Chapter 29
twenty-nine
Carolina
Today I woke up and felt like I could breathe a little better. My anxiety was off the charts yesterday, and nothing I did helped ease it. I didn’t want to let Luke out of my sight, but I was glad Leo had convinced me to let him go. I felt a shift between us, and I wasn’t sure what to do.
I loved Leo Courtright with every ounce of my soul. But whenever I wanted to tell him, I couldn’t convince myself to say the words. I couldn’t be the first one to say them because if he didn’t return the sentiment or only wanted to remain coparents, I didn’t know what I’d do.
Between the kisses and the sweet gestures and him saving my life, I was sure he wanted us to be more, but I couldn’t put myself out there. I held back in fear of breaking both of us all over again.
Leo helped me gather all of Luke’s and my things, albeit reluctantly, and we took them over to the house earlier today.
When we walked through the door, our arms full of bags of clothes and Luke’s toys, I stopped and took a deep breath.
The broken vase was now gone like nothing had ever happened.
The photo albums still sat on the counter in the kitchen.
The only thing different was the faint smell of lemon, the same scent of the cleaner I used to mop the floors.
We set the bags of Luke’s things down and put them away in silence before we did the same thing to mine.
We walked back into the living room, an awkward silence still between us. I felt Leo approach behind me and stilled. His calloused palms caressed my bare shoulders, and a shiver passed through me.
“Carolina,” he whispered behind me, and I instantly hated the sound of my name coming from his lips.
What I wanted to hear was the four-letter word he used to call me.
I wanted to scream in frustration, but I held it in.
I couldn’t tell him I wanted to hear it.
He had to say it all on his own. He’d called me firefly several times, and each time my heart skipped several beats.
But I just wanted to hear him call me his cara again.
Maybe then I could finally admit that I loved him.
Once he said the nickname that I held so dear to my heart, I’d know his feelings for me were the same as the ones I never let go of for him.
“Leo,” I finally whispered back.
He wrapped his arms around my middle and pulled my back flush against his chest. His chin rested on my shoulder.
“Do you want to take Luke to The Chill Grill with me tonight?” he asked before he placed a barely there kiss on my neck.
Was he asking me out on a date?
No, he mentioned Luke tagging along.
“You wanna take us to dinner?” I asked, knowing the small town of Haven Valley would make assumptions.
“Yes, I do,” he said with such confidence.
“What time?” I asked as I brought my hands up to rest on his forearms, loving how his skin felt beneath my touch.
“How about you stay here and get ready, and I’ll go grab Luke from your parents and spend a little time with him before we pick you up?” he suggested.
I looked over at the digital clock on the stove and checked the time. It was a little after three now. That gave me plenty of time to get ready and start some laundry.
“Sounds good to me,” I said as I went to move out of the physical hold he had on me, but I’d never be able to get rid of the hold he had over my heart.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay here alone?” he asked as his breath tickled my neck.
“I’ll be fine,” I said as I cleared my throat so he wouldn’t know how affected I was.
“I’ll see you soon, firefly,” he said as he placed a quick kiss against the side of my head and moved away from me.
I watched him walk to the front door. He looked back at me, a bright smile on his face. He winked at me, causing me to smile before he left.
As soon as Leo closed the door, I raced over to it and checked to make sure it was locked.
It was.
I smiled at the thought that he’d made sure to turn the lock before he left. I locked the dead bolt and let out a heavy sigh.
Shaking the thoughts of what had happened a couple of days ago from my mind, I turned and went to my bedroom to search for an outfit that didn’t scream I assumed this was a date when it wasn’t.
After I started a load of laundry, I took a long, hot bath, and allowed the hot water to ease the tense muscles I had. I stayed in the water until it cooled before I got out and went to get dressed.
Since it was so hot outside, I decided to go with a flowy white skirt and paired it with a matching halter top. Instead of leaving my hair down, I curled it and pinned the curls in a simple updo. I sat on the bed and put on a pair of white wedges when I heard the doorbell ring.
Instantly, I went on high alert. My heart rate accelerated with every shaky step I took toward the front door. The bell sounded again just as I rounded the corner into the living room.
I looked through the peep hole and smiled.
Pulling the door open, I found Leo and Luke standing on the other side. Both dressed in jeans and button-down shirts paired with their cowboy boots. Leo and Luke both wore cowboy hats. But that wasn’t what caused my eyes to fill with tears.
In each of their hands, they held a bouquet of my favorite flowers.
Tulips.
He remembered.
“You look so handsome,” I said to Luke as I knelt in front of him.
“These are for you, Mom. Dad said they're your favorites,” Luke said as he held his bouquet out to me.
I looked up at Leo, who I swore blushed as he smiled down at me. “He did, did he? Thank you, handsome. Let me go put these in some water, then we can go to dinner,” I said as I stood and walked into the kitchen to find a vase.
“These are also for you,” Leo said behind me as I reached up and tried to grab the vase on the top shelf. He reached up and grabbed it with ease and set it on the counter in front of me.
“Thank you.” My cheeks heated as I moved around him and took the vase to the sink and filled it with water.
I unwrapped Luke’s flowers and put them in the water and turned to find Leo holding his bouquet out to me.
“They're beautiful,” I said as I tried to take the flowers from him.
He held on tight, and I looked up at him with questions in my eyes.
“Not as beautiful as you,” he said before he let the flowers go.
“Still such a smooth talker,” I whispered as I turned and put the flowers in the same vase as Luke’s. I held the flowers in front of me and admired their beauty for a moment before I carried them over to the table to proudly display them in the center.
“You ready to go, bud?” I asked when I turned around.
“I’m starvin’, Mom,” Luke said and I didn’t miss the way he’d dropped his ‘g’ just like his dad.
“Then let’s go feed you,” I said with a laugh as the three of us left the house.
I was nervous when we arrived at the restaurant, and I wasn’t sure why.
I didn’t really care what people thought of me, but for some reason I worried what assumptions they’d make by seeing the three of us together. I hadn’t really taken Luke into town since I’d returned. I wanted to get him settled, not throw him into the talks of this small town.
We were seated, and Luke chose to sit across from me beside Leo. I smiled at the two of them. I still couldn’t get over how much he looked like Leo. I could see it in the photos, but seeing it with the two of them staring back at me was like a shock to my system.
The waitress greeted us with a smile as she approached.
“Well, I’ll be. Carolina Sutton. I’d heard you were back in town, but I hadn’t seen ya yet, and you’re here with Leo Courtright just like the good ole’ days. It’s about time y’all are back together,” the waitress greeted us. I recognized her face, but couldn’t recall her name.
“Hi,” I said with a smile.
“And who might you be?” she asked as she looked over at Luke.
“I’m Luke Alexander Courtright,” he said proudly. He always had to include his middle name when he introduced himself, and no amount of me telling him not to had got him to stop.
I didn’t miss the way the waitress gasped as she looked from Luke over to Leo who had his arm over the back of the booth behind Luke.
“That’s right, Delores. He’s my son, and she’s my girl,” Leo said from across from me, stunning me speechless. He called me his girl. His girl. We hadn’t established that just yet, and now that he’d said it to the waitress, surely the whole town would know by morning.
“It’s nice to meet ya. Welcome to The Chill Grill. How’re y’all this evening?” she asked, her voice a little tenser.
“Good,” the three of us said at the same time.
“What can I get y’all to drink?” she asked.
We all ordered sweet teas, and she told us she’d be back in a moment.
I gave Leo a we need to talk look, and he smiled back at me before he turned his attention back to Luke.
“Why’d she look at me like that, Mom?” Luke asked, ever the inquisitive little boy.
“She was just shocked I had a son. I used to know her when I lived here before,” I explained.
“That makes sense. I want a burger and fries, but make sure my fries have cheese on them,” he said after he read the kids menu in front of him.
“That sounds good. I think I’ll have the same. What’re you having, Leo?” I asked.
“Y’all read my mind. They have the best burgers with this bacon jam on them,” he said as he looked over at me and mouthed ‘you doin’ okay.’
I gave a subtle nod so Luke didn’t notice.
“Did you have fun at Grandma and Grandpa’s?” I asked Luke just as the waitress returned with our drinks.
I told Luke to wait a second before he answered as Leo gave her our food order.
“I had the best time. We only have one more section of the castle to finish. It’s goin’ to be so cool once it’s done,” he exclaimed with so much cheer in his voice.
“When we’re done here, we’re going back to our house tonight,” I explained to prepare him that the adventure was over at his nana and papa’s house.
“Ahh man… Can’t we have one more night at Nana and Papa’s? I don’t want our adventure to be over just yet,” he said with a pout, and I looked at Leo for help.