I whisper, not wanting to break the magic of the moment.
“It’s the best part about living out here,” he says quietly, his voice carrying a kind of reverence. “You don’t get this in the city.”
We ride in silence for a while, and I steal glances at him, noticing the easy way he moves, the way he’s at home here. He’s at peace. It’s a side of him that I hope to see more of. I like it.
When we reach the ridge, he hops off his horse and helps me down, his hands lingering on my waist just a moment longer than necessary. My breath catches, and my stomach flips. I can feel the flutters and warmth spread all the way through me.
I get lost in those gorgeous eyes for just a second, wondering if he’ll kiss me again.
Please, kiss me again.
I lick my lips in preparation, but he takes a step back.
Dammit!
I look up at the sky, and it’s like every star in the universe shines just for us. “You were right,” I murmur. “This is…beyond words.”
He stands close beside me, his gaze shifting from the stars to me. “Yeah, it is.”
We’re silent for a moment. I take a slow breath, looking out at the horizon, but I can feel his eyes on me.
“Amber?” he says softly, his voice barely more than a whisper.
I turn, meeting his gaze, and a warmth in his eyes sends a spark down my spine. “Yeah?”
For a moment, we’re caught there, on the edge of something unknown, the stars bearing witness. There’s a pull, an undeniable connection between us that I can no longer ignore. I don’t know what comes next, but standing here with Derek under this sky, I don’t think I need to.
He leans forward, tips my chin up, and kisses me softly. My entire body responds as I almost trip into him. He steadies me, but the moment is broken. He gazes down at my face, our eyes locked, and I’m kicking myself for my clumsiness.
The night is still young, and I hope there’s another kiss coming soon.
I can still taste him on my lips, and I want more of that.