Chapter 4 – Michael
Chapter Four
MICHAEL
H annah walks in front of me as we make our way through Get Stuffed and to a table in the back, and I take the opportunity to smile as big as I feel like.
I had my reservations about tonight, but the moment I set my eyes on her, I was floored. I’m not even sure what I noticed first—her big blue eyes, the freckles splashed across her button nose, or her pink, full lips. They’re all perfect.
And I feel like one very lucky man.
“Hey, Michael.” Emmy Jane, one of the waitresses, approaches us before we’ve even taken a seat.
“Hi, Emmy Jane. How are you?”
She ignores the question and splits a smile between Hannah and me. “It’s so good to have you both in. We have some appetizers here, on the house.”
She unloads her tray, placing jalape?o poppers, breadsticks, and the house salad on the table. “What can I get you to drink?”
“Oh.” Hannah looks up at her. “Thank you. I doubt we can eat all this…”
“Don’t worry about it. Christine just wanted to make sure you have whatever you want for your special night. On the house,” she repeats.
Through the kitchen window, Christine, whose husband volunteers part time at the fire station, waves at me. I wave back, embarrassed that we have about the same amount of privacy in here as we did on the street.
“I’ll take water,” I tell Emmy Jane.
“Same,” Hannah says, and Emmy Jane bustles off with a nod.
“You know everyone.” Hannah rests her clasped hands on the table.
“More like everyone knows me.” I hesitate. “I’m sorry. We can go somewhere more?—”
“No, it’s okay. Small town. I get it.” She fiddles with her fork. “So, you’re renovating the fire station?”
“Not the whole thing.” I fold my arms on the table, happy to at least have something to talk about. “Just the kitchen. I was a contractor before I moved back here and took over my dad’s job.”
“As fire chief. After he retired?”
“After he…died.”
Her lips part in surprise. “Oh. I’m sorry.”
“Thank you.” A lump forms in my throat, and I have to work to swallow it down. “The last project he had going before he passed was this. He wanted to revamp the whole kitchen, which is pretty old. I guess people have opinions about it.”
“When did he pass?”
“Last year. He, uh… We had a big fight the last time we saw each other. He disagreed with my parenting choices. Thought I should move back to Pine Island so Katie could be around family.”
I have no clue why I’m opening up like this. Maybe it’s because I know she’ll eventually hear this story from someone else, or maybe it’s because I feel at ease around her and I want to speak what’s constantly on my mind.
“We never got the chance to make up,” I add.
My last word hangs in the air. I wish there were more to add, but that’s it. That’s the end of the story.
Resolutions are for books and movies. When you get them in real life, it’s a bonus, not a guarantee.
I clear my throat, suddenly uncomfortable. This topic isn’t exactly first-date material, and I don’t want to bring down the mood.
“What brought you to Pine Island?” I ask. “Your shop?”
“Exactly.” Her whole demeanor changes. Her face becomes brighter, and she sits straighter. “I’m from Oregon. Portland. I was working from home, teaching online, and I saw the storefront when I was searching for some examples for a course, and… I can’t explain it. I just fell in love with what I saw. It was so right.”
“So you came and checked it out, and that was that?”
“Not exactly,” she laughs. “My aunt checked it out for me, and I bought it on the spot.”
I cock my head. “You were willing to take that chance without looking at the place yourself or visiting the island?”
“Um. Well…” She bites her bottom lip. “I wasn’t feeling well, and we knew the property would go fast.”
Emmy Jane arrives out of nowhere and places our drinks on the table. “Two waters. Now, what can I get you for dinner?”
We decide on a pizza to share, and as soon as Emmy Jane leaves, Hannah turns back to me. “Tell me about your daughter.”
I would like to hear more about her, actually, but the fact that she seems to genuinely want to know about Katie is wonderful. One of the reasons I’ve put off dating is that I worry what people will think of me having a kid, and that’s just the start of it. From what I’ve learned from other people, all sorts of complications come into place when you date with children involved.
“Katie is eleven.” Just speaking about her makes me feel lighter. “She’s smart, really…intuitive. She gets that from her aunt Jenny, I guess. She liked that I was going on a date tonight. Basically told me that it’s time to get back out there.”
Hannah laughs. “Wow. She’s not afraid to speak her mind.”
“Tell me about it,” I chuckle.
“How long has it been?”
I press my tongue against my front teeth, not sure I want to admit the truth. “Would you think less of me if I said years?”
“Nope.” She seems completely unfazed. “Not if you don’t think less of me if I say the same thing.”
“Really? You haven’t been on a date in years?”
I find that hard to believe. A woman this beautiful must have men constantly throwing themselves at her. Did she leave a relationship recently? Is that why she hasn’t been dating?
“I’m going to need an explanation for that.” I scoot my chair farther into the table, only because it gets me a couple inches closer to her.
She shrugs. “Life just kind of gets in the way. I’m sure you know about that.”
I snort. “Boy, do I ever.”
She selects a fried jalape?o, and I have to work not to stare while she eats it. “What kind of contracting jobs did you have before?”
“We were in Seattle, and it was all kinds. Mostly businesses. Shops. Government buildings.”
“That sounds like a lot of responsibility.”
“Not as much as being fire chief here. The expectations are…different.”
“Oh yeah?” She cocks her head, her voice dropping. “Tell me more.”
I know she’s not trying to sound sultry, but the low vibrations of her voice send a shiver through me. I can’t help but imagine how soft her skin must be, what she smells like up close, my face buried in her hair…
My phone buzzes in my pocket, making me jump. “I’m sorry. I should check this.”
“Of course.”
I pull out the phone to see that it’s the station. I have to work to suppress a sigh. “I’ll call them back in a minute.”
But then I get a text from one of the volunteers. Car wreck on the bridge. Could use you.
Stuffing the phone back into my pocket, I give Hannah an apologetic look. “I’m so sorry. The crew needs me.”
I’m both relieved and sad over the disappointment that flashes across her face. I hate to bail on her, but it’s also nice that she wants me here.
“It’s understandable.” She offers up a warm smile. “Duty calls.”
I gesture for Emmy Jane to bring the check, and as I hand her some cash, I turn back to Hannah. “I would love a rain check. Can I get your number?”
The second before she answers feels like a hundred years. I can’t breathe. Can’t think.
Finally, she smiles. “Of course.”
“I have a pen.” Emmy Jane, who I didn’t know was still here—but of course she is; isn’t everyone in this town always around?—drops the pen on the table.
After writing her number on a napkin, Hannah stands to see me off. It’s that part of the evening when I have no clue what to do, and when she moves in for a quick hug, I peck her on the cheek.
I was right. Her skin is incredibly soft. Like satin. And she smells like fresh rain and a field of lavender, which, starting now, are my two new favorite scents.
Pulling myself together, I step back. “Thank you. I’m sorry again. I’ll call you.”
She nods. “I’d like that. Now go do your thing.”
Even though I want to stay right by her side, I will myself to walk out of the restaurant and to my truck, parked just down the street. With each step, my heart becomes a little lighter.
Since I’ve moved back to Pine Island, life has been good, but it’s also felt like it’s missing something. Hell, the last eleven years have felt that way. I love being a dad, but I’ve always longed for something additional… Something I never fully let myself crave.
Tonight, the tide is changing. I feel it in the air.
Good things are on their way.