Chapter 4 #3
She grabbed plates and silverware as the two of them set the table. “Two years is a long time to expect people to sit around and wait. They all moved on and got new jobs, I’m sure.”
“And realistically, I know that. It’s just…
this whole thing is a lot harder than any of us thought it would be.
When Walker called us with the opportunity, it was practically a no-brainer.
We all wanted in. But we agreed to it sight unseen.
So when Walker first showed up here, we all freaked out at the condition of the resort.
And every step of the way, it’s just been so much more than we originally planned. ”
“But look what you’ve done,” she reminded him, resting her hand on his arm without even thinking about it. “You’ve created something wonderful. You brought the place back to life in the best possible way. You should be proud.”
His hand rested over hers, and for a moment, neither of them moved. Her eyes locked with his—those whiskey-colored eyes that had haunted her dreams for years—and she had to force herself to slowly pull her hand away.
Clearing her throat, she looked at the kids. “Who’s hungry?”
They both came running to the table, but Lexi stopped them and made them wash their hands first. By the time they were done, Connor had put out an impressive spread—freshly fried chicken fingers, homemade mac and cheese, roasted carrot sticks that looked like french fries, and about half a dozen dipping sauces.
“Oh my goodness, this all looks delicious!” she told him as she helped Jonah onto his chair. “And you hit some of our favorites.”
Connor ruffled Jonah’s hair. “Well, just for full disclosure, Jonah mentioned to me that first night that while he liked the fried chicken, chicken fingers were his absolute favorite.” He grinned at her son. “And I told you I’d make them, right?”
“Yup! Thanks, Connor!”
They all sat down and made their plates.
Annabeth told her father all about the book they read, Jonah told Connor about the lodge he was building, and Lexi was more than happy to sit back and enjoy it.
When there was finally a break in the conversation, she asked if he’d heard from the property manager about his house.
“The leak was extensive and apparently had been happening in other sections of the house. Today was just literally the breaking point.”
“Oh no! What are you going to do? Can you get your security deposit back so you can move out?”
He nodded. “That’s the plan. It’s going to take weeks to get everything repaired and replaced.” Looking over at Annabeth, he said, “So it looks like we’re going to be back in the cabin for a while.”
“Yay! That’s awesome!” she said around a mouthful of food.
“Seriously? But I thought you wanted to live closer to town,” he reminded her. “You said you wanted to live by your friends.”
“I know, but it’s fun living here too. Plus, when we’re here, there’s always someone to talk to. Even when you’re busy.”
Ouch, Lexi thought. That one brief comment spoke volumes, and when she looked at Connor, she could tell he was embarrassed. So, she quickly changed the subject.
“Which of these sauces is your favorite, Jonah?” she asked, and fortunately, that turned the conversation back to the food. Then Jonah and Annabeth argued about which sauce was actually the best, and Lexi took the opportunity to get Connor’s attention.
“You know she didn’t mean that in a hurtful way,” she said quietly. “Life is hard when you’re a single parent and they’re too young to understand how much work it is for us.”
He nodded. “I know. But it still…”
“It’s like a punch in the gut. I know.” This time she resisted the temptation to touch him. “Come on. Let’s enjoy our lunch because I’m sure you need to get back up to the lodge for the rest of your interviews.”
So that’s what they did. He ended up staying for another forty-five minutes, and when he left, she told him she’d bring the kids up for dinner.
“Oh, um…Axel and Maisie are double dating with Walker and Harlow tonight, and Slater’s going out with a friend, so…”
It took a moment for her to realize what he was saying. “Oh. Oh, yeah. Okay. So it would just be the four of us. No problem. Jonah and I can totally fend for ourselves tonight. I’m sure you need to go to the house and pack up the rest of your stuff, so don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine.”
He looked disappointed. “That wasn’t exactly what I was going to say,” he murmured.
“I just wanted you to know that it was only going to be the four of us. I don’t mind cooking—I was already planning the meal when everyone essentially bailed—and if you’re okay with it being just…
you know…us again, then maybe we can have an early dinner and then Annabeth and I can go to the house and pack. ”
She studied him. “When’s your last interview?”
“At three.”
“Then why don’t we all go to the house and help you pack and then come back and eat? This way it will give you an incentive to get in and get out,” she reasoned. “Or I can keep the kids and you can tackle it with no interruptions.”
The boyish grin he gave her made her heart skip a beat. It was like looking at the boy she had loved all those years ago. If she weren’t careful, it would be easy for lines to blur.
“If I did that, I’d feel like I was taking advantage of you,” he said quietly. “And I’d be totally in your debt.”
She felt herself blush. “Well…that might not be a bad thing because there may be a time when I need you to do the babysitting. I know I need to meet with the preschool next week, but in the meantime…”
“Hey, we can help each other out,” he finished for her.
“It’s kind of nice not being the odd man out around here anymore.
I love these guys like they’re my family, but…
they don’t have kids, and even though they’re all beyond great with Annabeth, sometimes they don’t get that I have other responsibilities. ”
“I get that. I was the first of my friends to have a baby, and for a while, they would get annoyed when I couldn’t just drop everything and go out.”
“Exactly.”
They stood in companionable silence for several long moments before Connor spoke again.
“So, um…if you’re sure you’re okay with it, I’d love to go to the house alone. It will just go faster. I’m not going to get everything tonight, but I’d like to get all our clothes and personal stuff. I promise to be back here by six, and we can eat by six-thirty.”
“What are you making?”
“I was planning on meatloaf, but…”
“How about pizza instead?” she suggested. “You know, pick it up on your way back and then we can just sort of chill out and not mess up the kitchen.”
His smile grew. “I know it would be completely inappropriate, but I swear I could kiss you right now. No one ever worries about that stuff for me.”
Her cheeks heated at the thought of that kiss, but she pushed it aside.
“Well, as someone who’s solely responsible for cleaning up, I know the importance of takeout. So text me when you’re on your way back and we can either eat here again or at your cabin.”
“How about mine? I feel like we’ve imposed on you enough today.”
“I really don’t mind, Connor.”
He shrugged. “Yeah, well…I knew your feelings about being around me when you accepted the job, and I just seem to keep overstepping the rules.”
Now she felt foolish. “You’re not overstepping, and while I really don’t want to revisit the past, you have to know why I felt that way.”
“I do.”
“But now that we’ve been around each other for a week, it’s not so terrible. Plus…the kids seem to really be bonding, and considering we don’t know anyone here, it’s nice for Jonah.”
“It’s nice for us, too. Moving Annabeth here was a risk, but I thought it was important for us to have a fresh start after Rachel left.” He paused and muttered a curse. “Sorry.”
“Connor, you don’t have to apologize for having a life after we broke up. Obviously, I had one too. But it seems like we both haven’t had the best time of it, so as two old friends who are dealing with very similar situations, it’s nice to know we have someone to lean on. Someone who understands.”
His expression turned sad, his voice gruff. “I’d give anything to go back and spare you all the pain, Lexi. You have no idea how sorry I am for all the hurt. If I could…”
“Don’t,” she whispered. “Just…don’t, okay? I can’t look back, Connor.” Swallowing hard, she willed herself not to cry. “But thank you for apologizing.”
“Lexi, I…”
“Mom! Can we watch the Disney Channel?” Jonah called out.
With a soft sigh, she looked at Connor. “That’s my cue to go. Text me when you’re on your way back and we’ll meet you at your cabin.”
And before either of them could say anything else, Lexi turned and went back into the cabin. As the door shut, she wondered if this was the closure she needed or if she was opening the door to more heartache.