Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
“I’m back in town.” Carissa’s voice came over the line, filling Max’s chest with warmth. “Are you free for dinner tonight?”
Max surveyed his progress on the arch as he considered her question. On the one hand, he was dying to see Carissa again and catch up on how her planning was going. On the other, he’d planned to show her the arch the next time they met, but it was nowhere near ready. He’d carved one branch into a long curved archway, but he hadn’t quite started on the intricate designs he was planning.
“I’d love to,” he said, deciding he would show her another time. “There’s a place I’ve been dying to take you. I’ll make a reservation.”
“Oh, where’s that?” she asked.
Shaking his head, Max grinned. “It’s a surprise.”
They planned for him to pick her up in a couple of hours, and he hung up the phone. In the meantime, he got back to work on the arch. Lanie had said she needed to stay late at school for some parent–teacher conferences, and he was trying to take advantage of her absence. There wouldn’t be much time to work on the arch during the rest of the week, as Halloween was the next day, then he, Lanie, and Steven were planning on spending Melody’s birthday together that weekend.
He decided to focus on carving the other side of the arch. It made more sense to make sure the pieces could fit together like he wanted before starting to carve designs into the wood. If they didn’t fit right, he would have to scrap one of the pieces and start over. With November just around the corner, he didn’t have time to waste.
An hour later, he stood and stretched his aching back. He’d made more progress on the other side of the arch, but he’d run out of time. After grabbing a quick shower, he dressed and headed over to pick up Carissa.
His heart pounded as he parked his car in her driveway and walked to her front door. They hadn’t seen each other since their kiss, and he was nervous about how she might act.
She opened the door with a smile. “Hello there, stranger.”
He couldn’t help grinning in return. “Long time no see.”
Without another word, she hugged him. He chuckled as his arms slid around her waist.
“I’ve missed you,” he whispered, though the words were inadequate for the depth of his feelings. In truth, he’d been going crazy and was desperate to find out where they stood.
Too soon, she stepped back, and it took a lot of willpower not to tighten his arms around her to bring her close again. But they had a lot to talk about and a reservation to get to.
He walked around to the passenger side and opened her door.
Her brow furrowed as she looked from the truck to him. “Aren’t you going to tell me where we’re going?”
Shaking his head, he held out his hand. “You’ll see when we get there.”
Her lower lip jutted out in an adorable pout, and for a moment, he was distracted by the desire to kiss her. Thankfully, she climbed into the truck before his desire got the better of him. There would be plenty of time for that later, assuming things went well that night.
Instead of heading north toward the National Harbor, Max turned the truck south. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Carissa staring at him before she shifted her gaze to the window as if the scenery would help her decipher their destination.
“So, how was your trip?” he asked, hoping to distract her.
“It went really well, actually.”
“You sound surprised.”
“I am a little. I wasn’t expecting everything to come together so easily, but I managed to speak to several different places about possible activities and dining.” She smiled. “The event is practically planning itself.”
“That’s good, though, right? Less stress for you?”
“That’s the goal.” Her expression darkened. “But I still have to run it by Jacob.”
They drove in silence for a few minutes until the landscape opened around them. A minute later, they were crossing the bridge to Solomon’s Island.
Carissa gasped and turned to him with wide eyes. “We’re going to dinner here?”
He nodded, proud of himself for keeping the secret. Immediately, she began naming potential places, but he refused to confirm or deny any of the options.
“Ugh, this is killing me,” she whined, playfully punching his arm. “I can’t believe you’re not going to tell me.”
“Wouldn’t be much of a surprise if I did.”
When they turned onto a deserted dirt road, her eyebrows pulled together. “Are you taking me to the woods to murder me and dispose of the body?”
He laughed. “Has Lanie been showing you her true-crime shows? Besides, I wouldn’t need to drive all the way down here to do that.” The road evened out, and a small building appeared in the distance. “This is the island’s best-kept secret.”
After he pulled into the makeshift parking lot, he grinned at the perplexed expression on her face. He understood her confusion. The building appeared no larger than a boathouse, with blue siding and white shutters.
“Welcome to La Vela.” He jumped out of the truck and went around to open her door. “The best Italian food around.”
They entered the main area, which had a bar and several small dining rooms that branched off to the right and left. Most of the tables were empty, but it was rather early and a weeknight.
After they were seated, he leaned closer to her. “I wanted something more secluded. Gives us a chance to talk.”
Her smile appeared forced, and for the first time since they’d arrived, he wondered if he’d made a mistake. Maybe she preferred somewhere more public.
“I haven’t been to this restaurant since they moved locations.”
“Well, it is rather out of the way?—”
“It’s not that,” she said quickly. “It’s just…” She closed her eyes, and it dawned on him she was trying not to cry.
Oh no, what have I done now? “Do you want to go?”
“Give me a second,” she choked out. The server placed two glasses of water on the table then hurried away as if he, too, could sense she was barely holding it together.
Once she’d taken a couple of sips, she gave him a sheepish smile. “Gosh, this is so embarrassing.”
“It’s okay. We can go somewhere else if you want. There’s a seafood restaurant next door.”
“No, this is fine, and I’m okay.” She cleared her throat. “My husband often came down to Solomon’s on business, and I have planned several weddings throughout the island. This was his favorite restaurant.”
Oh no. He’d hoped to avoid memories of her husband after their lunch at the National Harbor, and he assumed he would be safe taking her somewhere less well-known. “I’m sorry. I had no idea.”
“And why would you?” After she dried her eyes with her napkin, her smile appeared more genuine. “I’ve always loved this place, too, but I haven’t been able to bring myself to come back here.” She slid her hand across the table. “I’m glad I’m not doing it alone.”
Still, he felt awful. “We should go somewhere else. I want tonight to be about… well, us. And I don’t want to bring back painful memories.”
“That’s just it.” She shook her head. “They aren’t painful memories. We had a lot of good times at their old location.” After giving his hand a reassuring squeeze, she opened her menu. “I want to stay.”
He hesitated before opening his menu as well. Part of him wanted to ask her if she was sure, but he didn’t want to keep bringing it up either. He hoped maybe tonight would give her a chance to make new memories with him.
“What’s your favorite thing to get here?”
“Oh, there’s so many things I like,” she said. “They have pasta, but I had that the other night. I’ll get their duck al vino.”
The server returned to take their orders. Max gestured for Carissa to go first. When it was his turn, he ordered the filet mignon.
With a nod, the server took their menus and left. Max sipped his water to buy himself some time before he launched into the discussion they needed to have.
Taking a deep breath, he leaned forward. “Now that we have a moment alone, we should talk.”
Her expression became guarded. “You don’t waste any time.”
“I don’t mean to put you on the spot.” He cleared his throat. “But it has been a few days since our kiss, and you spent several of them avoiding my calls.”
She lowered her gaze. “I’m sorry about that. I wasn’t sure what to say or how I felt.”
His heart sank. “Then you regret it?”
Her head shot up. “Of course not.” The corner of her mouth twitched. “But the timing left a lot to be desired.”
“I know.” He groaned. “I shouldn’t have kissed you, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. I’ve wanted to do it for a long time.”
“Me too.” Her voice was almost a whisper.
He heaved a sigh of both relief and frustration. “So what do we do now?”
“I’m not sure what we can do,” she admitted. “You gave your word to Lanie, and her wedding is still almost two months away.”
“We’ve kept it from her thus far,” Max said, hating himself for even considering betraying his daughter’s trust. But she was the one who’d wanted him to put himself out there. And he couldn’t help who he’d fallen for.
“I don’t love the idea of sneaking around behind her back.” Carissa frowned. “Aside from being unprofessional, we’re adults, not teenagers hiding our relationship from our parents.”
“The role reversal isn’t lost on me.” Max’s chuckle was hollow. “If you want to keep trying to wait, I understand.” It would likely drive him mad, but he’d already decided Carissa was worth it.
She squared her shoulders. “I don’t want to wait anymore.”
“I don’t either.” He slid his hand across the table, and Carissa grasped it in her own.
Though joy filled his chest, his stomach churned with trepidation. He imagined it was only a matter of time before Lanie found out about them. While the wedding was nearly planned, he hated breaking his word to his daughter. He could only hope everything turned out okay in the end.
An hour later, they tossed their napkins onto their plates at the same time and leaned back. The food was delicious, as always, and Max was greatly enjoying the company as well.
“Would you like dessert?” the server asked as he cleared their plates.
Max glanced at Carissa, but she gave a small shake of her head. “No, thank you. Just the check, please.”
“Right away, sir.”
“Are you in a hurry to get home?” Max asked.
“Not particularly.”
After paying the bill, Max led her outside, and they walked along the streets until they came to the beach. The water of the Patuxent River lapped gently against the shoreline as the sun sank low on the horizon.
“We always seem to end up near water,” Carissa said, taking his hand and entwining their fingers.
“It’s hard to find a place in Maryland that doesn’t have access to water. We’re kind of surrounded by it.”
“Touché.”
“But that sounds like a fun challenge. I’ll have to find a place away from the water for our next date.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Getting ahead of yourself there, aren’t you, Mr. McAllister? I haven’t agreed to another date.”
“It’s too late for your weak protests now. You said you didn’t want to wait to be together, so another date is inevitable.” He brought their joined hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “You’re stuck with me now.”
Her laugh warmed his heart. “You’re quite sure of yourself.”
“I know what I want.” Wrapping an arm around her waist, he bent to kiss her.
“And what’s that?” she murmured against his lips.
“You.”
He kept the kiss short, not wanting to get carried away again, especially in public. But it was difficult to let her go. As they continued along the small beach, his heart was full for the first time since he’d lost Melody.
“I’ve never been here at night,” she said. They stopped at the edge of the beach to enjoy the sunset over the water. “Chuck didn’t like being so far from home in the evening.”
Normally, he might be put off by how much she talked about her late husband, but since losing Melody, he understood. It wasn’t the same as being with someone who was still in love with their ex. Death gave a finality that nothing could overcome, and grief was a testament to the strength of love.
“I prefer the evenings here.” A chilly breeze made her shiver, and Max wrapped an arm around her. “But we should probably get going. It’s a long drive back.”
“Just one more minute,” she said, leaning into him. “I’m not ready for this night to end.”
“Me either.”
Time seemed to stop, even as the sky changed from orange to pink and then a deep purple. Her scent wafted over him with the breeze, and he closed his eyes, savoring the moment.
“Would you ever want to get married again?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
That wasn’t a question he was expecting, and he spoke without thinking. “No.”
She stiffened in his arms. He grimaced. Clearly, that was the wrong answer. It might have been the truth, at least up until recently. But despite how he felt about Carissa, marriage hadn’t crossed his mind. For one thing, it felt too soon. And for another, he’d been a bachelor for so long, he wasn’t sure how he would feel about having a wife again.
“Never?” she asked.
“Uh, I mean, I didn’t expect to date again either. I haven’t given much thought to marriage.” Ugh. He wasn’t making much sense. “I guess I haven’t had much of a reason to consider marrying again, if that makes sense.”
Though she nodded and smiled, there was a hint of disappointment in her eyes. “I get it.”
“What about you? Do you want to marry again?”
She sighed. “At first, I didn’t. I couldn’t imagine ever finding what I had with Chuck again, and anything else would be a poor substitute.” She gestured toward the street, and he took her hand and led her back up the beach. “But after a few years, I started thinking it might be nice. I’ve still got a lot of life to live, God willing. And I’d like to share it with someone.”
Wanting to share your life with someone doesn’t have to mean marriage. But he didn’t say that out loud. A comment like that would likely ruin what had otherwise been a pleasant evening.
“It’s not something I want to rush into,” she continued when he didn’t respond. “Right now, I want to focus on my business.”
“That makes sense. Expanding it takes a lot of time and effort.”
She frowned but didn’t contradict him. They walked the rest of the way in silence, but it wasn’t as comfortable as before.
When they arrived at his truck, he opened her door. She searched his face briefly before climbing in. As he drove her home, he wished he could find a way to salvage the night, but he kept coming up empty.
Finally, she broke the silence. “I’m sorry if I spooked you with the marriage talk.”
“Not spooked,” he corrected. “Just caught off guard.” He glanced at her before turning his attention back to the road. “I’m not necessarily against getting remarried. It’s not something I’ve had occasion to think about since I wasn’t dating.”
“I understand.” She rested a hand on his knee. “I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
“No, I’m glad you did.” He squeezed her hand. “If we’re going to keep seeing each other, it’s important we’re both honest about what we want, now and in the future.” He cleared his throat. “And it’s okay if that changes, as long as we talk about it.”
A little while later, he pulled into her driveway and hopped out to walk her to her door. After kissing her good night, he spent the drive to his place mulling over their conversation. Though he’d meant it when he said he’d never had occasion to think about marriage, what he hadn’t told Carissa was that he’d sworn off marriage the moment the divorce decree was signed. But then, he’d sworn off love too. And look how that turned out.
Halloween came and went without much fuss. Max passed out candy. Lanie and Nate went with Steven and Rose to a party at Seabreeze. As time marched into November, the pressure was ramping up for him to finish Lanie’s wedding present. He needed to show Carissa the arch soon, as he hoped to get her opinion on where it might fit in the ceremony.
But first, he was meeting his children at the cemetery. It was Melody’s birthday, and they had agreed to get together as a family.
As he climbed into his truck and headed to the gravesite, he couldn’t help recalling how much had changed in the last year. His son was married, Lanie had moved home permanently and was soon to be married, and he’d started to open his heart again for the first time in over a decade.
“Melody,” he whispered hoarsely, “you would be so proud.”
Lanie and Steven were already in the parking lot when he arrived. While their significant others had offered to join them, they had decided to keep the visit between the three of them.
Lanie was already wiping tears from her eyes, and Max rushed toward her, pulling her into a fierce hug. His son held a small bouquet of flowers in one hand and an angel statue in the other.
A moment later, Lanie pulled away and forced a smile. “Let’s go visit Mom.”
Together, they trudged through the graveyard. The autumn wind ruffled their hair, and Max liked to think it was Melody showing them she was with them. When they reached the grave, Steven knelt and placed the flowers and the angel figurine in front of the headstone.
“Happy birthday,” he said, his voice hoarse from the tears he appeared to be holding back.
Max bent and put a hand on his son’s shoulder. He hated seeing his children in pain but knew there wasn’t anything he could do for them except offer comfort.
“I’m getting married next month, Mom,” Lanie said with a sniffle. “You’d love the dress I picked out.”
“It’s beautiful,” Max agreed before he turned away, not wanting his children to see the tears that came to his eyes at the memory of the first time he’d seen Lanie in that dress. She looked radiant and so much like her mother, it broke his heart.
Steven and Lanie continued to tell their mom about all the things going on in their lives. Max could almost pretend Melody was sitting there listening to them.
“Why don’t you tell Mom about your woodworking, Dad?” Lanie called, bringing Max back into the conversation. “She loved the furniture you made for her before…”
She swallowed, but Max could finish the sentence. Before the divorce. Before everything changed.
Max shifted closer to the headstone, feeling silly to be talking to a rock. “I’m working on something for Lanie, a wedding present.”
“Really?” Lanie asked, her eyes lighting up. “Is it a desk? Nate said I could use the second bedroom as an office for grading papers.”
Averting his eyes, Max shifted uncomfortably. Perhaps he should have considered a desk, though he supposed the vanity could double as one, especially if he made the mirror removable. But he was sure she would love the arch just as much once she saw it.
“You’ll have to wait and see,” he finally said.
They stayed for as long as they could stand the bitter wind, then they headed to the parking lot. After a quick goodbye, Max drove to his house, his heart light. The sun broke through the gathering clouds, and he hoped Melody was smiling down on him.